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Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1 Takes Hold on Spotify
The 150th anniversary of composer Erik Satie’s birth on May 17 generated surprisingly little attention among classical musicians or commentators outside of France. But a few have started to take notice. There was a 22-hour performance of Satie’s Vexations at England’s Cheltenham Music Festival on July 15, and wide-ranging appraisals have recently appeared in the Boston Globe, The Guardian and Gramophone.
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David Geffen Hall Renovation Plans: 5 Things to Look For
Lincoln Center is expected to unveil architectural plans for the gut renovation of David Geffen Hall in the coming months. The reveal should start to answer questions about what $500 million – the projected price tag – can bring a New York concert venue in 2016. The two architectural firms that won the commission – Heatherwick Studio…
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Pops Concerts Change Their Tunes Amid Uncertainty
Received wisdom holds that pops concerts are a cash cow, supporting orchestras’ ability to present more serious fare, while reaching audiences who may watch PBS and even buy the occasional recording but aren’t going to turn out for Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony. But according to a report by the Associated Press, the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, one of the signature pops…
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Unearthing Music Inspired by the U.S. National Parks
When Gustav Mahler was composing his Symphony No. 3 in Steinbach am Attersee – part of Austria’s spectacular Salzkammergut lake district – the young conductor Bruno Walter paid him a visit. As Walter stepped off the ferry boat, Mahler saw that his guest was gazing up at the cragged, limestone mountains which provided a dramatic backdrop to the lakefront.
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Music Director Salaries on the Upswing
Thanks to a Texas-sized bonus, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Jaap van Zweden has become the first American symphony music director to earn more than $5 million in annual compensation, according to the latest conductor salary report by the industry blog Adaptistration.
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National Anthems as Raw Material for Classical Compositions
The Rio Olympics will once again put national anthems in the spotlight, as winning athletes stand on the medal podium to hear their country’s song played over loudspeakers while their respective flag is hoisted above. The medal ceremonies can make for great television, though if past games are a precedent, American viewers will hear lots of the U.S. national anthem, to the exclusion of…
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Lincoln Center’s $2.4 Billion Impact on New York City
Broadway theaters have been assiduous about promoting their value to New York City’s economy, releasing annual reports and other data on their audiences’ ticket-buying habits, demographics and consumer preferences. These are then used as evidence of Broadway’s role as a major economic engine, helping advocates lobby city and state governments for tax breaks and other incentives.
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Instagram Use Grows Dramatically Among Arts Consumers
Capacity Interactive, an online marketing consulting firm, has published a report examining how arts organizations use the Internet and social media in their marketing efforts. Surveying more than 130 U.S. arts organizations, the company identified a dramatic increase in the amount of Instagram activity over the past year.
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Conductor and Board Appointments Signal Change at Big Institutions
What to make of a day when three sets of headlines point to an ever-so-slightly more progressive direction for classical music? To recap…
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Dispatch from Belfast: The Ulster Orchestra’s Potent Season Finale
BELFAST – The Ulster Orchestra has long been regarded as one of the jewels in Northern Ireland’s cultural crown but in recent years, serious doubts emerged about its existence as local government funding was slashed and talk of bankruptcy suddenly emerged.