Category: people

Chief curator of the National Gallery of Canada to take chief curator job at New York’s Frick. – CBC

Neeme Järvi and his sons Paavo and Kristjan are founding something of a family dynasty – all three Estonian conductors are now music directors of American orchestras. – The Age (Melbourne) (AP)

Joni Mitchell has gotten rich and famous as a pop singer. But even though music has paid the bills, she considers herself a painter.  “All through this,” she relates in an exclusive interview, “I have always thought of myself as a painter derailed by circumstance.” Now she has a show in Canada. – The Globe and Mail (Canada)

The man who invented the “Aloha” shirt (way back in 1931) has died. “The Aloha shirt is the ultimate expression of delighted creativity. You can’t help but feel good when you’re wearing an Aloha shirt.” – Washington Post

Pianist Glenn Gould was renowned both for his talent and for his eccentric performance habits, which included rocking back and forth, humming loudly, and conducting to himself during concerts. Now the director of the music division at Canada’s National Library says evidence shows Gould suffered from Asperger’s syndrome, a kind of autism. “I went ‘Bingo.’ I’d suspected for a long time that this was more than just a weirdo.” – Yahoo! (Reuters)

Wolfgang Sawallisch may be on his way out as director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, but he’s got a remarkable thing going in Philadelphia. “Although orchestra players traditionally complain about anyone who wields a baton, Sawallisch seems to inspire consistent affection from the orchestra, even amid observations that age has robbed his baton technique of some precision. But the mind behind the technique has gained precision.” – Philadelphia Inquirer

As do most ex-chairpeople of the National Endowment for the Arts, Jane Alexander has written a book about her experience running the American public arts funder. “From her coy pose on the cover, to the last desperate Shakespeare quotation, Jane Alexander has…produced a stunning argument for saving trees. This account of her tenure as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts from 1993 to 1997, unfortunately reads like a high school student’s account of a summer abroad. – The Idler

Nina Simone sits for an interview and answers every question with a plea to help sell tickets. The tour “hasn’t been doing too good. We need you to help sell the tickets.” – Boston Herald

John Adams has become one of America’s most popular, widely performers and accomplished composers. “Outgrowing the hypnotic drone of minimalism, he has taken on the classical tradition and annexed its august forms. It’s native bravado, not arrogance, which makes Adams measure himself against Verdi or compare his own dramaturgy with Shakespeare’s. – The Observer (UK)