Where can you find the top student opera theater program in the U.S.? Juilliard? Curtis? Not according to the annual competition sponsored by the National Opera Association. For the second year in a row, Philadelphia-based Temple University has taken top honors, a major boost for a program that sometimes struggles for national recognition.
Tag: 03.29.05
Use Of BBC Internet Streaming Radio Soars
“Online demands to hear radio programmes passed nine million in February – up more than 25% on the previous month. The show which is most requested is Radio 4’s long-running soap opera The Archers, with Chris Moyles’ Radio 1 breakfast show in second spot. Online listening to digital-only networks, such as 6 Music, has soared by 83% in the last year.”
America’s Band
The Eagles haven’t released a new album in 25 years, but they still pac arena, and their Greatest Hits has sold 28 million copies – the most of any recording in history. “It’s almost as if what the band stands for has become more important than what it actually does. Somehow, quietly and gradually, the Eagles became America’s band, representing the nation’s aesthetic and sense of self in ways Bruce Springsteen or Lee Greenwood never could. It’s not patriotism, exactly — you’d be hard-pressed to find the words “America” or “U.S.A.” in their lyrics — but it speaks to the American identity on an almost subliminal level, evoking a psychic landscape far more immediate than the iconic purple mountains and amber waves of grain.”
How Blogging Is Changing Iran
Blogging has taken off in Iran, and Persian is now the fourth most popular blog language in the world. “A major factor in the widespread adoption of blogging in Iran has been the Unicode standard, which has made it possible for people to write and publish easily in the Persian script. Nor does it hurt that it is easy to set up a blog — or to use a pseudonym. The result has been the creation of a medium that cuts across social and geographic boundaries.”
Japanese Orchestra Reforms How It Pays Players
One of Japan’s top orchestras is restructuring and offering new contracts to players. “The two new contracts will have members choose between a fixed-term employment system and an annual contract system based on performance evaluation. This is the first time that a Japanese professional orchestra has decided to adopt a performance-based wage system comparable to that used by private-sector companies.”
About Those 562 Stolen Picassos…
“There are more than 160,000 missing works of art, according to the Art Loss Register, a London-based organization that tracks stolen and recovered art. The global trade in stolen art is estimated to amount to at least $5 billion a year, according to the Progressive Policy Institute, which reports by comparison that the legitimate art market is said to be about $25 billion annually.”
Rocky 2 Tops Classic FM List Again
Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 has again topped UK listeners’ list of favorite music in the annual Classic FM survey. “The concerto, which was used in the classic romance Brief Encounter, has now topped the Hall of Fame countdown for five years running. Vaughan Williams’ A Lark Ascending came second, while Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A was third.”
Royal Winnipeg Star Retires
Royal Winnipeg star Evelyn Hart has retired from the company after 30 years. “Hart, who turns 49 on April 6, said that over the past few years, the company has mounted more and more productions without her. Although billed as one of the company’s principal dancers, she was scheduled to dance only one short pas de deux this season and was not cast in any of the company’s recent hit productions.”
Police Investigate Missing Boston Gallery Owner
The owner of a venerable Boston art and prints gallery abruptly left the country about two weeks ago, setting off a criminal investigation into whether he absconded with hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sales of artwork left on consignment at his shop…
The Precocious China Philharmonic
The China Philharmonic Orchestra is only four years old, but already it is touring the world. “The 106-strong orchestra was founded in 2000 through a revamp of an old Beijing radio orchestra. Supporters say that the orchestra’s success is heralding a renaissance in classical music in China. Around 240 million Chinese children now learn the piano and the Pearl River Piano Group is now the second largest instrument manufacturer in the world.”