Craig Jessop, who resigned abruptly as director of the Mormon Tabernacle choir last month, will apparently become head of Utah State University’s music department. “Jessop’s resignation fueled widespread and continuing speculation about his reasons for leaving.”
Tag: 04.04.08
Australian Gallery Gets Record-Setting Gift
Australian collector John Kaldor is donating his entire AUS$35m art stash to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. “It is the most valuable single gift of artworks given to an Australian gallery and the country’s most important private collection of contemporary art.”
Inside The Mind Of A Russian Legend
The diaries of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev will be published for the first time next week, and in them are found not only ruminations on music, but political diatribes, thoughts on the future direction of composition, and an anecdote about “screaming at Stravinsky to make him lose control.”
The Two Kevin Spaceys
On the one hand, Kevin Spacey is a bona fide Hollywood star who makes millions appearing in big-budget film projects. On the other hand, Kevin Spacey is the director of London’s Old Vic theater, who claims that his interest in movies is dwarfed by his love of serious stage work. “Unfortunately, the necessarily guarded demeanour of a media-hounded Hollywood star is not an asset for someone trying to make his way as a London artistic director.”
Inter-Orchestra Row Brewing Among Kiwis
A regional orchestra in New Zealand has been stirring up debate recently, claiming that too much government funding goes to the Wellington-based New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, at the expense of smaller groups that need the funds more. Now, the NZSO’s CEO is firing back, and the media have picked up the scent…
A Violin Star Steps Outside The Comfort Zone
Classical musicians usually hold themselves aloof from other genres, but violinist Hilary Hahn has recently been forging some unconventional (and musically fascinating) partnerships with indie rockers and singer-songwriters.
European Orchestras Scrambling To Reduce Decibels
New EU workplace noise regulations have thrown orchestras “into a tailspin. They are spending tens of thousands of pounds consulting acoustic engineers and compiling complex databases, installing noise-reducing screens and buying earplugs for their players.” The regulations were meant to protect factory workers from excessive noise. “The irony is that for orchestras noise is their business.”
Can A Cultural Capital Rise From The UAE Desert?
“Abu Dhabi earns an estimated $25m a day from oil, and has between 40 and 100 years of oil left. And with these bottomless pockets, it is buying culture… But can money alone create culture in the desert?