“Even before Gustavo Dudamel officially takes the podium this fall, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s new maestro is making it clear that music education is a priority. Tomorrow the orchestra is announcing a fellowship program proposed by Dudamel that will offer [four] promising conductors the chance to work with one of the hottest figures in classical music.”
Tag: 04.30.09
Birds Got Rhythm (Who Could Ask For Anything More?)
“Birds can boogie to the beat, according to two new studies that found birds, especially parrots, have rhythm and an apparent appreciation for certain songs that compel them to bob their heads, tap their feet and sway their bodies in time to music.”
Australia’s Meta-Nutcracker
“Graeme Murphy’s Nutcracker, recast so poignantly as the life story of an ageing Russian ballerina long transplanted to Melbourne, exerts a magic very different from the traditional favourite. Childish dreams and a kingdom of sweets give way to a narrative that has consequences for every member of the audience. Without such emigres there would be no Australian ballet. And no Australian Ballet.”
Dallas Symphony Puts Off European Tour
“The Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s 2010 European tour has become another casualty of the international recession. Originally scheduled for next February and March, the tour is being postponed until at least 2012.”
How X-Men‘s Brooding Freak Became A Superstar Superhero
“Wolverine has not only retained his appeal among comic-book readers; he has gone from being a pastiche of ’70s tough guys to becoming the badass icon of the ’90s, thanks to his cartoons, video games, and, now, his Hollywood blockbusters. […] And like all wildly successful figures in American entertainment, Wolverine is a Canadian.”
Wooster Group Plans L.A. Residencies
“During its four-year collaboration with REDCAT, the Wooster Group intends to participate in a series of residencies of two weeks or more, during which time it may present works in progress as well as installation art. It will also interact with CalArts faculty and students through in-person talks and Web-based activities.”
Britain’s Last Piano Maker To Close
“Kemble and Co in Bletchley has been making pianos for almost 100 years. Main shareholder Yamaha decided that it was no longer viable.”
How Do You Make A Living In This Dance Biz?
“Back Stage spoke recently with six journeyman dancers, performers whose names you won’t recognize but who work consistently as dancers in every corner of show business. Their stories offer clever ideas and straightforward advice about building and sustaining a professional dance career.”
Duffy Believed To Be Named Poet Laureate Tomorrow
“Carol Ann Duffy is expected to be named by Downing Street tomorrow as the first female poet laureate, the latest in a line that has included John Dryden, William Wordsworth and Ted Hughes. Duffy is thought to have edged ahead of Simon Armitage to succeed Andrew Motion, whose 10-year tenure comes to an end tomorrow. For her fans – and there are a lot – it will be justice at last.”
A Violinist’s Gift To His Instrument: A New Concerto
Dallas Symphony concertmaster Emanuel Borok, who plays a 401-year-old Amati violin, “has heard many of the theories about what makes Amati and Stradivarius violins so special. It’s the wood. It’s the varnish. It’s the cow’s urine in the varnish.” But, he says, “As an artist, I’m not interested in that too much.” What he was interested in was commissioning a concerto to mark his instrument’s four centuries. So he did. (With audio and video.)