Congratulations to Judith Weir!

by sarah | Jul 2, 2014

It was just announced, though unofficially, that Scottish-born Judith Weir will become the first female Master of the Queen’s Music. Described as the equivalent of Poet Laureate, the position dates back to Charles I, who appointed Nicholas Lanier in 1625, and has been...

Symphony Guide Featuring Louise Farrenc

by sarah | Jun 24, 2014

In case you missed it, Tom Service, music critic for The Guardian, featured Louise Farrenc’s Third Symphony in his running Symphony Guide series on his blog.  It’s always wonderful to see a historic(!) woman(!)’s work being featured in a serious...

A Round-Up of Recent Headlines on the Fat-Shaming Incident

by sarah | Jun 10, 2014

The current role, and expectations, of women in music have been in the headlines as of late—all surrounding reception of a recent production Der Rosenkavalier and the size (not the talent) of the singer playing Octavian.  The critical reviews of acclaimed...

Joan Tower Performed (and Recorded) by Nashville Symphony

by Liane Curtis | Nov 23, 2013

Tonight! (Nov. 23)  Not only will WPA Performance Grant recipient Nashville Symphony present two works by Joan Tower—Stroke (2010) and Violin Concerto (1991)—it will also record them for a 2014 release by Naxos, the same label that released Tower’s...

A Few Words on the RPO

by sarah | Feb 5, 2013

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has been making headline after headline as of late—and not for the same reasons that it did just a year or so ago. The orchestra that was only months ago presented with the first Amy Award for programming excellence has now fired...

Repertoire Statistics Report—2009-2010

by sarah | Jul 31, 2012

Every year the League of American Orchestras releases statistics on the repertoire that is performed by member ensembles. The information is collected and painstakingly compiled so that arts administrators, musicians, and academics can take notice of trends and...