Contemporary Classical Music Seems to be Losing its Elitist Reputation
There was a time when those staging concerts of contemporary classical music didn't just expect small audiences, it was a source of pride. For some, too many people in the audience smacked of mainstream, which was unacceptable. As Dylan says, however, "the times, they are a-changin."
The English National Opera (ENO) is staging four operas written in the past 30 years, including John Adams' The Death of Klinghoffer, about the 1985 hijacking of an ocean liner by the Palestine Liberation Front, conducted by Baldur Brönnimann and staged by War Horse director Tom Morris.
More and more people seem to be willing to step out of their comfort zone and be challenged by music, art, and theatre. Read Audiences Flock to "Difficult" Contemporary Classical Music (The Guardian) Read Klinghoffer and the Art of Composing: An Interview with John Adams (earbox.com) Watch the Night Chorus from The Death of Klinghoffer by John Adams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAE3fsDz0I
Hawaii Symphony Rises From the Ashes
Just over a year after the Honolulu Symphony's ignominious collapse, musicians and backers have created the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, which has announced a slate of eight classical programs to be performed in Honolulu from March through May of this year. The season features an impressive list of guest artists such as Manuel Barrueco, Jon Kimura Parker, and Zuill Bailey, a stellar array of guest conductors, (including Junichi Hirokami in early May), and JoAnn Falletta as Artistic Advisor. Tickets went on sale February 1st. Read Hawaii Symphony Orchestra Announces 2012 Season (Hawaii Reporter)
Bolshoi Ballet Academy to Graduate its First American-Born Dancer
Russian ballet stars once defected to the West in search of artistic freedom. These days, western dancers are lured east by the iron discipline of a Russian ballet education. Now Joy Womack, who grew up in California and Texas, will soon see her hard work pay off. Read Bolshoi Ballet Academy to See First U.S. Graduate (Reuters)