As medici.tv’s Chief Content Officer I spend a lot of time thinking about classical music—and a lot of time on the internet. Here’s my selection of the top five news items you need to see this week if you want to stay in the know.
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Dudamel talks about Beethoven, NYC, and hot dogs (NYT)
Gustavo Dudamel is of course no stranger to the Arts section of the NYT but this week he made it into the paper’s hometown-focussed vertical, New York Today. The New York Philharmonic Music Director designate talked about how he’s prepping for the Beethoven-heavy programs that feature in his next batch of concerts with the ensemble this fall and about his favorite local hot dog spot, which he first discovered decades ago while watching ‘90s rom-com “Fools Rush In.” “Dudamel said his reaction was: ‘The best hot dog is in Venezuela.’ So he had to check out Gray’s Papaya.”
Sandra Oh at The Met (Operawire)
The Metropolitan Opera announced this week that award-winning actress Sandra Oh will make her debut this fall in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment, in the non-singing role of the Duchess of Krakenthorp. When Hollywood stars make their way to the opera stage it’s often read as a novelty or a bid for buzz, so I appreciated Operawire’s measured editorial reacting to Oh’s casting: “Opera houses too often shy away from pop culture, as if relevance threatens artistic integrity. The opposite is true. Casting a beloved actor like Sandra Oh doesn’t dilute the art form– it opens the door for new audiences to discover it. With aging audiences and shrinking ticket sales, opera cannot afford to ignore the power of visibility, celebrity, and social media.”
Curious as to what the role entails? Check out this 2022 production at Venice’s La Fenice theater, with Marisa Laurito as a particularly lively Duchess:
Pennsylvania public school prints 3D violins to make music accessible (Classic FM)
Here’s your heart-warming news item for the week: Classic FM has spotlighted the work of superintendent Dr. Laura Jacob, who has produced over 200 3D-printed violins for students in her district over the last five years—a cost-cutting initiative that has made music class more accessible to the low-income population she serves. The 3D-printed violins are made available to students free of charge (vs. a several hundred-dollar annual rental fee for a wooden instrument). She additionally runs a weekly 3D violin club, which combines learning about the instruments and 3D printing technology.
George Benjamin joins France’s prestigious Académie des Beaux Arts (Radio Classique – in French)
George Benjamin has been elected as an Foreign Associate Member of the Académie des Beaux‑Arts in Paris, filling the seat left vacant by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, who held the seat from 2022 until her death in 2023. Benjamin has strong ties to the French cultural scene, having studied at the Conservatoire de Paris in the 1970s with Olivier Messiaen (composition) and Yvonne Loriod (piano), before working with Pierre Boulez at the celebrated IRCAM. He joins among a distinguished group of Foreign Members, such as Annie Leibovitz, Antonio López García, Giuseppe Penone, Georg Baselitz, Norman Foster, Jiří Kylián, William Kentridge, Woody Allen, Farah Pahlavi, and Philippe de Montebello.
The ongoing situation surrounding Lahav Shani and the Munich Phil (various)
Last week’s top news story is still in the spotlight as the world continues to react to the canceled concert starring Lahav Shani and the Munich Philharmoniker. Shani, speaking through the MPhil’s communications team, released a statement about finding himself at the center of “an unexpected public storm that quickly escalated into a diplomatic incident,” and the urgent need to “end the war as soon as possible and begin the long process of healing and rebuilding.” This weekend, Shani and the ensemble’s performance at Vienna’s Musikverein was disrupted by multiple waves of pro-Palestine protestors.
