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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Louise Alder on the lack of support for young musicians in the UK (The Guardian)
”The cultural landscape is completely decimated”—in an interview with The Guardian to promote her headlining performance at the iconic Last Night of the BBC Proms, British soprano Louise Alder spoke with refreshing honesty and vulnerability about the challenges young musicians face today, including, the lack of support and safety nets (for example, the lack of maternity leave for freelance performers), the logistical challenge of building a performance schedule post-Brexit, and the drastic reduction in music education over the past few decades.
After you read the interview, watch Louise Alder in action as the title role in Handel’s Semele:
Pianist Yuja Wang’s new role at The Curtis Institute (The Violin Channel)
The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia has named alumna and superstar pianist Yuja Wang as its first “Artist Collaborator, Piano,” beginning in the 2026–27 academic year. In this role, she will mentor, coach, and collaborate with piano students, and also work across disciplines with instrumental and vocal students. Wang says she’s grateful to give back to the institution that shaped her, and Curtis leadership sees her appointment as a meaningful bridge between performance and pedagogy.
Conductor Ilan Volkov arrested during protest at the Israel-Gaza border (CNN, BBC)
Over the past week, renowned Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov has become embroiled in political controversy. At a BBC Proms concert in London, he broke from script to deliver an emotional, unsanctioned speech condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and urging international intervention. Several days later, Volkov joined a protest at the Israel–Gaza border and was among four people briefly arrested by police. He was released shortly after and reportedly remains active in protest efforts and public commentary on the war.
Jordi Savall’s op-ed: “If we fail to stop what is happening in Gaza, we will all be morally responsible” (Le Monde)
Celebrated conductor and instrumentalist Jordi Savall published an op-ed in French daily newspaper Le Monde this week calling for a massive civilian mobilization to end the war in Gaza. “It has not always been easy to get Jewish and Palestinian, Christian and Muslim, or Armenian and Turkish musicians to play together. However, it was by playing together that we were able to overcome our initial wariness and discover through music that ultimately, as human beings and musicians, we all aspire to beauty, life and communion with others, beyond nationalities and religions. That is why I refuse to consider my words as those of a powerless musician.”
Playing an instrument alters the shape of your brain (Classic FM)
Two elements of note in this article from Classic FM: first, a new discovery from Harvard neuroscientists that reveals musicians have extras “bump” on parts of their brain, the size and location of which seem to be depending on both one’s level of proficiency and one’s instrument; and second, renowned violinist Hilary Hahn’s (alias @violincase) cheeky comment on the Instagram post outlining their findings…
