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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An Edmonton opera production was cancelled after shocking reveal about Canadian author (Edmonton Journal, New York Times)
The Edmonton Opera has canceled a planned production of Indians on Vacation, an opera based on the award-winning book by Thomas King, after the author revealed last week that—contrary to what he had believed his entire life—he has no Indigenous ancestry. The news has come as a great shock: King has written extensively about Indigenous people and his work has been celebrated for “exposing the hard truths of the injustices.” King was told as a child that he had Cherokee ancestry through his grandfather, which he believed until recent genetic testing showed the contrary. The Edmonton Opera canceled the production after discussion with local Indigenous Elders and community members, and the decision has ignited debates about who gets to tell which kinds of stories, the link between an artist and their art, and more.
Conductor Riccardo Muti wins Vatican award (Radio classique — in French)
Celebrated Italian conductor Riccardo Muti has been announced as the winner of this year’s Ratzinger Prize for his “exceptionally high artistic value” and his work using music to spread spirituality, according to a press release from the Ratzinger foundation. The prize is named after the civilian name of Benedict XVI, and the late Pope—and classical music fan—was said to have been a great admirer of Muti’s work. Current Pope Leo XIV will award Muti the prize at a special Christmas concert held at the Vatican later this month.
What is it like to be a “mom conductor”? (Chorus America)
As a toddler mom myself, I enjoyed reading this deeply personal essay from “mom conductor” Marie Bucoy-Calavan in Chorus America magazine. “For too long, women in classical music have been told, directly or indirectly, that they must choose between podium and parenthood. Some may decide not to have children, and I deeply respect and celebrate that choice. But others, like me, want both. We need more visible examples of women balancing motherhood with conducting, so the next generation knows it’s possible. Excruciatingly difficult, yes. But possible.”
Want to learn more about the challenges facing women on the podium? Check out this documentary following a group of female conductors at the 2016 Lucerne Festival:
Hayato Sumino’s new Guinness World Record (Instagram)
Hayato Sumino has a new feather in his cap: he now holds the Guinness World Record for most tickets sold for an indoor solo piano recital. This weekend, the 30-year-old pianist performed a varied program covering three centuries of music for over 18,000 ticket holders at Japan’s enormous Klassik Arena.
John Holiday, the countertenor who resists categorization (New York Times)
The NYT published a fantastic profile of the fascinating countertenor John Holiday this week. Holiday is well-versed in the classical repertoire and performs regularly with prestigious ensembles like the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Opera—he also competed on reality TV show “The Voice” in 2020, where he performed music by Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra, and Beyoncé, amongst others. This eclectic, genre-defying blend of repertoire is Holiday’s signature style: “I didn’t want to be a countertenor out there recording more Vivaldi, which I can do, or Handel, which I can do… I wanted it to be something that they’d never heard somebody like me sing.”
