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.
View author's page
Reading time estimated : 4 min
The state of public opera funding in Germany (BZ Berlin – in German)
An article in the German newspaper BZ Die Stimme Berlins delves into the scale of public subsidies at various German opera houses. Berlin’s State Opera receives higher subsidies than its counterparts—roughly 251€ per visitor, compared to 160€ per visitor at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich or just 105€ at the Semper Oper Dresden—while simultaneously filling fewer seats (Berlin operates at 85% capacity vs. scores in the high nineties for Munich and Dresden). These figures have sparked criticism about inefficiency, particularly in the context of broader public spending pressures and larger debates about elitism, accessibility, and public interest in opera globally.
If you’re interested in learning more about public funding of classical music, check out this feature Page Turner article from last year comparing funding models in the US and in France.
Sara Mearns, the NYCB principal who performs with hearing aids (CNN)
The Health section of CNN this week spotlighted NYCB principal dancer Sara Mearns’s experience using hearing aids while performing. Dancers rely heavily on musical cues and need to be able to hear them in acoustically challenging environments. Mearns is one of the NYCB first dancers to perform with hearing aids and hopes that sharing her story will encourage other dancers to prioritize their health and contribute to changing attitudes towards sustainability and long-term well-being in the performing arts rather than suffer silently.
Globe-trotting celebrity or cultural face of a city? Debating the role of the music director (NYT)
In the NYT, journalist Adam Nagourney questions the current norm of globe-trotting music directors. While “celebrity conductors” at the helm of multiple orchestras across continents can bring prestige and visibility to an ensemble, many argue that frequent absences limit a conductor’s ability to shape ensemble identity and contribute meaningfully to the local community. Nagourney speaks to conductors and representatives from some of the highest-profile orchestras in the USA to see how the role of the music director has evolved in recent decades, and where it should land during this “challenging time for American orchestras.”
Viral video: Elina Vähälä’s Guadagnini violin knocked to the ground in concert
Here’s your heart-stopping video of the week: violinist Elina Vähälä lived a musician’s nightmare when her Guadagnini violin—worth at least $1 million USD—was knocked out of her hands during a concerto performance alongside conductor Matthew Halls and the Sinfonia Lahti. Thanks to Vähälä’s quick reflexes, she was able to use her foot to cushion the instrument’s landing. Miraculously, the violin is fine!
The underlying issue revealed by the BSO/Nelsons situation (Culture for Hire)
I found consultant Ruth Hartt’s perspective on the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons situation particularly compelling. As others have noted, the orchestra’s tax filings make clear that it is not facing a financial crisis. Instead, Hartt points to a more difficult underlying issue: a weakening business model. A strong endowment has insulated the organization from confronting declining audiences and a value proposition that no longer resonates as it once did. It’s a thoughtful, nuanced analysis that gets to the heart of challenges facing many leading cultural institutions today.
