After watching Yo-Yo Ma’s appearance earlier this week on the Colbert Report it dawned on me that throughout 2008, that program featured three prominent classical music figures: Yo-Yo Ma, Lorin Maazel, and (classical music’s newest G-Man) Alex Ross. Each appearance left me with a distinctly different impression and I’m curious to know if readers think any of the personalities projects a better image for classical music in the United States. Fortunately, the Colbert Nation website makes judging easy by providing clips for each appearance. So have some fun in your day and take a moment to watch each clip and vote for which personality you feel best represents classical music to the general public…
Year: 2008
Cultural Confidence Update
The latest cycle in the ongoing Cultural Confidence poll finished up this weekend and the Cultural Confidence Indicator has been updated accordingly. Results from that poll cycle indicate the current mood toward cultural institution’s finances is an uneasy wait-and-see whereas the economic outlook is bordering on organized panic…
We Still Need To Get Over Our Bad Selves
The Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA) released a letter on October 21, 2008 addressed of the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer urging her to rescind her decision to reassign the paper’s long time music critic, Don Rosenberg. The details about the issue have been written about throughout a wide range of blogs and traditional media outlets (such as Baltimore music critic Tim Smith’s blog) so I won’t bother rehashing the details here. Nevertheless, the letter contains a few points that every orchestra manager should consider…
Some Weekend Humor
Palin is as Palin does (click to view)…
Wisconsin Musicians File Unfair Labor Practice Charge
On 10/21/2008, the Musicians of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (WCO) filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge (ULP) with the National Labor Relations Board against the association for failing to bargain in good faith…