Culture

LA Phil Isn’t Rattled by Earthquake

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It was a concert musicians and patrons likely won’t forget for a while. Charles Dutoit and the Los Angeles Philharmonic were six minutes into Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé on the evening of March 28 when a 5.1-magnitude earthquake rumbled under downtown Los Angeles, jolting the ten year old Walt Disney Concert Hall. Dutoit and the orchestra continued to play through the minute-long event. Last Friday, the Los Angeles Philharmonic released this amazing audio along with …

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With Watch Magazine, Music Meets Marketing

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There was a time when major networks, such as CBS and NBC, employed their own orchestras (watch this clip of Arturo Toscanini leading the NBC Symphony) and television shows included a full minute of credits, accompanied by theme music. Revisit the opening of Cheers, compare it to the fast pace of today’s media and consider what we’ve lost. TV theme music allowed for reflection (even if it wasn’t deep reflection) and established the atmosphere of the …

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Next Stop, Berlin For Noah Bendix-Balgley

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Last Friday we learned that Noah Bendix-Balgley, concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony, won an audition for the position of first concertmaster with the Berlin Philharmonic. The news shows just how global the classical music world has become. Over the last decade, English conductor Simon Rattle has brought a fresh new approach to tradition-bound Berlin. When Rattle leaves in 2018, it will be interesting to see how the organization again attempts to balance …

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The Road to Happiness in Music

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Violinist Holly Mulcahy has written an interesting and insightful post about finding happiness and keeping perspective while pursing a competitive career in music. Holly is the concertmaster of the Chattanooga Symphony and the author of the popular blog, Neo Classical. If you’re a young musician enduring the rigors of the audition circuit in the hopes of winning the “big job,” Holly’s post is a must read. Even if you’re not a musician, you’ll find …

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The "Lipinski" Strad Has Been Recovered

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This morning some great news came out of Milwaukee. The “Lipinski” Stradivarius, which was stolen from violinist Frank Almond following a concert on January 27, has been recovered and is in good condition. The three alleged thieves are in custody. Learn more details here. It’s important that great violins are played, not just displayed behind glass. In fact, a violin needs to be played regularly to sound its best. Let’s hope audiences …

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The Violin: A Cross Between Art and Technology

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Last week the music world was shocked by news of a well coordinated theft of the priceless 1715 “Lipinski” Stradivarius. The violin was on loan to Frank Almond, concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Following a concert, the thieves used a stun gun to incapacitate Almond, who was not seriously injured. A $100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the safe return of the instrument. You can read a statement from the violin’s owner …

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"Alive Inside" Highlights the Power of Music

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The new documentary film, Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory, debuts this week at the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film demonstrates the ability of music to awaken otherwise unresponsive Alzheimer’s patients, unlocking distant memories. It follows social worker Dan Cohen’s campaign to bring iPods and music therapy to nursing homes. The film is written, directed and produced by Michael Rossato-Bennett. Learn more about it here and here and keep an …

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