Sony Classical’s recent reissue of the “Black Composers Series” is a timely reminder of the late Chicago conductor Paul Freeman’s contributions to promoting classical music written by African Americans. First released by … » Read

Since modern cruise ships have come to resemble floating resorts in size and activity options, instability at sea is apparently no longer an issue. Perhaps that’s one reason the entertainment on Celebrity Cruises is soon to feature dancers … » Read

A life devoted to the arts may offer many rewards. Sadly, a large income is very rarely one of them. ArtsPay 2018, a U.K. survey of pay and earnings in the cultural sector, suggests that expectations of long unpaid hours that “wouldn't be … » Read

At first impression, Robert Ashley’s style of vocal writing seems tantamount to simplicity itself. Text typically unfolds on a single pitch, like the reciting tone of liturgical chant, in a continuous flow that seems undifferentiated by … » Read

For more than 45 years, San Francisco-based Kronos Quartet has been one of classical music’s agents provocateurs. Early forays into musical agitprop would have to include George Crumb’s anti-war polemic, Black Angels , and to a lesser … » Read

Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires will bring her world-travelled Partitura Project to the U.S. for the first time in 2020, as part of the 15 th biennial Gilmore Keyboard Festival, April 22 to May 10, in Kalamazoo, MI. Pires’s … » Read