Life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to be portrayed in opera

"Carmen, Tosca and Madam Butterfly have all received the treatment. So has Jerry Springer. Why not, then, the tragic heroine of South Africa in Winnie – the Opera?"

For the full story, please see The Guardian.

Video: Shaquille O'Neal conducts the Boston Pops

"He hasn't even played two months worth of basketball for the Celtics yet, but Shaquille O'Neal(notes) has already made himself a local hero to the Massachusetts community. On Monday, he even took over as guest conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, after the renowned organization asked him to help lead their holiday get-together. O'Neal responded with a stirring take of the Christmas classic, 'Sleigh Bells.'"

For the full story, please see yahoo.com.

In Memoriam: Musicians We Lost In 2010

See NPR.org for the full story.

Amid Unrest, Juarez Symphony Orchestra Plays On

"It's been a rough couple of years in Juarez. Known as the murder capital of Mexico, Juarez is plagued by drug-related violence and organized crime. A quarter of the population is estimated to have fled, and thousands of businesses have closed. This year, the city even canceled its Independence Day celebration for the first time ever."

For the full story, please see NPR.org.

Does the digital age mean the end of the liner note on albums?

"It’s a bit early to pronounce the death-due-to-downloading of the liner note, but the situation is critical. So warns Rob Bowman, ethnomusicologist, professor of music at York University, and a Grammy-winning (and multiple-nominee) writer of album notes. Five or six years ago, he worked on about 20 projects a year. Last year, he was down to four."

For the full story, please see Globe and Mail.

Student DXARTS installation in Suzzallo Library/Tuesday

Check out the Computer Poetry Slam 2.0 today on the second floor of the Suzzallo Library in the PG1418-PG1616 range. It is an installation that features computer-generated poetry. For information see Vincent Hill's Portfolio.

SSO's Gerard Schwarz conducts flash 'Hallelujah Chorus' at downtown Seattle Nordstrom

"Seattle's version of a flash mob burst into Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" Saturday afternoon at Nordstrom's flagship store downtown, becoming the latest joyful but not-so-spontaneous vocal performance in a big-city department store."

For the full story, please see the Seattle Times.

'Messiah' give you chills? That's a clue to your personality

"Well, it turns out that getting chills upon hearing music is an actual thing, you know, like scientists study. And a new report in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science says that who gets music-induced chills and who doesn’t might depend on personality."

For the full story, please see MSNBC.com.

Hallelujah Chorus Flash Mob

Composers Find New Playgrounds In Video Games

"The object of Pac-Man was simple: have Pac-Man eat the dots and avoid getting eaten himself. The music of the game wasn't exactly complex either. But today, the video game's musical score is as essential to its success as the story and the graphics."

For the full story, please see NPR.org.