Selling Sex And Symphonies: The Image Of Women In Classical Music

"Our Hey Ladies: Being a Woman Musician Today series continues with NPR Music classical producer Tom Huizenga's new interview with classical violinist Lara St. John. St. John has been accused of using physically revealing album covers to help sell her music, but says she had full control over her representation and marketing strategies, although discussions about her body have often overwhelmed discussions of her body of work."

For the full story, please see npr.org.

Why The Next Big Pop-Culture Wave After Cupcakes Might Be Libraries

"I realize we're picking the bones from the Old Spice campaign at this point, but when I saw that the Brigham Young University parody of the Old Spice ads had gotten more than 1.2 million views (Old Spicy himself — that's what I'm calling him — did a video for libraries), it got me thinking."

For the full story, please see NPR.org.

Cloistered nuns cinch record deal

"A group of cloistered nuns in southern France have signed a major record deal with Decca Records.

The British label announced Sunday that the Benedictine nuns of the Abbaye de Notre Dame de l'Annonciation near Avignon were chosen after a worldwide search for female Gregorian chant performers."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2010/07/25/nuns-record-chant.html#ixzz0uuf1uacI

Overdue Debut for Composer and Exiled Prince

"When an opera company presents a world premiere by a living composer, the opera in question usually represents the composer’s current style and approach. This was not the case on Saturday night for the absurdly overdue premiere of Lewis Spratlan’s “Life Is a Dream” here at the Santa Fe Opera."

For the full story, please see the New York Times.

Skype Rehearsals and New Works: Maestro Cues Symphony to Evolve

"Since 1995, Michael Tilson Thomas has led the San Francisco Symphony as its music director. Under him, the symphony has brought in new audiences with innovative programming that mixes modern works, including his own, with fresh explorations of more familiar pieces by the likes of Beethoven and Mahler."

For the full story, please see The Wall Street Journal.

The future of the recording industry: is there one?

"The record label Naxos has gone from budget outsider to industry leader in its 20-plus years of existence. But what does the future hold for any record label at a time when CD sales are plummeting and dowloads are stagnant? Naxos’s founder and CEO, Klaus Heymann, is one of the most candid and straightforward executives in the business, and he’s tailored his long-term goals to the realities of today’s market; his goal, he says, is to be “the last man standing.” He spoke to me while in the States for marketing meetings about the Naxos’s future."

For the full story, please see The Washington Post.

That iPad iRecital: do you buy it?

"It had to happen. As the press release has it, "The first classical performance using an iPad in place of traditional paper music" – that's sheet music, to you and me – happened on Wednesday night. Venus went into eclipse with Saturn, Orion traversed Sagittarius. Almost. Pianist James Rhodes did play Chopin's E minor Prelude off of his iPad at the Parabola arts centre, a concert that was part of the Cheltenham festival."

For the full story, please see The Guardian.