Category: News Briefs

Louisville Orchestra Receives $3.2 Million from Legislators to Continue Statewide “In Harmony” Tour

Posted on April 16, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (4/16) Louisville Courier-Journal, Bailey Reed writes, “The Louisville Orchestra has received $3.2 million from the Kentucky General Assembly to continue its statewide In Harmony Tour through 2028, a music education and performance program that has brought live music to more than 57,000 people across 50 counties in the Commonwealth … With this new allocation, total support for the program now reaches $11.8 million, making the legislature the largest independent donor in Orchestra history … Since launching in 2022, the In Harmony Tour has grown into a nationally recognized model for how public investment in the arts can expand cultural access and connect people across communities … Past performances have featured Kentucky artists … ‘The In Harmony Tour has transformed the way we think about what an orchestra can be,’ Music Director Teddy Abrams said … ‘By bringing music directly to communities across Kentucky, we are building relationships, sharing extraordinary artistic experiences, and demonstrating that orchestral music belongs to everyone….’ The 235 total events that have been part of the In Harmony Tour have taken place on courthouse lawns, and in school gymnasiums, libraries and public parks.”

Owensboro Symphony Announces 2026-27 Season

Posted on April 16, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (4/15) WBKR (Owensboro, KY), Chadwick Benefield writes, “The Owensboro Symphony Orchestra revealed its 2026-2027 concert schedule this afternoon and music fans are thrilled to learn that legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman will join the OSO for Cinema Serenade, an evening which will feature music from movies … Cinema Serenade is one of five shows announced as part of the upcoming subscription season. The season will kick off in October with Halloween Classics. The season opener marks the start of Music Director Troy Quinn’s tenth season with the Owensboro Symphony. Halloween Classics will feature scores from some ‘scary’ cinematic favorites … The season continues with … Home for the Holidays [featuring] guest vocalist Colin Eaton … Other special guests include the Owensboro Symphony Chorus and the Owensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra. Up next will be a concert called Journey to the New World, which features acclaimed pianist Janice Carissa… in [Rachmaninoff’s] Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The evening culminates with … [Dvořák’s] Symphony No. 9 … The Orchestra Unleashed! show will feature selections from Jaws, Jurassic Park, the Overture from La Gazza Ladra, and music from popular children’s films … The season … will conclude with the highly anticipated Itzhak Perlman: Cinema Serenade.”

Harrisburg Symphony and Theatre Harrisburg Collaborate on Sondheim’s “Follies”

Posted on April 16, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (4/15) The Burg (Harrisburg, PA), Alexandra Jones writes, “Theatre Harrisburg and the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra will share the stage this spring at one of the city’s most historic venues. On May 30 and 31, the pillar Harrisburg arts organizations will present a concert version of ‘Follies’ by Stephen Sondheim at the Forum Auditorium … The special, two-day only production was designed to celebrate Theatre Harrisburg’s 100th season and highlight both legacy institutions from the 1920s. Theatre Harrisburg executive director Lorien Reese Mahay said the group is looking forward to bringing the musical to life with Maestro Stuart Malina, conducting a world-class orchestra…. ‘Ever since I first heard the symphony, I was like, “Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could get artists of this caliber to collaborate with us on one of our musical performances?” ’ The musical tells the story of a group of showgirls reuniting on the stage of their old theatre one last time … ‘This was a musical that we used to open at the Whitaker Center back in 1999’ …said Reese Mahay. Some of the performers from that production will return to play older characters in this year’s encore.”

Grand Teton Music Festival’s Summer 2026, Inside and Out

Posted on April 15, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (4/15) Jackson Hole News and Guide (Wyoming), Richard Anderson writes, “Venues are booked, programs are set and tickets are on sale for the Grand Teton Music Festival’s 65th annual season. Jackson Hole’s summertime orchestra gathers July 2 through Aug. 14 for its 20th season under the baton of Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles, with seven weekends of symphonic works, five nights of chamber music, four intimate house concerts, three genre-blending ‘Gateway’ events and scores of free musical gatherings…. [In the] Peter Benoliel Chamber Music Series … members of the Festival Orchestra pitch pieces they’d like to perform with their colleagues, and keyboardist and chamber music coordinator Adelle Eslinger Runnicles boils the lot down to five programs … Guest violinist Maria Ioudenitch, in town for July 31 and Aug. 1 performances of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, will perform in the ‘Fairy Tale’ program, with selections from Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons,’ contemporary Canadian composer Kevin Lau’s 2018 take on Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Nightingale,’ and the world premiere of Festival clarinetist José González Gomez’s ‘Hojoki.’… Because Walk Festival Hall … is undergoing extensive renovations, chamber music and weekend orchestra programs will be presented in the Jackson Hole High School auditorium, where GTMF has footed the bill for acoustic upgrades. Three orchestra concerts will be staged on the Center for the Arts lawn.”

Buffalo Philharmonic President and Executive Director Daniel Hart to Retire at End of the Year

Posted on April 15, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Friday’s (4/10) WGRZ (Buffalo, NY), Zachary Penque writes, “The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) announced Thursday its President and Executive Director, Daniel Hart, is retiring at the end of this year. BPO says Hart will continue in his role through December 31, 2026, and remain involved in fundraising and program planning during the transition. Beginning September 1, 2026, Associate Executive Director and Vice President of Development Jennifer Barbee will oversee day-to-day operations. Board of Trustees Chairman Scott Stenclik says the board has a long-standing succession plan in place and expects to begin a national search to fill the seat within the next few months. ‘During his tenure, the orchestra has expanded its reach through recordings heard around the world, toured internationally, and deepened its connection to the Buffalo community through partnerships, education programs, and performances. We are grateful for his steady leadership and the role he has played in shaping the BPO into the organization it is today,’ said Stenclik. Music Director JoAnn Falletta said, ‘Dan has been an extraordinary partner and a visionary leader. His deep love for this orchestra and commitment to the region have been driving forces behind our greatest achievements.’ ”

The Benefits—Artistic and Cognitive—of Making Music in Later Life

Posted on April 15, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Sunday’s (4/11) New Yorker, Tim Parks writes, “Shortly before my sixty-ninth birthday, I stepped into a music store a few minutes from my house, in the southern suburbs of Milan, to buy a mandolin…. I hadn’t touched a mandolin since adolescence … The first weeks were a roller coaster of pleasure and perplexity. Touching the strings, my fingers started to remember things that I had long forgotten…. I struggled to make progress… I became aware of other older people who were returning to music or even taking it up for the first time…. Research suggested that the trend was global. In Germany, in 2023, the national association of music schools reported that the number of seniors in music education had grown six-fold since 2000…. Various European countries had introduced academic programs in the new field of music geragogy—the study of music-learning in old age…. Scientists concurred, music practice in old age confers all kinds of cognitive benefits. After four years of following a group who’d taken up piano in their seventies, neuroscientists at Kyoto University found that … areas of their brains crucial for motor control, learning, cognition, and memory were surprisingly free of the atrophy that usually accompanies aging…. I felt strongly what a different phenomenon music is when you make it yourself. You’re inside it, living it, experiencing a pleasure so intense that pleasure is perhaps no longer the word.”

Reconsidering the Jet-Set Music Director at Today’s Orchestras

Posted on April 14, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (4/14) New York Times, Adam Nagourney writes, “When JoAnn Falletta was appointed the music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra 25 years ago, one of her first decisions was to move to Buffalo from Virginia. She wanted to be a presence in the city … Like many music directors, she conducts other orchestras: She spends 12 to 14 weeks a year as a guest conductor around the world and was music director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra until 2021. But the Buffalo Philharmonic has been her home orchestra and Buffalo her home. She came to believe … that an orchestra leader needs to be a visible presence both at the podium and in the community…. Her approach is instructive for conductors and orchestra administrators now as they struggle with defining the role and obligations of a music director. The field today is filled with celebrity conductors who have multiple gigs and residencies … This question of what a community wants from a music director has taken on new urgency as orchestras look for ways to deal with declining audiences … Delta David Gier, the music director of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, said his decision to move to Sioux Falls from New York City 20 years ago was important … ‘In the end it’s all about relationships with people. It’s not simply about selling tickets.’ ”

2027 Michigan State Budget Proposes $6.7 Million for Orchestras and Theaters

Posted on April 14, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Monday’s (4/13) Michigan Capitol Confidential, Jamie A. Hope writes, “Four Michigan House members are seeking more than $6.7 million in taxpayer funding for orchestras and theater projects as part of the 2027 state budget. The funding requests include millions for building upgrades, music programs and subsidized ticket initiatives. The Traverse City Philharmonic would be awarded $3 million under an earmark from Rep. Betsy Coffia, D-Traverse City. Coffia’s legislative request explains that the philharmonic plans to support its recently developed music center and community school. The music group wants to expand its programming, renovate a former retail building, and conduct outreach efforts to multiple counties … Rep. Stephanie Young, D-Detroit, seeks $1.03 million for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to expand Detroit Harmony, a music education initiative. The program focuses on increasing access to instruments, training and music opportunities for students by distributing refurbished instruments and working with dozens of community organizations.” Other requests support theater companies. “The Michigan Constitution requires support from two-thirds of the Legislature when the state budget allocates public dollars to private organizations. While each request is framed by lawmakers as providing educational or community benefits, the proposals would direct taxpayer funds to specific organizations and projects rather than broad-based public services.”

Singapore Symphony: New Season, New Works, New Music Director

Posted on April 14, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Friday’s (4/10) Bakchormeeboy (Singapore), an unbylined article reports, “The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s 2026/27 season signals a turning point. With Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu stepping in as Quantedge Music Director, the orchestra enters what its leadership describes as a period of discovery, recalibration and ambition…. Alongside Lintu, the orchestra welcomes new leadership figures, including Associate Conductor Nathanaël Iselin and Concertmaster Andrew Beer … As Christopher Cheong (Head, Artistic Planning) puts it: ‘It’s a bit of a season of discovery for a new music director to get to know the orchestra and for us to learn how to work with Hannu.’… The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s 2026/27 program brings together cornerstone repertoire, contemporary voices and an expanded international presence. Lintu’s inaugural concert …  opens with Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 alongside Nomad Concerto, written for violinist Gil Shaham…. Program across the year juxtapose Romantic staples … with music by living composers such as Lera Auerbach, Donghoon Shin and John Adams…. In October, the orchestra embarks on a seven-city China tour … The season is notable for its breadth of collaborations [with local theater and dance troupes] … New commissions by [Singaporean] composers including Germaine Goh, Sulwyn Lok and Tan Chan Boon will receive their premieres.”

Closures at Post-Secondary Music Education Programs in Canada Affect Local Musical Life

Posted on April 14, 2026 by - News Briefs

In last Tuesday’s (4/7) The Conversation, Duncan McCallum writes, “Algonquin College in Ottawa recently announced that it’s suspended its Music Industry Arts (MIA) diploma program. Despite MIA having a robust graduate employment rate, the program was cut as of March 2026 amid broader institutional restructuring. The Ottawa Music Industry Coalition notes the program is deeply integrated with the city’s live music, festival and events ecosystem—a local cultural scene where music attracts and retains talent across sectors, as well as contributing to … overall cultural vitality. The news from Algonquin follows other closures or suspensions of post-secondary music programs in Ontario including the closure of programs both at Cambrian College and Laurentian University in Sudbury. These closures affect infrastructure that sustains local music scenes. Music programs in Canadian colleges and universities support local musical ecosystems…. Scholars have long argued that music scenes are more than just collections of artists or venues. They are cultural spaces where contemporary musical practices interact and coexist with an area’s heritage. As programs continue to restructure or close … the impact is felt both in local music scenes and the across the Canadian music industry. A city’s musical identity thrives through repeated interactions among musicians, audiences and institutions—including music schools.”