NY Times: Muti wrong for New York May 18, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : conducting, music, the orchestra world, add a commentAnthony Tommasini, writing in today’s New York Times, is as bemused as I am by the hand-wringing from the players of the New York Philharmonic on not getting Riccardo Muti as their new music director: (more…)
Madame Harold in Pyongyang March 28, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : music, photography, politics, the orchestra world, 2comments
P1050021 | Originally uploaded by dawnvla
click photo to enlarge
New York Philharmonic violist Dawn Hannay kept a blog of her tour of North Korea. You can find it here, along with photos here. UPDATE: link to Dawn’s blog fixed.
P1050021 | Originally uploaded by dawnvla
click photo to enlarge
Thanks to MH for the link.
local connection to nyphil pyongyang visit February 25, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : music, add a commentMany of you may be unaware that Oregon Symphony violinist Elena Hirsu’s father Valentin is a cellist with the New York Phiharmonic. He is profiled in today’s New York Times while the orchestra is visiting North Korea. He was asking for information from North Korean musicians as to the whereabouts of several orphaned North Korean refugee musicians whom he knew from music school in Bucharest, Romania, over 50 years ago, and who were later returned back to North Korea after the Korean War. (more…)
maazel talks, right-wing mocks February 7, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : music, politics, 1 comment so farIn one of the more bizarre stories I’ve read so far, right-wing commentators are up in arms about remarks made by New York Philharmonic music director and conductor Lorin Maazel, who responded to criticisms about the visit to North Korea by his ensemble as being a possible endorsement of NK’s abysmal record on human rights by saying: (more…)
pbs/abc news to broadcast nyphil from north korea February 6, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : News, music, the orchestra world, add a commentThis just hit the wires moments ago - and it’s exciting stuff - I can remember in my lifetime when a major US news organization had a part in broadcasting a classical music concert. (more…)
a terrible loss January 2, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : music, soloists & recitals, the orchestra world, add a commentI encountered Jerome on a tour with the Super World Orchestra in 2000. He was an amazing horn player - I’ll remember his solos from Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story for a long time.
From Peter Dobrin, classical music critic, Philadelphia Inquirer:
Jerome Ashby, 1956-2007
Jerome Ashby, associate principal hornist of the New York Philharmonic and a faculty member at the Curtis Institute of Music, died Dec. 26, Curtis reports. Ashby was one of the few African-American members of a major American orchestra - not only in 1979 when he joined the Philharmonic as associate principal hornist, but also today. He was a native of Charleston, S.C., and attended the Performing Arts High School and the Juilliard School. As I’ve written before, it’s hard to measure the power telegraphed by the presence of an African-American musician in such a prominent spot. But every anecdotal hint suggests it sends a very strong signal about what’s possible in life. We’ll never know what the sight and sound of Ashby at the Philharmonic, Curtis and Aspen would have meant to budding classical musicians in the two, three or four decades by which his life was cut short.
more reaction to nyphil n. korea news December 11, 2007
Posted by Charles Noble in : music, the orchestra world, add a comment
UPDATE (11/12): Yet another follow-follow-up article from the New York Times:
But before addressing the news media, Mr. Pak, the permanent representative of his country to the United Nations, met briefly with orchestra officials and their public relations advisers. They agreed to avoid discussing North Korea’s nuclear program, a major concern of the United States. “Otherwise the atmosphere will be politicized,” Mr. Pak told them.
North Korea invited the Philharmonic to play in Pyongyang, the capital, and the orchestra has accepted. It will spend 48 hours there, performing on Feb. 26 after a tour in China. The State Department has fully backed the trip and has provided advice and planning.
A follow-up article from the New York Times:
If North Korea keeps its promises, potentially millions of its isolated, tightly controlled citizens are likely to hear their national anthem played on the radio by the New York Philharmonic. And then they will hear “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a quintessential American symbol, in a place long subjected to anti-American propaganda.
A blog entry by conductor Bill Eddins:
In case you are living in a cultural cave (why then are you reading this blog of all things?) the NYPhil just announced that they are going to play in North Korea at the end of their Asian tour. This has generated a fair share of controversy. No less of a pundit than Terry Teachout is pretty dead set against this idea, as are various National Security advisers, etc. They argue that this act will merely legitimize a totalitarian regime. Not to start a blog war between myself and Terry, someone who’s opinion I happen to take very seriously, but he is dead wrong.
A blog entry by Drew McManus:
As such, unless there are indisputable facts that support the conclusion that the New York Philharmonic’s trip will directly support oppression, it is time to trust that the universal language will begin to forge bridges across rivers of misinformation and propaganda. As Bill wrote “God knows it may take a while but this can and will be a first step.”
NY Phil to play in N. Korea? October 5, 2007
Posted by Charles Noble in : the orchestra world, add a commentFrom today’s NY Times:
With the encouragement of the State Department, officials of the New York Philharmonic were en route to North Korea yesterday to discuss a possible concert in Pyongyang in February.
The idea of a visit to North Korea, where the totalitarian government keeps a tight rein on the people and sharply restricts access to the outside world, began with a somewhat vague invitation in August but has taken shape in recent weeks. Zarin Mehta, the orchestra’s president, and Eric Latzky, its public relations director, were in Beijing yesterday and are due in North Korea tomorrow.
Complete article here.
