No images? Click here
February 3, 2025
👋 Mind your credits today — unlike Edmonton Opera, who banned a critic for pointing out they forgot to credit their original librettists. Looks like someone's taking "artistic license" a bit too literally.
+++
- The big idea: Your 2025 Grammy roundup
- Talking points:
— Oldest opera by a Black American composer to debut this week
— Orchestra of St. Luke’s celebrates 50th anniversary - Around the web + Laugh of the week
CLASSICAL CHARTZ
Weekly selections are based on sales numbers and albums we simply love and think you NEED to hear!
For the complete top 20, tune into Classical Chartz with the New Classical FM’s Mark Wigmore every Saturday from 3-5 pm EST!
THE BIG IDEA
Classical's Big Night: Your 2025 Grammy Roundup
The 67th Grammy Awards brought its usual spectacle to the Crypto.com Arena last night, and while pop stars grabbed headlines, classical music had its own moment to shine.
The night's classical champion
Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz emerged as the evening's standout, scoring a remarkable triple win with Revolución Diamantina. The album, featuring the LA Phil and LA Master Chorale under Gustavo Dudamel, swept 'Best Classical Compendium,' 'Best Contemporary Classical Composition,' and 'Best Orchestral Performance.' (Fun fact: It's also up for a BBC Music Magazine Award this year.)
First-timers and familiar faces
Icelandic piano virtuoso Víkingur Ólafsson finally claimed his first Grammy, taking home 'Best Classical Instrumental Solo' for his fresh take on Bach's Goldberg Variations. Meanwhile, soprano Karen Slack and pianist Michelle Cann won hearts (and 'Best Classical Solo Vocal Album') with their collection of previously unpublished Florence Price songs, Beyond the Years.
From the opera house to the movie theater
The late Kaija Saariaho's Adriana Mater earned 'Best Opera Recording' for the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. And speaking of drama, Hans Zimmer picked up his fifth Grammy for Dune: Part Two's score – a nice consolation after that surprising Oscar snub.
Other notable wins
The Crossing choir's Ochre (Best Choral Performance)
Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion's Rectangles & Circumstance (Best Chamber Music)
Maestro's soundtrack, featuring Leonard Bernstein's works (Best Compilation Soundtrack)
The full winners list is up at grammy.com, for those keeping score at home.
PS: Yes, the ceremony was still incredibly long. Some things never change.— MV
TOUR DE HEADLINES
Edmonton Opera: Joel Ivany, Artistic Director (Photo: Edmonton Opera)
👀 A critic banned from the opera? Edmonton Opera has barred a local reviewer from attending its production of Bluebeard’s Castle following his criticism of the company’s handling of librettist credits. The critic previously called out Edmonton Opera for failing to name the original librettists in recent productions Read more
🎭 An opera legend calls it quits: Director David Pountney, known for his bold and innovative stagings, has announced his retirement from main-stage productions. After a career spanning decades, he’s reflecting on the state of opera today—less risk-taking, more financial pressures, and dwindling audiences. His parting words? Opera needs to fight for its place in modern culture. Read more
🎼 Cuts hit another music school: Cardiff University’s plans to downsize its music department have sparked backlash from students, faculty, and the wider music community. With music programs across the UK facing budget cuts, critics worry about the long-term impact on classical music education. Will Cardiff’s move be the first of many? Read more
🚪 Another opera company shuts its doors: On Site Opera, a beloved New York company known for its immersive productions, has announced its closure. Rising costs and declining ticket sales proved too much to sustain the company, a reminder of the ongoing struggles in the performing arts world. With audiences slow to return post-pandemic, more small companies may follow suit. Read more
MORE NEWS TO KNOW
Airport piano tuner becomes a local hero: Chicago’s O’Hare Airport has an unexpected fixture—Jackson, a longtime piano tuner who keeps the terminal’s public pianos in top shape. Musicians and travellers alike appreciate his work, proving that even in a busy airport, live music can bring people together. Read more
A designer reimagines the piano: Dutch artist Maarten Baas has unveiled Crescendo, a stunning exhibition where pianos are transformed into sculptural works. Blending music, design, and performance art, Baas’ pieces challenge traditional ideas of what a piano should be. Read more
Why one violinist writes his own cadenzas: Rising star Lir Vaginsky believes the best way to make a concerto truly personal is to compose his own cadenza. While most violinists stick to standard versions, Vaginsky argues that improvisation and composition should be part of every performer’s toolkit. Read more
TALKING POINTS
Composer Edmond Dédé
Oldest Opera By A Black American Composer To Debut This Week
The recently re-discovered opera “Morgiane” by Edmond Dédé will debut in New York City next month. Dédé’s work may be the oldest opera written by a Black American.
Ear to the ground: This week, Opera Lafayette and OpéraCréole will debut their co-production of Edmond Dédé’s opera “Morgiane.” They will perform the entire opera in D.C., Maryland and at New York City’s Jazz at Lincoln Center following an excerpted production that premiered in New Orleans in January. Dédé’s 4-act opera was completed in 1887, yet it has never been fully staged or presented. The companies claim the work may be the oldest 1 written by a Black American composer.
Digging deeper: Edmond Dédé was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1827. A free person of colour, Dédé was a recognized musician in New Orleans during his early life. In 1855, he moved to Bordeaux, France after mounting restrictions for Black people rendered a
compositional career of the calibre he hoped insurmountable. In France, Dédé worked as a conductor to supplement his composing. He never saw his magnum opus, “Morgiane,” performed. Its manuscript was only recently discovered by a Harvard music cataloguer who purchased a collection of manuscripts from a Parisian music store.
As the music community reels from last month’s burning of one of Arnold Schoenberg’s archives in Los Angeles, the story of “Morgiane” offers a beacon of light. Let’s hope Dédé’s and other composers’ lost works may be heard in years to come. — SS
Orchestra of St. Luke's Musicians (Courtesy photo)
Orchestra Of St. Luke’s Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The New York City-based orchestra recently finished a series of performances at Carnegie Hall. Their series highlighted the 50-year-old group’s versatility and tradition of embracing both high and low culture.
The happenings: The NYC-based Orchestra of St. Luke’s recently finished a residency at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. On January 29th, they performed Leonard Bernstein’s “Kaddish” conducted by James Conlon, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Catch me up: The Orchestra of St. Luke’s began as a chamber ensemble based at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in New York’s Greenwich Village. Their debut performance was in 1974 and by 1975, they were a rave New York Times-reviewed orchestra. In 1983, they debuted in Carnegie Hall under their current name. Since then, they have performed under conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Sir Roger Norrington and Michael Tilson Thomas. They have won numerous GRAMMY awards, developed a
youth orchestra, and played at notable events, including Saturday Night Live with Luciano Pavarotti and after the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center.
In October, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s celebrated their 50th anniversary with a concert in their original venue in Greenwich Village. Their current principal conductor is the Canadian Bernard Labadie — another Québécois conquering New York’s orchestral scene. — SS
GAMES
Dig in to today's mini-crossword.
How did you like today's email?
Today's email was brought to you by Sara "Happenings" Schabas and Michael "Grammy" Vincent.
CONTACT US
