No images? Click here June 10, 2024 During the Lucerne Strings performance in Istanbul, a stray cat casually sauntered on stage during Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, proving once and for all that cats can't resist a good purr-formance. You can watch it here. It's Monday. Let's get to it.
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 Someone Just Made an NFT From a Stradivarius Violin
Galaxy Digital has just tokenized the 1708 Stradivarius violin, "Empress Caterina," marking a historic move in the application of blockchain technology. Owned by Yat Siu, Co-Founder of Animoca Brands, this $9 million artifact (yes, you read that right), is renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship and historical significance, is now immortalized on the Ethereum blockchain as a non-fungible token (NFT). Tokenization involves converting real-world assets into digital tokens, which can be traded on blockchain platforms. This process enhances liquidity by allowing asset owners to realize economic value without selling the physical asset. Galaxy's proprietary software, developed by its subsidiary GK8, facilitated this conversion for the Stradivarius violin, now minted on OpenSea. CEO Michael Novogratz sees this as a revolutionary step for high-end asset management in the digital economy. By starting with prestigious assets, Galaxy aims to transform how various assets are traded and valued. Why does this matter?Tokenization represents a revolutionary step in how we manage, value, and trade assets in the digital economy. By starting with high-end, historically significant items like this Stradivarius, Galaxy is setting a precedent for the broader application of blockchain technology. A first for everythingThis is the first time such a historically significant musical instrument has been tokenized, potentially transforming the financial landscape by unlocking the latent value of various assets, from art and real estate to historical artifacts. Yat Siu expressed his excitement, noting the blend of technology and history, while Galaxy invites financial institutions to explore their tokenization capabilities. — MV TOUR DE HEADLINES ![]() Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Photo: Orchestre Métropolitain) Yannick Nézet-Séguin Joins Rolex Family — Yannick Nézet-Séguin has been named an ambassador for Rolex, joining other renowned classical music figures in the brand's efforts to promote global culture through the Rolex Arts Initiative. | OperaWire Yuja Wang Review – From Delicate Finesse to Fierce Intensity — Tim Ashley reviews Yuja Wang performing “edgy 20th-century works with the pastoral calm of Chopin, bringing out the subtleties of each piece with superb control.” | The Guardian
CLASSICAL HAPPENINGS Dmytro Udovychenko (Photo: Queen Elisabeth Competition - Thomas Léonard) Violinist Wins Prestigious Competition But Won’t Shake Juror’s HandThe 25-year-old violinist Dmytro Udovychenko won first prize in Belgium’s prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition last week. But the young violinist is also making waves for his political stance as he refused to shake the hand of Russian-born jury member Vadim Repin. Driving the news: The 2024 Queen Elisabeth Competition was the 20th edition to feature violinists from around the world. From May 6th to June 1st, over 60 pre-selected violinists travelled to Flagey, Brussels to compete for the Queen Mathilde Grand Prize of €25,000 as well as numerous performance opportunities around Belgium. This year’s winner was the 25-year-old Dymtro Udovychenko of Ukraine, already a winner at competitions including Montreal, Sibelius, Josef Joachim, and Singapore. Some background: Dymtro Udovychenko trained at the Kharkiv Specialized Music Boarding School in Kharkiv, Ukraine, where his parents currently live. Throughout the competition, Udovychenko spoke to his parents by phone as the bombs and shells of a Russian offensive against Kharkiv could be heard in the distance. Udovychenko resultantly suffered stress and anxiety, his father explained via social media. The young violinist admitted in an interview that it didn’t feel right to shake the hand of the Russian-born juror Vadim Repin when accepting his prize, due to Repin’s close ties to the Russian government. Repin directs the Trans Siberian Arts Festival, which receives support from the Cultural
Ministry of the Russian Federation. His wife, the ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, is also closely affiliated with the Putin administration. MAKING NEWS Jonas Tannila (Photo: via artist’s website) Finnish Conductor Dismissed Over Allegations of Sexual MisconductThe prominent Finnish conductor Jonas Rannila has been dismissed from conducting posts at the Sibelius Academy for harassment allegations. And apparently, those working alongside Rannila have known of his behaviour for years. Playing catch-up: The 35-year-old conductor Jonas Rannila is well-known in Finland’s musical communities. Recently appointed as chief conductor of the Pori Sinfonietta, Rannila has conducted over 30 operas with the Finnish National Opera. He also works at the Sibelius Academy, is music director of Opera Box, and artistic director of both the Helsinki Philharmonic Choir and the Finnish Oratorio Choir. So, what’s the deal?: In May 2024, the Finnish investigative blog Long Play published an article about a classical musician who used his professional clout to coerce younger musicians into performing unwanted sexual acts. Long Play separately interviewed 11 young musicians for their article. Soon after the article’s publication, the conductor Jonas Rannila announced on his social media that the piece described himself. GAMES Nothing says Monday like a mini-crossword. AROUND THE WEB 📅 On this day: In 1865, Richard Wagner's opera "Tristan and Isolde" premiered in Munich, Germany. 🎶 Useful: This app allows you to find the best festivals by music genre. ✍️ Games: This game gives you 8 tries to draw 5 words as fast as you can within the time limit. 📖 Deep dive: How centuries of milk marketing have distorted our perceptions of dairy and nutrition. LAUGH OF THE WEEK ![]() How did you like today's email? |