27 APR 2024 · The Sphinx Organization, the group that’s been fostering diversity in classical music since 1996, has a programming chief for the first time ever.  Andre Dowell is new to the job but not to the Sphinx organization. In his new job, he says he wants Sphinx to keep moving forward in diversifying the classical music community via the organization’s many programs.

26 APR 2024 · Austin Opera is ending their 2023-24 season with the red-hot opera Carmen.  The cast is full of young singers, many of whom are making their debut with the Austin Opera.  CEO Annie Burridge is hoping this super popular work from Bizet will entice audiences back to the Long Center after the hibernation forced upon us by Covid.  

21 APR 2024 · As the end of most performing arts seasons come to an end, the Grammy winning choir, Conspirare is going out with a blast of https://www.conspirare.org/tickets/ featuring a 30th anniversary event and the post pandemic return of https://www.conspirare.org/who-we-are/symphonic-choir/.   Founder and Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson is celebrating the end of their 30th season with a musical bash.  

12 APR 2024 · Why would a business school devoted to developing entrepreneurs invite an opera singer to lead a masterclass?  http://www.babson.edu/ in Massachusetts did just that. They named https://www.sopranokarenslack.com/ as the school’s http://www.babson.edu/babsonarts/.  She spent 3 days teaching, talking, and singing.  School administrators, like Anjali Bal, say that Slack and other artists like her, offer their students a different perspective on creating a thriving business.

5 APR 2024 · https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2023/06/could-prescribing-music-make-medications-work-better.html to determine if listening to music while taking your medication would improve its effectiveness. 

2 APR 2024 · The upcoming Solar Eclipse will darken the sky for a few minutes on April 8th.  Texas orchestras are providing the soundtrack with concerts celebrating the celestial event.  https://www.wacosymphony.com/ is having it’s 'Sci-Fi Spectacular'  Sun, Moon and Superstars concert.  https://etxsymphony.org/ has collaborated with https://www.tjc.edu/homepage/126/events for a musical and visual feast.  Here are https://asoeclipse.my.canva.site/eclipse https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/texas-2024-eclipse https://seetexaseclipse.com/.   

22 MAR 2024 · Just in time for the solar eclipse, https://austinclassicalguitar.org/ presents two programs ending its 2023-2024 season.  Your eclipse guests might enjoy classical guitarists the https://www.beijingguitarduo.com/ or if they stay long enough, https://www.davidrussellguitar.com/.  Perhaps there’s an amateur classical guitarist in your circle who might be brave enough to try Open Mic night at the Rosette. 

15 MAR 2024 · At least six U.S. orchestras are performing the music of Florence Price this https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month.  Other women composers are getting the spotlight too.  That’s nice says Liane Curtis, the President of https://wophil.org/, but it’s not really enough.  The organization has released its https://wophil.org/2023-2024-season-by-the-numbers/ which analyzes the programming of the top 21 U.S. Symphony Orchestras.

8 MAR 2024 · https://americanorchestras.org/ is in the middle of a new program aimed at improving gender equity among top orchestra executives. Cane Thomason Redus, the VP of inclusion and Learning at the League Six Women and Non-Binary Orchestra Professionals were chosen for the inaugural https://americanorchestras.org/learn/learning-and-leadership-programs/anne-parsons-leadership-program/.   One of the six is Violist https://www.catherinebeeson.com/beeson-facts-and-fun-stuff.html from Austin, now playing for the https://coloradosymphony.org/. 

3 MAR 2024 · It’s a big successful time for https://www.austinsoundwaves.org/, a group that’s been teaching student musicians from all backgrounds since 2011. Their most recent expansion is their https://www.austinsoundwaves.org/summer-music-camp. Their https://www.musicalamerica.com/specialreports/2023_PROFESSIONALS_OF_THE_YEAR.pdf says this “new” camp is a full day and offers classes they’ve never offered before. They are hoping the students will take their musical training to the next level and maybe even apply to be a https://www.austinsoundwaves.org/fellows-applicants.