Please welcome new MCANA member Louis Harris. Mr. Harris is a staff writer/editor at Chicago’s Third Coast Review. www.Thirdcoastreview.com. He also does freelance writing.
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Here are the results of the 2023 election of the MCANA executive board, announced on Sunday at our annual meeting in Chicago. Each board member was elected to a two-year term.
President -- Arthur Kaptainis
Vice-President -- Susan Geffen
Treasurer -- James Bash
Secretary -- Angela Allen
Members at Large
Janelle Gelfand
Richard Ginell
Jeremy Reynolds
Paul Robinson
David P. Stearns
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The Music Critics Association of North America
bestows its Sixth Annual Award for
BEST NEW OPERA
to
Composer NICOLE LIZÉE
Librettist NICOLAS BILLON
for
A timely exploration of the relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence
This marks the first Canadian opera honored by MCANA
AWARDS COMMITTEE:
Heidi Waleson, co-chair
George Loomis, co-chair
Arthur Kaptainis
John Rockwell
Alex Ross
R.U.R. A Torrent of Light's composer & librettist to be honored
during the MCANA annual meeting June 22 at the University Club of Chicago
Watch excerpts from the opera's world premiere
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Statement from the MCANA Awards Committee:
“Set in the near future, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light concerns an international technology company whose founders differ on how to respond to the growing independence of the androids that serve them. The timeliness of this theme in a world challenged by advances in artificial intelligence is obvious.
R.U.R. A Torrent of Light is accomplished on many levels, but we were impressed particularly by the freshness and vitality of Nicole Lizée’s score. While rooted in the minimalist tradition, the music is inventive, expressive and expertly written for the voice. Nicolas Billon’s libretto cleverly employs repetition to represent the efforts of machines to express themselves. A figure of particular interest is the android Alex. It is unusual for a non-human character to invite deep sympathy. The dilemma of Alex scans as authentically operatic.”
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L: Nicole Lizée (Photo by Richmond Lam)
R: Nicolas Billon (Photo by David Leyes)
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The Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA) is pleased to announce that its 2023 Award for BEST NEW OPERA—a major recognition for an opera introduced in North America during the previous calendar year—goes to composer Nicole Lizée and librettist Nicolas Billon for R.U.R. A TORRENT OF LIGHT. This compelling work was given its premiere by the Toronto-based Tapestry Opera, which created the production in collaboration with OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) University. The first performance took place in Toronto on May 28, 2022 at the Great Hall at OCAD. The Best New Opera Award is determined by an Awards Committee of distinguished music critics. It reflects the overarching mission of MCANA to recognize distinctive achievements and, through its web publication Classical Voice North America, to communicate the richness of musical life in the U.S. and Canada at a time when classical music coverage in traditional print media is shrinking. R.U.R. A Torrent of Light prevailed over a strong field including major productions delayed by the pandemic. The opera is an immersive experience that addresses the complex relationship between humans and technology in a futuristic setting where artificial intelligence is ubiquitous. Inspired by the 1920 play R.U.R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots by Karel Čapek, which introduced the word "robot" to the English language, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light follows two tech company founders whose androids dominate the AI market. The opera traces the struggle that arises between the two founders as they disagree about how to deal with their creations. The site-specific piece combines dance, multimedia design, and technology created with OCAD University’s Social Body Lab, whose aim is to explore the relationship between humans and technology. The instruments OCAD created include a cello bow that makes bird sounds, wearable speakers, and wearable Wifi-activated LED lights. Eight skilled players under the direction of conductor Gregory Oh utilized dozens of instruments—including a typewriter—to portray a detailed and evocative soundscape distinguished by a mixture of electronic and acoustic elements. Tapestry Opera's Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori told OCAD: "Opera was historically a launchpad for all kinds of applied design technologies. Having the opportunity to collaborate with OCAD U faculty is an invigorating way to reconnect to that tradition and foster connections between art, music, and design." The creative team comprised more than 20 artists working across mediums. Mori directed the production, which also included choreographer Jaime Martino and several collaborators from OCAD. In its citation, the MCANA Committee notes that "the striking set by Cameron Anderson and costumes by Joanna Yu incorporated retro elements that made the setting seem both futuristic and universal." After its Toronto premiere, Opera Canada described R.U.R. A Torrent of Light as "a musically brilliant and thought provoking theatre piece." Lights Out Toronto lauded Lizée's score, calling it "a revelation" that "create[s] a robotic soundscape that is at once beautiful and terrifying—just like A.I. itself." Broadway World deemed it "a visually and aurally compelling production that successfully marries opera and automation, and encourages us to look into the eyes of our creations to try to find the best in ourselves." In response to winning the award, composer Nicole Lizée said:
"For R.U.R. A Torrent of Light to be recognized with this prestigious award from MCANA is truly an honour. When Nicolas and I began our collaboration those many years ago, I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be awarded North America’s best new opera. Nic and I would like to extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to Michael Mori, Tapestry Opera, and the incredible performers and creative team we had the pleasure of working with.”
Librettist Nicolas Billon said:
"R.U.R. A Torrent of Light has been a labour of love for Nicky and myself, and we are deeply honored to have our opera recognized by MCANA with this award. We also want to acknowledge the production's creative team for their wonderful and awe-inspiring work in bringing R.U.R. to life."
The Best New Opera award plaques will be presented to the opera's creators on June 22, opening night of the MCANA Annual Meeting, held this year in Chicago. R.U.R. A Torrent of Light is slated for further performances at Vancouver Opera in January 2025.
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MCANA's Best New Opera Award
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The year 2023 marks the sixth MCANA Award for Best New Opera. It honors musical and theatrical excellence in a fully staged opera that received its world premiere in North America during the preceding calendar year. The award is one of the few in the world that simultaneously recognize both composer and librettist.
After MCANA members submit nominations, the finalists are chosen by an Awards Committee co-chaired by Heidi Waleson, opera critic of The Wall Street Journal, and George Loomis, longtime contributor to the Financial Times and Musical America—alongside committee members Arthur Kaptainis, contributor to Ludwig van Toronto and former music critic of the Montreal Gazette; John Rockwell, former critic and arts editor of The New York Times and a regular correspondent for Opera (UK) and Musical America; and Alex Ross, music critic of The New Yorker.
MCANA's Best New Opera Award has an illustrious track record. The 2017 inaugural award went to Missy Mazzoli (composer) and Royce Vavrek (librettist) for BREAKING THE WAVES; the 2018 Award went to composer-librettist David Hertzberg for THE WAKE WORLD; the 2019 Award went to Ellen Reid (composer) and Roxy Perkins (librettist) for P R I S M; the 2020 Award went to Jeanine Tesori (composer) and Tazewell Thompson (librettist) for BLUE; the 2021 Award went to Raven Chacon (composer), Du Yun (composer), Aja Couchois Duncan (librettist), and Douglas Kearney (librettist) for SWEET LAND. (Due to the pandemic, no award was given in 2022.)
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Described as “a brilliant musical scientist” (CBC), and “breathtakingly inventive” (Sydney Times Herald), JUNO-nominated composer Nicole Lizée’s commission list of over 60 works is varied and distinguished and includes the Kronos Quartet, the BBC Proms, the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Her work draws from influences including MTV videos, turntablism, rave culture, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Alexander McQueen, thrash metal, early video game culture, 1960s psychedelia, and 1960s modernism. Lizée was awarded the prestigious 2019 Prix Opus for Composer of the Year, the 2017 SOCAN Jan. V. Matejcek Award, and the 2013 Canada Council for the Arts Jules Léger Prize for Chamber Music.
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Nicolas Billon writes for theatre, film, and television. His work has been produced worldwide and won over a dozen awards, including a Governor-General’s Award for Drama, a Canadian Screen Award, and a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award. Credits include writing for CBC’s WWII spy series X Company and adapting the play The Elephant Song.
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Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company that is dedicated to creating, developing, and performing original Canadian opera. Tapestry is passionate about uniquely Canadian stories, told in innovative settings, unforgettably interpreted by world class artists. Tapestry supports emerging artists, develops new audiences and brings Canadian opera to the world stage. Founded in 1979, Tapestry is the voice of original contemporary Canadian opera.
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Music Critics Association
of North America
MCANA is the only North American organization for professional classical music critics. The association was incorporated in 1957, and early members included leading critics such as Miles Kastendieck of the New York Herald Tribune, Harold C. Schonberg of the New York Times, Paul Hume of the Washington Post, and Irving Lowens of the Washington Star. Current members include critics at the New Yorker, New York Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal; regular contributors to the Chicago Sun-Times, Financial Times, Gramophone, Los Angeles Times, Ludwig van Toronto, Musicalamerica.com, Opera, Opera News, and Philadelphia Inquirer; and program annotators and broadcast journalists. The organization is a member of the National Music Council. In 2013, MCANA launched Classical Voice North America, a web publication for reviews, features, and commentary with readers in 120 countries.
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Please welcome new member Kevin McLaughlin. Kevin is a freelance writer, currently living in Ohio. He has published pieces in Clevland Classical. His contact information may be found in our members-only directory.
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Please welcome new member Susan Stempleski. Susan is a freelance journalist. Her career includes stints as teacher, teacher trainer, author and editor in the field of language teaching and is, as well as 20 years' experience writing reviews for The Classical Source.
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We are pleased to announce that the 2023 annual meeting of the Music Critics Association of North America will be held June 22-25 in Chicago. Arrival via the city's airports is recommended by mid-day June 22.
Please plan to come because there is much in store. Hotel information will follow. Here are some details to assist you in planning.
* Thursday June 22: Dress Rehearsal - Chicago Symphony music director Riccardo Muti rehearses Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Muti will speak with our group and answer questions following the rehearsal.
* Friday, June 23: Performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.
* Saturday June 24: West Side Story matinee at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
* Saturday June 24: Fully staged performance of Marc'Antonio e Cleopatra, the 1725 serenata by Johann Adolphe Hasse, at Haymarket Opera, a boutique company that specializes in the use of period instruments and staging methods.
* Sunday June 25: Annual business meeting. Official activities end at Noon.
Additional details are forthcoming about sessions on skill-building and networking in our changing profession. Panel discussions on topics such as new music trends and opera incubation are also planned.
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Please welcome back MCANA member Jeremy Reynolds. Jeremy is the classical music critic at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is also currently editing OPERA America's magazine.
Please welcome Jeremy back to the Music Critics Association of North America.
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Please welcome new MCANA member Timothy H. Lindeman. Tim is a freelance writer who contributes to Cultural Voice North Carolina and CVNA.
Please welcome Tim to our association.
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Please welcome new member Katelyn Simone. Katelyn is a freelance journalist who contributes to About Basque Country and the Clyde Fitch Report.
Please welcome Katelyn to the association.
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Please welcome new member Andrea Rush. Andrea is a freelance journalist who contributes to La Scena. She is also a music teacher (B.Mus., L.Mus.) ORMTA) and a forensic musicologist (BCL, LLB, LLM).
Please welcome Andrea to the association.
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Renew your membership for 2023 or make a year-end donation via PayPal via the "Renew/Donate via PayPal" tab from the page menu on the left.
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The Music Critics Association's Institute in conjunction with the 16 th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was held June 14 – 18 th. The MCANA members who participated were:
- Susan Geffen
- Paul W. Hyde
- Earl Arthur Love
- Jennifer Melick
- Rick Perdian
- Paul Robinson
- Gail Wein
- David Wright
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MEMBERS REGISTERED TO ATTEND:
- Angela Allen & companion
- Anthony, Michael
- Bash, James
- Fleming, John
- Gelfand, Janelle
- Ginell, Richard
- Hyde, Paul
- Johnson, Lawrence B.
- Kaptainis, Arthur
- Malitz, Nancy
- James Paulk
- Perdian, Rick & companion
- Smith, Ken
- Wright, David
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The MCANA 2022 Annual Meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held in San Francisco, June 10 - 12.
PRELIMINARY MEETING SCHEDULE
MCANA official activities end at 1 p.m. Sunday June 12,
although there are optional performances available later that day.
Advise check-in late Thursday June 9 for 3 nights.
Friday, June 10
10:15 am - Panels commence at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
4:00 pm - Tour of the new Conservatory facility and Merola library
5:45 pm - Opening night reception
7:30 pm - San Francisco Opera Don Giovanni
Saturday, June 11
10:00 am - Panels commence at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
6:00 pm - Optional SFO - Dream of the Red Chamber dress rehearsal (not for review)
7:30 pm - San Francisco Symphony Orchestra & Chorus: Oedipus Rex & Symphony of Psalms, semi-staged by Peter Sellars (Salonen)
Sunday, June 12
9:30 am - MCANA business meeting – 1:00 pm - official end of MCANA meeting schedule
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2:00 pm - Optional repeats: SFO Don Giovanni, SFSO Oedipus Rex, Symphony of Psalms
4:00 pm - Optional: Berkeley Early Music Festival Vox Luminis Magnificats by Bach and Kuhnau. (easy BART transport)
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MCANA member Esteban Meneses has been selected as one of the Rubin Institute’s fellows this year. Several MCANA members are also mentors on the Writers Panel.
Here's a link to the complete press release:
https://sfcm.edu/newsroom/rubin-institute-music-criticism-names-18-fellows-class-2022
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The Music Critics Association sponsored a well-attended institute at the Van Cliburn Piano Competition in 2017, and we have put together another such gathering in conjunction with this year’s edition of the contest in Fort Worth, Texas. The institute would run from Tuesday, June 14, through Sunday, June 18, with an array of concerts, symposia and social offerings scheduled form each day. Airfare and lodging would be covered for 8-9 MCANA members, with funding coming from Visit Fort Worth. Participants would be responsible for all other expenses.
The key draw will be the opportunity to attend the four final rounds of the competition, which is obviously one of the best known and most influential in the world. The six finalists will be showcased in concertos with guest conductor Marin Alsop and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. We will also put together at least one event specifically for MCANA members attending the institute, including a private Q & A with Alsop. Thursday will be a free day, allowing visitors to check out the world-class art museums in Fort Worth or other attractions in the area.
Hotel reservations have already been set aside for the group at the Sinclair Hotel. You will be responsible for booking your plane travel. Instructions for getting reimbursed will be provided in a subsequent email. Van Cliburn Competition volunteers will provide transportation to and from the airport, and because the accommodations are within easy walking distance of the hall, a rental car is totally optional.
The opening concert on Tuesday, June 14, is at 7:30 p.m., so please plan to arrive with plenty of time to check into the hotel and walk to the hall. (Please see attached PDF copy of the meeting schedule provided by the Van Cliburn Competition.)
If you are interested in participating, please refer to the email sent to all active MCANA members on April 21, 2022.
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Please welcome returning MCANA member Kurt Loft. Mr. Loft has been a professional music critic and journalist for more than 40 years. He's currently a freelance writer, contributing to floridaorchestra.org and mypalladium.org, among others. He resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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Richard Freed, former MCANA managing director and long time member, passed away on New Year's Day. An obituary can be found below in PDF format.
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The MCANA panels held at the 2021 Annual Meeting are available for viewing. Click on the link below:
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Artists from across the scope of music and songwriting have come together in collaboration with the National Music Council (NMC) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to thank music educators and administrators for their continuing perseverance during these challenging times. The hope is that the messages of appreciation in this video are able to help uplift and inspire music educators to keep the music playing.
This video kicks off Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM), which occurs every year in March as a push for schools across the nation to focus on the importance of music education. The events and programs surrounding MIOSM are a perfect way to increase the awareness of the lifelong benefits that K-12 music programs provide students.
Many of America’s greatest artists want to let music teachers know that their efforts really do make an enormous, positive difference in the lives of students, especially in times of a crisis. Award winning musicians and songwriters Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Paul Shaffer, Rosanne Cash, John Rich (Big & Rich), Jim Lauderdale, Steve Winwood, Nile Rodgers (Chic), Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Take 6, and the late Chick Corea - along with Country Music Television’s “Next Women of Country” Class of 2021 group Chapel Hart and up and coming singer-songwriter Paige King Johnson, all offer inspirational words throughout the video. We join them in celebrating our music teachers during Music in Our Schools Month!
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S2s_uC5cH4&feature=youtu.be
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With profound sadness I must tell you that Sarah Bryan Miller died this morning. She fell into a deep sleep Monday night; the last communication we saw her make was a fist pump upon hearing that the Biden transition process was going to begin. As you all sent prayers and support for her during her struggle, please send prayer and support for her soul as it travels to the next stage. - Bruce Ryder
Below is the link to the obituary that was just put on the internet by the Post-Dispatch.
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“Memorial donations may be made to the music fund at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Ladue; Opera Theatre of St. Louis; or the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.”
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The National Music Council's latest newsletter - (MCANA is mentioned on page 5) -
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An annoucement from the National Music Council:
In response to the COVID crisis, I am pleased to inform you that NMC is working with an international group of associations to commission an important research study vital to the future of music education and the performing arts. Our goal is to examine aerosol rates produced by wind instrumentalists, vocalists, and actors, and how quickly those aerosol rates accumulate in a space. This information will help us to understand what risks exist in performing arts classrooms, rehearsal spaces and performance venues, and how to minimize them.
NMC members such as NAMM, the National Federation of High Schools, and the College Band Directors National Association have already committed funding support for the study, and I am writing to invite your organization's participation in the coalition. Any help that you can provide would be enormously appreciated. As you know, the music community has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, and we all need to work together to find a way toward a sustainable music future.
Below is a press release about the project. Please feel free to reach out to me, NMC board chair Charlie Sanders, coalition chair and NMC board member James Weaver, or Mark Spade (College Band Directors National Association) for more detailed information on the study, the budget, and how you can assist in this effort. I look forward to hearing from you. Together, we can accomplish great things, even in challenging times.
Best Regards,
David Sanders
Director, National Music Council
Unprecedented International Coalition led by Performing Arts Organizations to Commission COVID-19 Study
By Chairs, Mark Spede (CBDNA) and James Weaver (NFHS) on May 19, 2020 music directors & adjudicators article
A number of performing arts organizations have joined forces to commission a study on the effects of COVID-19 on the return to the rehearsal hall. It is important to understand what risks exist in performing arts classrooms and performance venues. Specifically, the study will examine aerosol rates produced by wind instrumentalists, vocalists, and even actors, and how quickly those aerosol rates accumulate in a space. Although not yet proven, strong anecdotal evidence suggests that the COVID-19 virus can travel in the microscopic droplets expelled from a person with the virus, even when asymptomatic. The only way to determine what risk level exists or to create best practices for reducing infection risk is to understand how aerosol disbursement works in a performing arts setting.
Once the aerosol rates are better understood, the study will focus on remediation of aerosols in confined space s like rehearsal room s (both educational and professional), classrooms, and performance settings in order to develop better understanding, policy, and practice for a safe return ing to performance and education .
Dr. Shelly Miller at the University of Colorado will lead the scientific study and says , “Aerosol generating activities have the potential to transmit COVID as the research shows, but we have very little data on what kinds of generation happen when playing instruments. We will be studying this phenomenon (hopefully with funding) in our aerosol laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder and with this data, will be able to provide better evidence-based guidance.” ( https://www.colorado.edu/even/people/shelly-miller)
Several national and international performing arts education organizations are combining resources to study the effects of COVID-19 aerosol transmission in performing arts performance settings. The study is a massive undertaking that will require a focused effort from all of us. This effort will be a duplicated study and will test how aerosols can spread from brass and woodwind instruments, the four vocal ranges, theatrical speech, and aerobic breathing. We are calling on any performing arts educational organization to join our research council. Your organizational support is the most important, we also ask for your financial assistance, as these scientific research studies are labor and financially intensive. Together we can create scientifically proven methods for our return to performing arts education in a safe way with research showing us best practices and advocacy.
The coalition is being led by a committee made up of the following:
- Mark Spede, President of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) and Director of Bands, Clemson University
- James Weaver, Director of Performing Arts and Sports , National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS )
The organizations in the coalition to date include:
*College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA)
*National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
American Bandmasters Association (ABA)
American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)
Association Européenne des Conservatoires/Académies de Musique et Musikhochschulen (AEC)
Barbershop Harmony Society
College Music Society (CMS)
College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA)
Drum Corps International (DCI)
*Educational Theatre Association ( EdTA )
High School Directors National Association (HSBDNA)
International Conductors Guild
International Music Council
International Society for Music Education
Minority Band Directors National Association
Musical America Worldwide
National Association for Music Education (NAfME)
*National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM)
National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS)
National Music Council of the US
National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA)
New York State Band Directors Association
Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE)
Percussive Arts Society (PAS)
Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA)
Sweet Adelines International (SAI)
Collegiate Conference Band Associations:
*ACC Band Directors Association
*Big 12 Band Directors Association
*Big 10 Band Directors Association
PAC 12 Band Directors Association
SEC Band Directors Association
* Organizations have provided financial support
(Updated as of 5/19/20 at 8:30AM)
For more information or questions contact :
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Dear MCANA members,
The 2020 MCANA annual meeting has been canceled. Please see MCANA President John Fleming's announcement, in PDF form, below.
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Dr. Ken Keaton, guitarist and music professor, died July 15 at the age of 65. Ken taught music history, classical guitar and chamber music at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). He was also an active performer, and had presented concerts in Southern Florida, the Eastern United States, and in Europe. Ken was a member of the Music Critics Association of North America, and wrote for Classical Voice North America, American Record Guide, and The Palm Beach Daily News.It was not just music that filled Ken's life, but also dear friends, good food, wine, travel, and parrots. After a serious illness at the age of 50, Ken doubled down on experiencing all that he could. He traveled his "bucket list" which included poking around icebergs in Greenland, hiking the muddy Amazon jungle, communing with penguins in Patagonia, and enjoying the spectacular food and wines of Europe. Ken tasted over 450 different grapes as part of an oddball wine challenge. He judged the Miss Florida USA pageant, wrote a book, dabbled in German, Spanish, French, and Italian, was a Benjamin Franklin impersonator, and attended Jazzercise every chance he could get."No me pueden quitar lo que he bailado" (Spanish proverb: They cannot take away from me that which I have danced)Dr. Keaton expressly wished that students who need assistance to attend Florida Atlantic University get the financial support they deserve because of their talent. If you would like to make a gift in memory of Dr. Keaton, visit https://fauf.fau.edu/MusicScholarships, indicate "Tribute Gift" and "In Memory of Ken Keaton" so that new music majors can realize their dream of becoming accomplished musicians.The Department of Music invites the FAU community and friends to a free concert to be presented by the Classical Guitar Society in Remembrance and Celebration of Dr. Ken Keaton, on Sunday, April 19, 2020, 3pm at the University Theatre. This concert will feature some of Ken's favorite works for classical guitar in solo and chamber ensemble settings, as performed by his former students and FAU alums.
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Former MCANA member Sharon McDaniel has passed away. You may access her obitiary from the Palm Beach Post via the PDF document below.
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The 2020 annual meeting will be in June in San Francisco, in collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Opera, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
The tentative dates are June 18 - 21. More details to follow as they are finalized.
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Please welcome our first new member for 2020, Joanna Barouch. Ms Barouch is a classical music reviewer for BroadwayWorld; an evaluator for PaperMIll Playhouse Rising Star program; and a sometime instructor at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute- Rutgers continuing ed. Her contact information may be found in the online members only directory.
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Please welcome new MCANA member Sean Erwin. Dr. Erwin is a full time philosophy professor and also writes on classical dance and classical music for such publications as Artburstmiami, Miami Herald, Miami New Times and Danceviewtimes. Sean's contact information may be found in the online MCANA member directory.
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The MCANA Executive Board for 2019 - 2020
PRESIDENT
John Fleming / Tampa Bay Times / Freelance
VICE PRESIDENT
Nancy Malitz - Chicago on the Aisle
TREASURER
Susan Elliott / MusicalAmerica.com
SECRETARY
Angela Allen / Freelance
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Richard Ginell / Freelance
Arthur Kaptainis - Montreal Gazette
Sarah Bryan Miller / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Donald Rosenberg / Freelance
David Wright - Freelance
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The Japan institute, co-sponsored by the Music Critics Association of North America and Music From Japan, was held July 5-9 in Tokyo and Fukushima, Japan. There were twelve participants, including 10 MCANA members and two composers. The MCANA members attending were John Fleming, Susan Brodie, Richard Ginell, Nancy Malitz, Johanna Keller, Bill Littler, Mike Anthony, Michael Huebner, Gil French and Sarah Bryan Miller. The composers were Anthony Cheung and Zosha Di Castri.
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| Institute participants at Yamatsumi Shrine (Photo by Masaru Takenaka) |
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| Three Lions of Kuryusawa (Photo by Masaru Takenaka) |
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| Gagaku ensemble (Photo by Sachie Hamaya) |
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| Sho player Mayumi Miyata (Photo by Sachie Hamaya) |
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| Tokyo Sinfonietta |
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Click on the images below to open Michael Huebner's and Richard Ginell's articles on the Music from Japan Institute.
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| Michael Huebner's article on the Music from Japan Institute |
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| Richard Ginell's article on the Music from Japan Institute |
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Here are the eight MCANA members going to the New World Symphony Institute in Miami Beach Feb. 2- 4:
1. Susan Elliott
2. Barbara Jepson
3. Rick Ginell
4. Gail Wein
5. Keith Powers
6. Jennifer Melick
7. Angela Allen
8. John Fleming
See the related post about the NWS Institute below.
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A Music Critics Association of North America institute for from six to 10 critics will be held Feb. 2-4 at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. New World is celebrating its 30th anniversary as America’s Orchestral Academy, training conservatory and music school graduates for careers in professional orchestras and ensembles.
The centerpiece of the institute will be the annual New Work concert on Feb. 3, with NWS cofounder and artistic director Michael Tilson Thomas leading a program of newly commissioned pieces. It includes the world premieres of a musical composition by MTT and a short play by New York playwright Christopher Wall in collaboration with the Playwrights Realm, with NWS fellows performing both musically and theatrically. Also on the agenda is Project 305’s Miami in Movements, a multisensory reflection of contemporary Miami created by composer Ted Hearne and filmmaker Jonathan David Kane, the culmination of a collaborative, yearlong process, that included crowdsourced audio and video submissions by the public. There will be sessions with MTT, fellows and composers, and the opportunity to attend a rehearsal.
Institute activities will be in the innovative performance facilities and state-of-the-art practice and ensemble rooms of the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center. The center is one of the most technologically advanced music venues in the world, with distance learning and audition coaching projects that amount to as many as 150 interactive musical exchanges a season with other institutions. There will be activities taking advantage of these high-tech resources during the institute, such as a behind-the-scenes look at production of New World’s trademark Wallcast concerts in SoundScape Park.
MCANA scholarships to the institute will cover critics’ round-trip airfare (or comparable transportation) plus ground transportation to and from the airport in Miami; three nights at the Albion Hotel, a few blocks from the center on South Beach; and press tickets (guest tickets will be available for purchase).
Please send an email expressing your interest in participating in the institute, including who you would be writing for, to MCANA president John Fleming, education committee co-chairs Kyle MacMillan and Jean-Jacques van Vlassalaer, and managing director Robert Leininger, all cced on this email.
The deadline for applications is Dec. 15.
Please note: Your 2018 MCANA membership dues must be paid in full prior to attendance at this institute. If not paid, your $125 2018 membership fee will be deducted from your reimbursement.
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"Breaking the Waves" won inaugural Best Opera of the Year from the Music Critics Association of North America at our annual conference, this year in Santa Fe. Right to left - music critics Barbara Jepson (MCANA President) and George Loomis, along with composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek.
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MCANA Institute – A two-day symposium of forums and concerts was recently presented by “Music from Japan” in New York City. The subject matter of the event was the Works of Misato Mochizuki and other Japanese composers in the 21st century. The Institute was held February 26 – 28, 2016. MCANA members attending:
- Ginnell, Rick
- Isaacs, Gregory
- Keller, Johanna
- Lemco, Gary
- Malitz, Nancy
- Markow, Robert
- Rosenberg, Donald
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Smith, Ken
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Dear NMC Friends and Members,
Below is an easy opportunity to voice your support for retaining arts-friendly provisions within the K-12 federal education law currently under consideration in Congress. This legislative work is moving closer to a final bill and it is looking that a final vote may likely occur prior to year-end.
We need your help in this last push to encourage your friends and colleagues to add their voice to and sign the petition put together by Americans for the Arts to help ensure that all students have access to a well-rounded education that includes the arts.
The petition will be delivered to the members of Congress serving on the conference committee to voice support for retaining arts-friendly provisions within the education reform bill. For more information on the re-authorization process, check out the blog post here.
Thank you for your support of the arts and encouraging your friends, family, and colleagues to show their support for arts education.
Best Regards,
David Sanders
Director, National Music Council of the United States
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Letter from MCANA to the Cleveland Plain Dealer -
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Music Critics Association of North America
MCA Educational Activities, Inc.
722 Dulaney Valley Road Suite 259. Baltimore MD 21204
musiccritics@aol.com - www.mcana.org
October 21, 2008
Susan Goldberg, editor
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Plain Dealer Plaza
1801 Superior Avenue East
Cleveland, Ohio 44114-21989
Dear Ms. Goldberg,
The decision to reassign our colleague, Don Rosenberg, and remove him from the duty of reviewing the Cleveland Orchestra has shocked the journalistic and music worlds. We wish to add our voices to what has become an international chorus of protest and concern. (Neither Mr. Rosenberg nor Zachary Lewis was consulted or involved in the preparation of this letter.)
Mindful of your authority as editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and your description of Mr. Rosenberg’s case as an internal personnel matter, we nonetheless must urge you to rescind your action. The silencing of a critic not only challenges the foundation of our particular profession, but weakens the foundation of journalism itself. It is not at all hyperbolic to see this case as a threat to a free and independent press.
We ask you to consider this theoretical scenario: A newspaper hires a commentator to give opinions about the local mayor and city council on a regular basis; the writer's work draws fire from the politicians and their supporters; the newspaper relieves the writer of his post. No self-respecting publication would ever do such a thing, but your treatment of Mr. Rosenberg has unavoidably put the Plain Dealer in this unflattering light.
There has been much speculation about pressure, overt or subtle, being exerted on you by forces outside the newsroom. We do not wish to add to that speculation, but many of us are certainly aware of what can happen in any community when some people find fault with a music critic. Whatever prompted your move, it has led to consequences that we cannot imagine you would have ever wanted.
In our view, a highly respected and qualified writer (who served for two terms as president of the Music Critics Association of North America) has been subjected to an unwarranted and unreasonable reassignment; a newspaper with a long history of service to its community has had its integrity and honesty questioned; and the free and unfettered public discussion that music criticism tries to foster has been unduly hampered.
We ask you to restore Mr. Rosenberg’s critical voice and the credibility of the Plain Dealer.
The following names include the board of directors of the Music Critics Association of North America and many of our members, as well as other music journalists from around the country who wished to join us in support of Don Rosenberg.
- Dorothy Andries, classical music critic, Pioneer Press (Glenview, IL)
- Michael Anthony, Opera Canada; Opera magazine; former music critic, Minneapolis Star Tribune
- Margaret M. Barela, American Record Guide
- James Bash, Opera magazine, The Columbian
- Janet E. Bedell, program annotator (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra)
- *Martin Bernheimer, Financial Times; Opera magazine; music critic, Los Angeles Times (1965-1996)
- Susan Brodie, American Record Guide
- Clarke Bustard, Letter V: the Virginia Classical Music Blog
- Scott Cantrell, music critic, Dallas Morning News
- Sedgwick Clark, editor, Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts
- Robert Commanday, music critic (retired) San Francisco Chronicle; Editor (retired) San Francisco Classical Voice; former president, Music Critics Association of North America
- Robert Croan, senior editor and former classical music critic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Wynne Delacoma, freelance; classical music critic, Chicago Sun-Times (1991-2006)
- Roy C. Dicks, contracted freelance classical music critic, Raleigh (NC) News & Observer
- Dimitri Drobatschewsky, Arizona Republic (Phoenix), Opera Magazine
- Andrew Druckenbrod, music critic, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
- Jeremy Eichler, music critic, Boston Globe
- Susan Elliott, editor, MusicalAmerica.com
- Mary Ann Feldman, Minnesota Orchestra Showcase Magazine, Grand Teton Music Festival
- Robert Finn, music critic, Cleveland Plain Dealer (1964-1992)
- John Fleming, performing arts critic, St Petersburg Times
- Richard Freed, program annotator (National Symphony Orchestra)
- Gil French, concert editor, American Record Guide
- Janos Gereben, www.sfcv.org, San Francisco
- Richard S. Ginell, Los Angeles Times; American Record Guide
- Peter Goodman, assistant professor, Department of Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations, Hofstra University; former critic, Newsday, New York Newsday
- Paul Hertelendy, coordinator and critic of www.artssf.com; former music critic, San Jose Mercury News
- Paul Horsley, former music critic, Kansas City Star
- Michael Huebner, Birmingham News
- Barbara Jepson, contributor, The Wall Street Journal "Leisure & Arts"
- Leslie Kandell, freelance
- Mark Kanny, classical music critic, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
- Laura Kennelly, arts columnist, Morning Journal (Lorain)
- Joshua Kosman, music critic, San Francisco Chronicle
- John W. Lambert, Classical Voice of North Carolina, Inc.
- Marty Lash, Door County Advocate
- Jens F. Laurson, Classical Critic-at-Large, WETA-FM, Washington D.C.
- George Loomis, Financial Times; International Herald Tribune
- Robert Markow, Opera Magazine, Opera News, American Record Guide, program annotator (Montreal Symphony)
- Martin Mayer, retired critic, Esquire Magazine (1951-1975); Opera Magazine (1984-2002)
- Anne Midgette, classical music critic, The Washington Post
- Sarah Bryan Miller, music critic, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- Frank J. Oteri, editor, New Music Box
- *Tim Page, University of Southern California; former classical music critic, Washington Post
- Andrew Patner, Classical Music Critic, Chicago Sun-Times, Critic-at-Large, 98.7WFMT Radio Chicago and wfmt.com
- James L Paulk, contributor, Das Opernglas
- Alvin H, Reiss, editor, Arts Management
- Louise Austin Remmey, former contributor to Washington Post, Baltimore Sun
- Alex Ross, music critic, The New Yorker
- Georgia Rowe, former music critic, Contra Costa Times; Opera News, San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Examiner
- Jason Victor Serinus, Opera News, American Record Guide, Stereophile
- Tim Smith, music critic, Baltimore Sun
- David Stabler, classical music critic, The Oregonian
- Elaine Strauss, US 1 Newspaper (Princeton); Chamber Music; Clavier
- Perry Tannenbaum, American Record Guide; Creative Loafing (Charlotte, NC)
- Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen
- Anthony Tommasini, chief classical music critic, The New York Times
- Herman Trotter, music critic emeritus, The Buffalo News; American Record Guide
- J. J. Van Vlasselaer, music critic, Le Droit (Ottawa)
- John von Rhein, music critic, Chicago Tribune
- S. James Wegg, managing editor, JWR (Canada)
- David Wright, freelance; former program annotator (New York Philharmonic)
* Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism
MCANA OFFICERS
President Tim Smith Baltimore Sun
Vice President Barbara Jepson Wall St. Journal
Secretary J.J. Van Vlasselaer LeDroit
Treasurer Paul Horsley freelance
Members at Large –
Andrew Druckenbrod Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Joshua Kosman San Francisco Chronicle
Zachary Lewis Freelance
Sarah Bryan Miller St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Frank J. Oteri NewMusicBox
Ex-Officio
Donald Rosenberg Cleveland Plain Dealer
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| CRITICS SURVEY |
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FIRST EVER SURVEY OF CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITICS IN U.S. and CANADA RELEASED TODAY
The Music Critics Association of North America and Columbia University's National Arts Journalism Program jointly released today "The Classical Music Critic: A Survey of Classical Music Critics at General Interest and Specialized News Publications in America."
The 54-page report, analyzed by Princeton University's Lawrence McGill, is available in PDF format by link in the console at the top of this page, or at www.najp.org, and includes information about the numbers, demographics, educational backgrounds, work situations, ethical beliefs and musical tastes of those writing about classical music today.
KEY FINDINGS:
*The average classical music critic is a white, 52-year-old male with a graduate degree. BUT, 26% of all critics writing are female, and their numbers are equally spread from the youngest to the most experienced in the field.
*Four out of five critics agree that "we can be proud of the new classical works that we have created in Canada and the U.S. over the past 25 years." However, more than half of the critics surveyed disagreed that "composers are breaking genuinely new ground these days."
*There is a generational gap between younger critics - those 46 and younger- and older writers. In a word, "modern" and "American" are in among the younger writers, who tend to be more open to a wider range of contemporary composers, while masters like Handel, Wagner, Dvorak and Schumann are out.
*John Adams was the most liked contemporary composer; Mozart was the most liked historical composer.
To view the complete CRITICS SURVEY, please scroll on the word NEWSLETTER at the top left of this page and select "CRITICS SURVEY" from the drop down list, or click on the image in this article.
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| "Shifting Ears" Essays |
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Two essays, one by John Rockwell and one by Joe Horowitz, who were keynote speakers at October's Shifting Ears Symposium, have been added to the MCANA web site. Scroll over the word "NEWSLETTER" at the top left of this page and select "SHIFTING EARS" from the drop down menu to view the essays.
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