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The choice of a new leader may be the most important decision an organization will make for years. But in the case of classical music organizations, the issues turn out to be complex. Don’t you think it would be desirable to have some background and context for making an informed choice? If so, you might start here.
Read MoreAre music critics stupid? As we read what some of them have written over the years about works that were later deemed masterpieces, we might think so. But perhaps there is a simple explanation…and perhaps we too are guilty. Ready to take the simple test here?.
Read MoreOur memories can be somewhat undependable whether we are recalling iconic sports events or great concerts. How much does it really matter?
Read MoreIs it time to go beyond the usual suspects in trying to understand why classical music audiences appear to be declining and what we can do about it? This blog post may be an unlikely but entertaining place to start.
Read MoreHow do you listen to music – with your head or with your heart? Is it an intellectual experience of an emotional one? Let’s see how your aesthetic enjoyment compares to that of others.
Read MoreWhen you read about an opera performance, you will usually encounter the names of the composer, the singers, the conductor, and often the set designer and librettist. But there are several unsung heroes involved that you will not hear about and here you can read about two of them who believed in the axiom that “the show must always go on!”
Read MoreWhat can a technological invention that fizzled tell us about new possibilities for technology and classical music enjoyment and education? Read here to find out.
Read MoreWhat does a duo-piano team and legendary oboe player—all three long deceased—have to do with the future of music video? If you are curious, read here.
Read MoreEvery year, about this time, people ask me, “Is there a great recording, novel, or film that you would recommend for a classical music lover?” Here’s this year’s answer.
Read MoreWant to find a great teacher? It is not as easy as you think. But here are some rules that can make the process easier and more successful.
Read MoreWhy are some musical luminaries remembered for generations, even centuries, while the names of others are forgotten less than a generation after their deaths?
Read MoreToday we associate the word “unprecedented” with the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on the classical music business. But is it really unprecedented? Here I talk about how we might look at history for some clues.
Read MoreIf one really wants to understand how the music business developed in the second half of the twentieth century, there is no better musical family to study that the Gomberg/Zazofsky clan. Their story and our family’s relationship to theirs provides a behind-the-scenes look that no history book can provide.
Read MoreOn July 12, 2020, the music world lost an icon, Eleanor Sokoloff, at the age of 106. Mrs. Sokoloff taught piano at the Curtis Institute of Music for over 80 years with countless students who went on to international careers. She and her husband Vladimir met there as students, and spent their entire professional lives at Curtis. This special blog post includes more about this remarkable lady.
Read MoreThe union movement in America would have a profound impact on the music business. Unionization was a divisive issue in the music industry affecting relationships between friends, colleagues, and families…including ours.
Read MoreEver thought of creating a playlist of favorite classical music recordings? I have been doing so over the last few months in conjunction with a new book I am writing and I am learning a lot.
Read MoreMy Uncle Boris Goldovsky’s favorite opera was Mozart’s Don Giovanni and there was nothing more fun for me than playing first flute in his touring opera orchestra night after night, especially when he was on the podium conducting. I was 25 years old the first time I had occasion to so do.
Read MoreIn 1959, my uncle Boris Goldovsky finally wrote down a story he had been telling at family gatherings for years. At the time, it would not have been politic to publish it so he issued a very limited edition of only eight copies for family members.
Now for the first time, this wonderful story can be shared more widely.
Read MoreFor my family, there was a lot to learn about musical careers once they came to reside in the United States. Chief among the lessons to be mastered was the extent to which in America, music was a business.
Read MoreMy grandmother, Lea Luboshutz, joined the violin faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1928. Her track record as a pedagogue was impressive based on the careers of almost 150 of her students. Much of this success probably was due to her teaching philosophy and her approach.
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