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Opera

With Not Much Else, New York City Opera Takes Bids on Name and Assets Due Jan. 20

The New York City Opera has been in a grueling lawsuit that has convened in court since it filed for bankruptcy in 2013. For now, the brand of the City Opera is still in the hearts of most New York operagoers, but whether it will make a comeback has yet to be seen.The City Opera board has elected to sell its name and other assets, per "The New York Times," to a group called NYCO Renaissance. NYCO, thus, has plans to make Michael Capasso the general manager of a newly reconstituted opera company.Capasso, though, has a notorious record with his own, small Dicapo Opera Theater, which still owes money to its musicians and singers.
By Ian Holubiak

  • British Musicians Offered Money, Lodging and Car to Train Qatari Military Bandsmen to Perform at Controversial 2022 World Cup

    Despite all the controversy surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, British musicians seems to be receiving the best treatment. Musicians are being offered £66,000 — or $102,406.26 — to train Qatari military bandsmen to perform in front of a global TV audience during the event.The musicians will be offered tax-free salaries of up to £66,000 for training and the first wave of recruits will also get free accommodation and a car. This includes violinists and woodwind, brass and percussion players. There are also former military pipers and drummers and at least three orchestral conductors.The teachers will be expected to stay in Qatar for up to three years, by which time it is hoped the Qatari bandsmen will have reached the required standard to play at the opening ceremony and other high-profile events during the tournament. So far, Qatar has already signed up 60 professional musicians from Britain, who will set out to start sometime next month, but they are continuing to look for more.
    By Jaime Prisco

  • [UPDATE] CEO and President of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Hyun-jung Park Quits, Effective Immediately, After Allegations of Sexual Harassment and Misconduct

    Hyun-jung Park, president and CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, who was recently accused of sexually harassing and verbally abusing her employees, has announced the she will resign from her post effective immediately.Park made the announcement during a packed press conference, where she addressed her alleged misconduct."I intend to resign as president of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra from today," Park said. ”I am to blame for a large part [of the allegations] and I sincerely apologize for that. Restoring my personal reputation is more important than anything, but I could not bear the abnormal state of the Seoul Phil, which is run on taxpayers's money."Park’s career fell apart when 17 of the Seoul Philharmonic’s employees testified in a petition that she constantly abused them, with one male employee claiming that she had too much to drink at a public dinner gathering and grabbed him by the necktie, attempting to touch his genitals. Three female employees said Park suggested they offer themselves sexually, telling one she would be a good hostess and the other two that they should sit next to important male guests and accommodate their needs.
    By Jaime Prisco