1. Jaap van Zweden has quit his job [pause to catch our collective breathes] with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. The orchestra is being cut as the Dutch government, like many European countries, downsizes its cultural investments due to the tough economic times. That said, another factor in Van Zweden’s departure, the Dallas Morning News piece tells us, is the growing demand for him as a guest conductor with other orchestras.
2. There are some diehard music fans that grumble at the populist-leanings of the programming at the Dallas Symphony and Dallas Opera. Well, if Dallas was truly a vibrant arts center, there would be challenging musical offerings coming from other organizations or institutions. The good news is, this fall, there are. The recipients of SMU’s Meadows Prize (along with Creative Time) was the ensemble eighth blackbird, who will land in Dallas on October 17 for a week long residence. Then, in November, the Nasher Sculpture Center will kick off their new music series, Soundlings: New Music at the Nasher, with the Juilliard String Quartet.
3. The Dallas Voice catches up with The Kessler Theater, the first performing arts venue to hit Oak Cliff since the Bronco Bowl was torn down and replaced by a Home Depot.
