music diplomacy
The forgotten story of how one of Jacksonville's young and talented Symphony Directors reconstructed the cultural milieu of Germany, including its denazification, immediately after World War Two. Join us after the jump for the story of how John Bitter, who was only 25 years old when he became the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra director during the 1930s went to Berlin to draw the poison out of its high culture.
The Minnesota Orchestra recently returned from a highly publicized and well-received trip to Cuba that has left many people in both countries feeling good about improving relations between Cubans and Americans, as well as their governments.
"[Eurovision] is truly an event that builds bridges between nations and encapsulates the values of Public Service Media. In this [60th] anniversary year, it is with pride that we look back at how the contest has influenced the public sphere in Europe."-- Ingrid Deltenre, European Broadcast Union Director General.
It may sell itself on feathers, wind machines and cheesy songs, but behind the sequins of the Eurovision Song Contest is a complex, carefully managed political game. With more than 40 countries competing, the host city of Vienna, Austria, is presently overflowing with politicians, diplomatic missions…
The Minnesota Orchestra traveled to Havana, Cuba last week, marking both their first performance in the island nation since 1930, and the first performance by an American orchestra since the U.S. and Cuba began normalizing relations in December 2014.
Legendary blues guitarist and singer B.B. King died last week. He was a global ambassador for American culture. King performed in Russia, China and Europe, and while in his 80s, he was still playing concerts in Denmark, Germany and France. He was an embodiment of American soft power, expressing the vitality and spirit of a diverse nation.
An Iraqi symphony cellist fights bombs with classical music.
American Routes, the public radio program produced at Tulane University, is leading a tour of American “roots” music to China, April 30 to May 3. (...) This concert series builds on our prior China tours with Cajun music, gospel, cowboys and jazz. This kind of vernacular cultural diplomacy is both entertaining and edifying. The virtuosity and diversity we bring to ‘Meet-in-Beijing’ is a great statement between nations at an intimate level.