A Voice That Embraced a Nation July 6, 2012 | The New York Times The conductor Bruno Walter once said that the two greatest musical experiences of his life were knowing the contralto Kathleen Ferrier and Mahler — in that order. From humble beginnings as a telephone operator near Blackburn, ...
Read MoreProfile of the Dynamic Venezuelan Conductor Gustavo Dudamel
Gustavo Dudamel. Photo: AP. A “Yes We Can” Maestro The young Venezuelan maestro warms up for his move to Los Angeles Jan 15th 2009 | The Economist Guest conductors at the New York Philharmonic Orchestra are not usually allowed to use Leonard Bernstein’s batons. Gustavo Dudamel is one of the ...
Read MoreThe South African Artist William Kentridge and Shostakovich’s “The Nose”
William Kentridge’s Nose for Farce 2013 | The Economist’s Intelligent Life Magazine For William Kentridge, a South African artist, there is much to be learned from the absurd. This makes some sense from someone who has spent a lifetime witnessing the brutality and then the aftermath of apartheid-a ...
Read MoreMissionaries Carry on Regardless of Harassment in Russia
Valery Ivanov, center, of the Seventh-day Adventists talking to missionaries at the church’s headquarters in northeast Moscow. The Moscow Times September 24, 2002 In the wake of recent controversies over Catholic priests being denied Russian visas, religious groups could be forgiven for taking the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom in this ...
Read MoreTaking the Risk Out of Mail-Order Romance
Sabina Kuliyeva, right, joined A Foreign Affair a month ago along with her twin sister, Nazira, left, and best friend Irina Gazaryan. The Moscow Times September 24, 2002 It was only a matter of time before Hollywood saw the tragicomic potential of the Russian mail-order bride business. But while the recently ...
Read MoreThe Chinese Diaspora in New York
Guan Wang, a freshman at the University of California, Davis, from China, stands for a portrait in Davis, California. Photo by: Tony Avelar/Bloomberg. Chinese Diaspora: United States For the large Chinese community living in the US, China’s emerging economic and political power is a source of pride and strength. March ...
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