Big business is after more bang for its buck when it comes to sponsoring the arts, writes Joyce Morgan. The Marsalis brothers don't have to look far to find praise, writes John Shand. Stilettos aside, this was a humanly scaled reading There have been more spectacular Verdi requiems. But this performance from Opera Australia for the Sydney Festival bypassed stale millennial hype and delivered a fresh, well-rounded, humanly scaled reading that left me more convinced of the work's merits than when I arrived. What a treat it is to be asked to just listen.
Fate plays cruel tricks.
Bobby Gebert has been a major player in Australian music for 30 years, and was to be filmed on this night as part of the making of ABC-TV's The Pulse. He accidentally sliced open his finger the night before, and was ruled out of his 15 minutes of fame. The Rambert Dance Company will return to Australia for the first time in more than 50 years, accompanied by its artistic director, choreographer Christopher Bruce. The blood business Who profits from the blood you donate. An inside look at Afghanistan, the country in the eye of a global storm.