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Midori seeks youth orchestra Music Press Asia
orchestra

Play with Violin Star Midori: Youth Orchestra Applications Now Open

What could your youth orchestra learn from spending four days making music with world-renowned violinist Midori?

The Orchestra Residencies Program (ORP) brings young musicians together with professional artists for rehearsals, workshops and a public performance. It is about more than playing well. It is about growing as musicians, connecting with others and bringing music into the wider community. The musical highlight? Performing Derek Bermel’s Spring Cadenzas, a contemporary work featuring Midori as soloist. Inspired by Japanese…

Books recommend Sept 2026 reading Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick
culture reading

Books That Make Us Listen, Look and Think Differently

From music and performance to contemporary art and cultural identity, our Reading Room gathers books that help us understand the creative currents moving through Asia. Some books give us information. Others change the way we…

Live

Gabriela Lena Frank Metropolitan Opera Live in HD Hongkong Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick
opera

Frida Kahlo Returns to the Stage: Gabriela Lena Frank’s Met Opera Comes to Hong Kong

The Metropolitan Opera’s acclaimed production arrives in Hong Kong this December. Frida Kahlo has long existed beyond the canvas. Her distinctive self-portraits, indigenous-inspired dress and uncompromising artistic identity have made her one of the most recognisable figures in 20th-century art. Now, the painter enters another…

Asia-Focus

If Music Is an Industry, Musicians Need Jobs

A New Zealand Composer-in-Residence programme offers one building block for a Music City, and a useful question for Asia: what does a city actually need to sustain musicians? A nine-month Composer-in-Residence position at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music…

Interview

Shen Loh interview Blue Mansion Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick
architecture

Inside the Blue Mansion’s Classical Music Series

Built in the late 19th century by Chinese tycoon Cheong Fatt Tze, the Blue Mansion stands today as one of Penang’s most iconic heritage landmarks. Located in the heart of George Town, the capital of Penang Island, the indigo-hued residence…

Interview with Filipino Mezzo Soprano Michelle Mariposa

Pinay mezzo-soprano singer Michelle Mariposa was one of the 1,500 participants of the Metropolitan Opera’s Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. The 30-year-old Filipino-Chinese singer from Quezon City wowed judges with…

Video

Let's Talk Music

Books recommend Sept 2026 reading Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick
culture reading

Books That Make Us Listen, Look and Think Differently

From music and performance to contemporary art and cultural identity, our Reading Room gathers books that help us understand the creative currents moving through Asia. Some books give us information. Others change the way we see the world. This season, Music Press Asia turns its…

Technology

Music China meets new technology in mega exhibition Shanghai Music Press Asia
exhibition

Music China 2026: Technologies Shaping Tomorrow’s Music

What happens when music meets artificial intelligence, smarter instruments and the next generation of audio technology? At Music China 2026, some of the answers will be found on the exhibition floor, where established audio brands and emerging innovators are exploring new possibilities for making, producing and experiencing music. Technology remains a major attraction at the Shanghai trade fair, with Tomorrow’s…

How AI Affects Music Creation in Asia?

Introduction: AI & Music Creation: Is the Future of Music Artificial? From viral TikTok beats to chart-topping pop hits, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how music is created, produced, and shared—and it’s happening fast. Gone are the days when music relied solely on human creativity;…

SXSW 2025 Awards New Innovation Creators

SXSW attendees gathered on the evening March 10 to celebrate the winners of the 2025 SXSW Innovation Awards, sponsored by LATAM Airlines. Hosted by three-time Grammy nominee SaulPaulSome, the Innovation Awards is an opportunity for some of the most creative projects across 11 categories to…

Review

Natasha world premiere New National Theatre Tokyo Music Press Asia
Editor's Pick
opera

World Premiere Review: Natasha at the New National Theatre Tokyo

On 11 August 2025, the New National Theatre Tokyo (NNTT), Japan’s premier performance venue, launched the boldly imaginative Natasha — a one-act, multilingual opera by Toshio Hosokawa with a libretto by Yoko Tawada. As the third new commission under Artistic Director Kazushi Ono, this production not only continues NNTT’s recent dedication to cultivating Japanese contemporary composers but also stakes a…

The Soundtrack of Ally McBeal: Why Music Made This Legal Drama a Classic

In the world of late 90s television, few shows dared to blur the line between courtroom drama, emotional introspection, and musical fantasy quite like Ally McBeal. Created by David E. Kelley, the series wasn’t just known for its quirky characters or surreal narrative style—it carved…

Chocolate in Lyrics: 10 Songs to Satisfy Sweet Cravings

For something so universally adored, chocolate remains surprisingly underrated. Sure, we gift it on Valentine’s Day, savour it during celebrations, or reach for it when in need of comfort — but do we truly celebrate chocolate for all it represents? Beyond its rich, indulgent flavour,…

Conference

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