THE MAGAZINE
The Art of Protest
Art has always been a substantial part of Sudanese culture. Discover the powerful impact of Sudanese art in telling stories, inspiring young people, and creating positive change!
Fancy a Visit to Paris Opera Ballet?
Fancy a visit to Paris? On 14 July 2023, you have a chance to do so virtually: the Paris Opera’s streaming platform will be streaming Carolyn Carlson’s cult work Signes live from the Bastille Opera. TWoA loves to look at the link between painting, music and dance. Signes is exactly about this link.
Happy Birthday, Igor Stravinsky! Celebrating an Icon of Twentieth Century Music and Ballet
There are few ground-breaking composers who are also famous for their ballet compositions. If Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Prokofiev are the only ones who come to your mind, think again: Igor Stravinsky is one of the most important composers of the twentieth century and an icon of modernism, but his most famous compositions were created not for the concert hall, but for the ballet.
Hilma af Klint & Piet Mondrian: ‘Forms of Life’ at the Tate Modern, London
The artists Hilma af Klint (b. Sweden, 1862-1944) and Piet Mondrian (b. Netherlands, 1872-1944) never met, but they were both fascinated by nature and wanted to understand the forces behind life. Both started as landscape painters and went on to produce some of the earliest abstract paintings. Both were deeply spiritual and interested in mysticism and hidden truths. Until 3 September 2023, you can see Mondrian’s and af Klint’s paintings side by side at the Tate Modern, London.
Guest Artist: Caroline Williams, City & Guilds of London Art School
Check out the work of our guest artist, Caroline Williams, of City & Guilds of London Art School.
In Conversation: Pianists and 2023 Cliburn Junior Competitors Saehyun Kim 김세현 (16) and Seokyoung Hong 홍석영 (15)
The Third Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for pianists aged 13 to 17 is taking place 8 – 17 June 2023 in Dallas, Texas. TWoA talked to two of the talented young pianists chosen to compete at the competition: Seokyoung Hong 홍석영 (15) and Saehyun Kim 김세현 (16). Both are originally from Seoul, but are now studying piano at New England Conservatory Preparatory School while attending Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Read on to find out about their lives in Korea and the USA.
Ask the Experts: Practice and Competition Advice from Pianists Seokyoung Hong 홍석영 (15) and Saehyun Kim 김세현 (16)
The Third Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for pianists aged 13 to 17 is taking place 8 – 17 June 2023 in Dallas, Texas. TWoA talked to two of the talented young pianists chosen to compete at the competition: Seokyoung Hong 홍석영 (15) and Saehyun Kim 김세현 (16). Both study piano at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and attend the Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Read on for some practical advice on the triple challenge of practicing, performing and competing.
Get Inspired: Raphael’s Sistine Madonna
Get inspired by Raphael’s beautiful Sistine Madonna.
Keep Cool!
It’s a busy time right now: the school year is coming to an end. Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or angry and fed up? Keep it cool, even if it’s difficult. Need some inspiration? Watch Riff from the West Side Story telling the Jets to keep it cool.
Maria Callas: La Divina - The Divine
When you hear the word “diva,” the first thing that comes to your mind is probably the image of a temperamental star performer making unreasonable demands. If you are an opera lover, chances are you will think of Maria Callas (2 December 1923 – 16 September 1977), one of the greatest twentieth century sopranos. This year is the centennial of her birth. Who was the artist electrifying audiences around the world? Who was the woman behind the legend?
Guest Artist: Florence Penry-Jones, City & Guilds of London Art School
Check out the work of our guest artist, Florence Penry-Jones, 19, of City & Guilds of London Art School.
Happy Birthday, Irina Kolpakova!
On 22 May 2023, the great Russian ballerina and coach Irina Kolpakova turned 90. Since 1990, Kolpakova has been American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) principal coach. At ninety, she continues to coach ABT’s dancers in all variations and pas de deux from the company’s classical repertoire. Here some interesting facts about Kolpakova’s life.
Human Is: A New Reality of Science Fiction (Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin, 19 March – 23 July 2023)
Does a place that explores a possible future which is created by artificial intelligence grab your interest? The exhibition Human Is brings art and technology together and invites people to a realm of science fiction. The exhibition runs from 9 March until 23 July 2023 and takes place at the Schinkel Pavillon in Berlin.
Give It to Me Straight: The Infinite Lines of Carmen Herrera
Carmen Herrera’s work is a masterclass in the reduction of form, but her career is, ironically, a story of what happens when an artist is reduced to being a woman artist in a circle of men. Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1915, Herrera trained in Paris and moved in circles of highly influential artists and writers. When she moved to New York in the 1950s, she was told point blank that she would never receive a solo gallery show. She sold her first painting at 81. Read on for more.
Christian Spuck and Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Messa da Requiem’ at Staatsballett Berlin
Christian Spuck’s ballet Messa da Requiem is having a good year. The production has been performed across the globe and recently entered the repertoire of Staatsballett Berlin. But turning an oratario into a ballet is not easy. Read on for more.
Hip Hop Meets Ballet: Dutch National Ballet and ISH Dance Collective Present Oscar Wilde’s “Dorian Gray”
From 11 May until 16 June 2023, Dutch National Ballet and ISH Dance Collective, a street dance ensemble, present their latest collaboration: Dorian. The production mixes hip hop and ballet and presents an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. TWoA talked to ISH Dance Collective’s Lars De Vos and Skya Powney, a member of Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company.
Fake “Photography”? Boris Eldagsen and the Sony World Photography Awards 2023
On 14 March 2023, Berlin-based artist Boris Eldagsen was awarded the 2023 Sony World Photography Award (creative open category) for his work “The Electrician.” But the artist sent shock waves through the photography world when he announced that he would not accept the award: “The Electrician” is not a photograph. Eldagsen created the image with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Start Spring with Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1
It’s finally spring! The best way to celebrate this magical moment is of course with music. I have chosen the following piece for this season: the second movement (scherzo vivacissimo) of Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19. Want to know why? Read on!
Pierre Lacotte, Choreographer, Dies at 91
On 10 April 2023, the renowned French choreographer Pierre Lacotte died by sepsis from an infected cut. He was 91. Lacotte was famous for his restagings of 19th-century ballets from the Romantic era. But he was also a key figure in a dramatic event that changed the history of ballet in the West: the Cold War defection of Soviet dancer Rudolf Nureyev in 1961. Read on for more!
Guest Artist: Isabella Guadalupe Araiza-Fortson, 16
Check out the work of our guest artist, 16-year-old Isabella Guadalupe Araiza-Fortson from Palm Desert, California.