THE MAGAZINE
Choreographer Spotlight: Jean-Christophe Maillot
Jean-Christophe Maillot turns ballet into an X-ray of human longing, crafting choreography where emotion leads movement and characters unfold with startling psychological depth—making his work feel less performed than lived.
Celestial Soundtracks: Hollywood and the Music of György Ligeti
Some pieces of twentieth century classical music sound as if they've come from another planet. György Ligeti's Atmosphères is one of those pieces. And if you think that avant-garde classical music and Hollywood don’t go together, think again: director Stanley Kubrick was so intrigued by Ligeti’s music that he used it in his 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
From the Bosphorus with Love: The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
Istanbul’s position between Europe and Asia gives it a magic all its own—captured in our correspondent’s letter from the Bosphorus and in the breathtaking works of Chiharu Shiota and Olafur Eliasson, two artists who draw directly from the city’s unique geography and spirit.
Artful Anchovies: The Art History Behind the Tinned Fish Revival
The tinned-fish revival isn’t just about flavor—it’s a visual feast rooted in centuries-old Iberian conserva traditions, where bold packaging, maritime iconography, and contemporary design have turned canned seafood into the art world’s most unlikely aesthetic obsession.
Adapting to Loss of Limbs: The Stories of Two Musicians - Django Reinhardt and Paul Wittgenstein
Two legendary musicians—jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and pianist Paul Wittgenstein—rewrote musical history by reinventing technique after limb loss, proving that artistry and innovation can flourish through radical adaptation. Read on for more.
The Wall of Memory: The Lost Ukrainian Monument
Nearly forty years after Soviet authorities buried Kyiv’s monumental Wall of Memory, the AVRM foundation continues fighting to restore Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnychenko’s forbidden masterpiece—now a potent symbol of Ukrainian resilience amid Russia’s ongoing war.
From London with Love: The Thursday Gallery Crawl
When it comes to art and culture, there’s hardly a city as hecticly eclectic as London. In this exclusive letter, TWoA spills the tea on all the going-ons in the London art scene, giving you insider information into the British art world, its peoples, and its dramas.
Rhyuhn Green, 18, Pianist and Composer: Creating a Melting Pot in Classical Music
Rhyuhn Green is an 18-year-old composer and pianist on a mission to turn classical music into a true cultural melting pot. In this conversation, the Juilliard Kovner Fellow shares his journey from rock stages to Carnegie Hall, the ideas behind his debut album ph3onix3s, and his hopes for the future of the classical arts.
Reclaiming Venus: How We Misunderstand Beauty
The rise of imperfection as a new aesthetic challenges Renaissance ideals, but Botticelli’s Venus reminds us that beauty is more than skin deep—it’s a gateway to the divine. To find out why, read this article and discover how her beauty is just as moral and philosophical as it is physical.
Choreographer Spotlight: Justin Peck
Renowned for his energetic footwork and playful musicality, Justin Peck has built a remarkably prolific career as New York City Ballet’s Resident Choreographer. Two decades after beginning his choreographic journey as a student at the School of American Ballet, he has created more than 50 ballets and become one of the defining voices of American dance today.
Interview: Chloe Helimets, 15, Prix de Lausanne 2025 Finalist
Fifteen-year-old Chloe Helimets, a third-generation ballet dancer and two-time YAGP Youth Grand Prix winner, is one of just eighteen Americans selected for the Prix de Lausanne 2025. In this interview, she speaks about growing up in a ballet family, preparing for the world’s most prestigious competition, and learning to balance artistry, pressure, and passion.
Joseph Markey, American Ballet Theatre: On Turning “Crime and Punishment” into a Ballet
Fedor Dostoevsky’s dark psychological novel Crime and Punishment is a masterpiece of world literature. Last autumn, you could find it in the dance bags of many dancers at American Ballet Theatre: choreographer Helen Pickett and co-director James Bonas were turning the book into a ballet for American Ballet Theatre. The company will perform the production at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ins Washington on 12-16 February 2025. TWoA talked to ABT dancer Joseph Markey, who created the part of Luzhin, and who will have his debut as Raskolnikov in Washington.
Sleep, Dreams, Fantasies: Three Very Short Essays on Schumann’s Kinderszenen
While other composers wrote with quill and ink, Schumann composed with pure imagination, letting his wandering stories and daydreams spill onto the page. In this essay, discover how that magic shaped Kinderszenen and turned a simple set of piano miniatures into a world of dreams, memories, and quiet wonder.
Life in La Jolla: Three 20th-Century Modern Architectural Masterpieces
La Jolla’s rugged coastline is home to some of the most striking modern architecture in California—structures shaped as much by the Pacific Ocean as by the vision of the architects who built them. Discover how three 20th-century masterpieces blend art, landscape, and coastal life in a region where nature is both a muse and a force to withstand.
The Wicked Witch of Art History
From Dürer’s demonic hags to Waterhouse’s enchanting sorceresses, the art-historical witch has taken countless forms—grotesque, erotic, symbolic, and empowering. This article traces how a figure once used to fuel fear and misogyny became a complex icon reclaimed by modern women artists and pop culture alike.
Disease, Death, and Disaster: Andy Warhol’s Hidden Legacy
Behind Warhol’s glossy Marilyns and Factory glamour lies a hidden story of illness, fragility, and fear. This article uncovers how disease, trauma, and near-death experiences shaped the artist’s darker works—from car crashes to endangered species—and reveals the vulnerable Andy Warhol he worked so hard to conceal.
“People’s attitudes have changed a lot:” Busking on the London Underground
Once an illegal trade, busking on the London Underground is now a celebrated art form—and 67-year-old penny-whistle player Jonathan has witnessed the whole transformation. Read how public attitudes, the permit scheme, and the magic of fleeting underground encounters have reshaped a busker’s life.
It’s Movie Night: Dancer Edition
Looking for the perfect winter movie night? From Wim Wenders’ luminous Pina to the grit of Russian ballet in Ballerina, these four films reveal the beauty, power, and pain of dancers’ lives on and off the stage.
New Year’s Inspiration: Leon Bakst
Celebrate the New Year with the bold colours, exotic motifs, and trailblazing stage designs of Leon Bakst, the Ballets Russes visionary whose cosmopolitan imagination reshaped modern art, theatre, and fashion—and continues to inspire creatives more than a century later.
Into the Woods: Feeling the Benefits of Forest Bathing in Art
Feeling overwhelmed by city life? Discover how artists from Wang Meng to Friedrich and Morisot turned forests into spaces of refuge, imagination, and calm—and how their paintings can offer a little “forest bathing” from home.