THE MAGAZINE
Guest Artist: Motomitsu Fujiwara, Tokyo University of the Arts
Meet Motomitsu Fujiwara, the rising Tokyo University of the Arts painter whose canvases blend spiritual memory, Indigenous history, and a belief that true art speaks beyond language. From dandelions as divine messengers to mammoths roaming sacred Uluru, Fujiwara’s work reimagines faith, childhood, and primal expression for a contemporary world hungry for meaning. A quietly electrifying TWoA spotlight on an artist you’ll want to follow now.
From Sicilian Fisherwomen to Pious Folk Hymns: Cathy Berberian’s “New Vocality” Style
Discover the world of Cathy Berberian, the trailblazing mezzo who shattered classical singing rules and reinvented what the human voice could be. From the raw cries of Sicilian fisherwomen to the airy purity of American folk hymns, Berberian’s “New Vocality” style reshaped 20th-century music and inspired icons from Luciano Berio to Laurie Anderson. A whirlwind tour of the singer who made the voice a limitless instrument—and changed music history in the process.
From Berlin with Love: The Philharmonie Berlin
Step into a rain-slick Berlin night and follow Christina Ezrahi into the glowing, golden shell of the Philharmonie, where pianist Mao Fujita turns a dark February evening into pure electricity. From the suspense of his first Chopin note to the thunder of Beethoven’s Appassionata, this City Letter captures Berlin’s eclectic audience, the hall’s legendary acoustics, and the quiet magic of a performer who’d rather play than bask in applause. A warm, luminous escape into one of Europe’s most unforgettable concert nights.
The Architecture of the Oscar Nominees
This year’s Oscars weren’t just a triumph for filmmakers—they were a love letter to architecture. From the brooding Brutalist megastructures of Adrien Brody’s Bauhaus epic to the intimate Polish memorials shaping Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain and the glittering Brooklyn mansion at the heart of Anora, 2025’s top films proved how powerfully buildings can drive story. Step inside the cinematic spaces that became characters in their own right—and discover how architecture stole the show.
Palazzo Medici: Scandal, Power, and Politics
Long before the Medici ruled Florence from behind closed doors, they mastered the art of shaping public opinion through architecture. The Palazzo Medici Riccardi became their most powerful weapon. Between Brunelleschi’s bruised ego, Cosimo’s rise to power, and Michelozzo’s tactful redesign, the story of this building is one of scandal and image-making. Step inside the palace that taught Renaissance Florence how power is built—not just held.
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.