culture

Conductor Valery Gergiev, pictured in 2017, has pulled out of a concert series at Carnegie Hall that was scheduled for this weekend.

Arts

Russian conductor pulls out of New York concerts after supporters of Ukraine protest

5:20pm February 24, 2022

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Valery Gergiev, who is closely allied with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, was due to take part in a three-concert series at Carnegie Hall. Also stepping aside is Russian pianist Denis Matsuev.

Composer, conductor and multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey leads a rehearsal of his Monochromatic Light (Afterlife) at the Rothko Chapel in Houston on Feb. 18.

At the Rothko Chapel, Tyshawn Sorey explores sound — and silence

4:15pm February 24, 2022

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Invited to write a new work for Houston's Rothko Chapel, the composer and multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey created a work that is both intimate and vast, like those Mark Rothko paintings.

A collection of pandemic-related literature.

Books
Arts

Are we ready for COVID-19 as a central theme in literature?

3:34pm February 24, 2022

by Gabino Iglesias

Reading about plagues or COVID-19 over the last two years was not an entertaining idea for many. But the pandemic has had an impact on literature — and people may be ready for it to enter the canon.

The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in May in Turin, Italy.

Russia will still participate in Eurovision 2022, despite Ukraine invasion — for now

3:14pm February 24, 2022

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 say they will allow Russia to participate in this year's competition, despite the invasion of Ukraine, but that they will "monitor the situation."

A bee sucks nectar from a flower in Berlin, Germany. Bee populations are in decline in industrialized nations across the globe.

The world's insect population is in decline — and that's bad news for humans

1:19pm February 24, 2022

by Dave Davies

Environmental writer Oliver Milman says habitat loss, pesticides and climate change are killing off insects worldwide, which, in turn, threatens humans. His new book is The Insect Crisis.

From 'Milkshake' to veggies, Kelis and Ron Finley share their farm journeys

5:16am February 24, 2022

Grammy-nominated recording artist and chef Kelis talks to urban gardener Ron Finley about growing your own food, the relationship between Black people and the land, and how to handle a mean rooster.

Haley Bennett stars as Roxanne and Peter Dinklage as Cyrano.

How the many pairs behind 'Cyrano' made music for the movie's lovelorn couples

5:00am February 24, 2022

by Tim Greiving

The National frontman Matt Berninger and his wife Carin Besser wrote the lyrics, and twin brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner scored the movie.

A confrontation with a dragon in 'Elden Ring.'

Arts

Review: How I learned to stop worrying and love the deathly delights of 'Elden Ring'

5:00pm February 23, 2022

by Keller Gordon

A celebrated game developer known for brutal difficulty and impenetrable storytelling collaborated with Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin for their latest title.

Hale Woodruff. Normandy Landscape. 1928. The Baltimore Museum of Art: Edward Joseph Gallagher III Memorial Fund, BMA 2002.279

Arts

Meet the security guards moonlighting as curators at the Baltimore Museum of Art

3:50pm February 23, 2022

by Susan Stamberg

The museum invited their security officers to curate an exhibition of their own. The result is a show filled with art from the sixth to the 21st century.

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Arts

Still ripping from the headlines: 'Law & Order' reboot continues with tradition

1:21pm February 23, 2022

by David Bianculli

The original series, which debuted in 1990, leaned heavily on current news stories. The new show does the same. Its debut episode centers on the crimes of a TV personality reminiscent of Bill Cosby.

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