The Latin Grammy in the Schools program is coming to John A. Ferguson High School in Miami. The program will donate $20,000 in musical instruments to the school, as well has host a Q&A panel with Gente de Zona, Univision host Raul de Molina, and representatives of the Ford Motor Company and the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.
South by Southwest (SXSW) is being criticized for issuing contracts that appear to threaten visiting international acts with deportation. The language states that if artists violate festival rules, the festival may notify U.S. immigration authorities of actions taken. The festival, which hosts artists from 62 countries, states that it has been a vocal opponent of President Trump's travel ban and that the language is meant to warn rather than threaten artists.
Phoenix Theatre and the Arizona State University School of Music have announced a "residency" partnership. Students from ASU's Lyric Opera Theatre program will work onstage and behind the scenes in professional productions at Phoenix Theatre. Theatre staffers have taught classes at ASU, and students have been used as understudies in the past. The new partnership will expand on those past exchanges.
New FCC chairman Ajit Pai has announced that he intends to loosen net neutrality regulations. He stated that he believes the 2015 decision reclassifying internet service as a common carrier was a mistake and claimed that the decision resulted in a decline in broadband investment. However, some reports indicate that investment increased nearly nine percent after the 2015 ruling.
The Boston Symphony has launched an ambitious expansion of Tanglewood. They will create a new $30 million, 4-building complex, which is set to open in 2019. The complex will add performance, dining, and rehearsal buildings. One new enhancement will be the Tanglewood Learning Institute, which will offer visitors up-close and personal experiences and access to lectures, master classes, panel discussions, and more.
The Cleveland Orchestra has cut its Miami residency in half for next season. The Orchestra will only perform for two weeks in 2018, down from four weeks in 2017. The Orchestra gave no explanation for the reduction in the length of the residency, but several donors have stopped supporting the Miami residency, and the Orchestra had a $2.4 million deficit last season.