Writing about music and other subjects by the former classical music critic of The Washington Post. Come in and look around.
Writing about music and other subjects by the former classical music critic of The Washington Post. Come in and look around.
Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center has been the major cultural story of DC for a year and a half. As of September 15, 2026, the Kennedy Center has closed for renovations that Donald Trump says will not take place until his name is replaced on the building.
I have been posting many of my thoughts on the situation as it unfolds on Facebook, where you can follow me.
In early September, 2026, I joined Marc Scorca on Washington National Opera's new videocast to discuss the challenges of finding new venues in DC -- a discussion that was released only a day or two before the shuttering of the Kennedy Center.
Here is some of my initial coverage from 2025.
Faced with instances of proven sexual assault, the classical music field often reacts with shock, horror -- and hypocrisy. I was angry about the response to one such case, when musicians took public stands rallying around horn player Cara Kizer 14 years after her alleged rape, and I had a few choice things to say to the field at large, which I reprinted on my blog.
My father was a noted realist painter who died in 1978 at the age of 40. Recently, I've followed through on a long-held plan to create a website about his work and career, filling a gap since, given when he lived, he didn't have much of an internet presence. It's a work in progress, and there are more images to come, but I'm excited about it and hope you'll take a look.