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Charles T. Downey

@ionarts.bsky.social

860 followers 1.1K following 570 posts

Associate Editor and Lead Critic, Washington Classical Review; Founder of Ionarts; Ph.D. in Historical Musicology; Classical Music Fiend; Opera Addict; Baroqueux agréable and Public Musicologist (all views expressed are my own, not those of my employers)

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Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · Feb 8

As a follow-up to the latest bad news, a reminder from Oreo to nap for 16 hours of every day

Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 8h

Latest on WCR - Andrew Lindemann Malone covered the recital by Anne Sofie von Otter and Kristian Bezuidenhout for us at Wolf Trap washingtonclassicalreview.com/2025/10/10/v...

Reposted by Charles T. Downey

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 11h

Waning immunity. A significant Covid wave in England. No new variant.
Thanks Prof Pagel for highlighting and contextualizing

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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 13h

Nobel Peace Prizes have often been awarded to people who fight autocracy. Maria Corina Machado fits right into that tradition

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Why María Machado Deserved the Nobel Peace Prize

The Venezuelan opposition leader shows why participation matters.

www.theatlantic.com

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Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 16h

No explanation about why the NSO is playing the anthem at every concert, but it's definitely new this season

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Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 22h

If you were not at the NSO tonight, go see this program with Hans Graf conducting Viennese music, including Berg's Violin Concerto with Renaud Capuçon (11:30 am Fri and 8 pm Sat) - and be ready to hear the national anthem at the start of every concert washingtonclassicalreview.com/2025/10/09/g...

French violinist Renaud Capuçon, in blue jeans and a blue blazer, holds his violin

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Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 1d

No official comment yet

Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 1d

Image for comparison - the tree-filled terrace running parallel to the Potomac (estimating 65% of the trees were chopped down)

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Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 1d

Stumps of trees in the middle sections of main level terrace were pictured

Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 1d

I did not walk around the sides to see what had been cut down. Pretty sure the willows on north side were still there. Going back tonight for the NSO so I'll confirm

Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 1d

No public statement yet from the KC - trees were left standing at both ends of the terrace (on the level of the Opera House entrance)

Reposted by Charles T. Downey

David Darmofal @daviddarmofal.bsky.social · 2d

‘The church cannot remain silent,’ Pope Leo XIV tells El Pasoans in Vatican meeting on mass deportation fears

In Vatican meeting with El Pasoans, Pope Leo XIV offers support to migrants facing deportation - El Paso Matters

During a Vatican meeting, Pope Leo XIV expressed solidarity with migrants after hearing firsthand accounts gathered by El Paso’s Hope Border Institute and La Mujer Obrera about the human toll of U.S. ...

elpasomatters.org

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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 1d

Pope Leo XIV has blasted how wealthy people live in a “bubble of comfort and luxury” while the poor suffer. In his first teaching document Thursday, Leo confirms that he is in perfect lockstep with Pope Francis on matters of social injustice.

Pope Leo blasts economy that marginalizes poor while wealthy live in bubble of luxury

Pope Leo XIV has blasted how wealthy people live in a “bubble of comfort and luxury” while the poor suffer.

bit.ly

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George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 1d

"Garbage" is far too kind a description of what the Washington Post's ed page has become.

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Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 1d

(Surprised and horrified)

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Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 2d

Surprised by yet more changes being made (chopped down) at the Kennedy Center, this time on the lower terrace

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Reposted by Charles T. Downey

Chalkbeat @chalkbeat.org · 2d

Michigan schools have a big literacy problem. Can new curriculum transparency help fix it?

New Michigan budget bars Count Day financial incentives, requires curriculum transparency

Michigan schools have a big literacy problem. Can new curriculum transparency help fix it?

bit.ly

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Reposted by Charles T. Downey

Jacqueline Sweet @jsweetli.bsky.social · 2d

NEW: A MAGA X account often shared by Senator Mike Lee and House Republicans like Nancy Mace--that often alleges Democrats encourage voting fraud-- is run by a man who not only has never stepped foot in the US, he also illegally donated to an American campaign.

www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

The Viral MAGA Accounts Run by a Man Who Has Never Been to America

Two influential MAGA social media accounts are run by Rumen Naumovski, a Macedonian who may have illegally donated to a U.S. election.

www.rollingstone.com

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Reposted by Charles T. Downey

Kara Swisher @karaswisher.bsky.social · 2d

Once a content thief, always a content thief www.theverge.com/news/674366/...

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

www.theverge.com

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Reposted by Charles T. Downey

Jess Piper @piperformissouri.bsky.social · 2d

😂

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Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 2d

Jeff Bezos might have built a spaceship, but indie bookstores build and nurture whole communities and that is *way* more impressive and valuable.

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Le Point @lepoint.fr · 2d

✏️ Par @xavier-gorce.bsky.social

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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 2d

Six of the nine Nobel Prize winners this year work in the U.S.
Three of the six were born outside the U.S., which is the pattern most years. No country has benefited more from welcoming immigrants from around the world.
www.nobelprize.org

The official website of the Nobel Prize - NobelPrize.org

The Nobel Prize rewards science, humanism and peace efforts. This is one of the central concepts in the will of Alfred Nobel, and it also permeates the outreach activities that have been developed for...

www.nobelprize.org

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Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 2d

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Reposted by Charles T. Downey

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias.bsky.social · 4d

It's inspiring that a person can start a Substack and with nothing more than strong ideas, hard work, and the support of a few billionaires plus a corrupt FCC merger review process achieve a lucrative exit plus power over a television network.

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Charles T. Downey @ionarts.bsky.social · 4d

Ouch - Alex Ross on Mason Bates's new opera"The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" at the Metropolitan Opera: "the music is stale to the point of indigestibility. The libretto, by Gene Scheer, is little better." www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

A Season of Rage at the Philharmonic and the Met

Gustavo Dudamel conducts John Corigliano’s blistering First Symphony, and Chuck Schumer faces a hostile crowd at the opening night of “Kavalier & Clay,” Alex Ross writes.

www.newyorker.com

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