The Crystal of Three Minds: A Fever Dream

✨ Premiere Announcement

Tonight,  Atlanta Music Critic unveils its most ambitious cinematic story yet.
The Crystal of Three Minds merges reality, imagination, and the language of sound — a vision born from real AMC interviews, transformed into a fever-dream where music and consciousness collide.

🎬 Watch below, or open on YouTube for full cinematic quality and to join the live discussion.

🌌 About the Film

In a candle-lit chamber called Zora’s Room, three artists from different worlds encounter their own visions of music, time, and fevered creation.
Drawn from genuine AMC interviews, this film honors their insights while imagining what happens when artistry crosses into dream.

This short film continues AMC’s exploration of how artists think — how emotion becomes structure, and how structure dissolves back into feeling.

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🎬 Highlights from the Film

• “Music is the only fever that heals.”

• “We dream in triads; we wake in dissonance.”

• “Every conductor holds a crystal — not of quartz, but of sound.”

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💬 Join the Conversation

🕯️ Comment on YouTube: Share your interpretations of the symbols and storylines.
❤️ Subscribe: @AtlantaMusicCritic on YouTube

A Conversation with Pianist Jan Lisiecki- Not to be missed!

A Conversation with Beatrice Rana

Classical Music for Grown Ups!

 

🎹 Two Young Titans of the Piano

In the crowded world of classical music, it’s rare to encounter interviews that breathe — that give artists the time, space, and respect to reveal who they truly are. At Atlanta Music Critic, that’s exactly what we do.

In my newest conversations, I sit down with two of the most compelling young pianists of our time — Beatrice Rana and Jan Lisiecki — both destined to shape the concert stage for decades to come.

Beatrice Rana, the brilliant Italian pianist, brings the charm and sophistication of her Neapolitan roots. She is open, witty, and self-aware — a performer who connects intellect and emotion with irresistible warmth.

Jan Lisiecki, the Canadian-Polish prodigy turned thoughtful artist, is deliberate, insightful, and deeply reflective. Behind his poise lies a mind as disciplined as his touch at the keyboard — calm, precise, and quietly magnetic.

These are not celebrity chats or promotional soundbites. They are adult conversations — explorations of artistry, purpose, and identity. My questions are designed not to dominate, but to invite; not to corner, but to create space. In that space, these remarkable artists speak freely, and you’ll hear them as few ever do.

🎧 You won’t find this kind of interview anywhere else in the classical music enterprise.

Watch the full interviews now on YouTube.com/@AtlantaMusicCritic, or read them on Substack.com/WilliamFordamc

And while you’re there, don’t miss my groundbreaking research study — “Balancing the Scales of Classical Music: Comparing Strength, Fragility, and Community Support Across 18 Major U.S. Orchestras” — available at AtlantaMusicCritic.com.

This is what thoughtful music journalism looks like: intelligent, independent, and human.

Interview Release: Stacey Fraser

 Atlanta Music Critic is proud to share a new interview with soprano Stacey Fraser, whose artistry ranges from opera to chamber music. Fraser is also a member of  Brightwork New Music Ensemble, known for championing bold new works.

🎬 Watch the full conversation here: https://youtu.be/7afl1S9Xx7k?si=VfaV30ovbN3H5o0Y

In this wide-ranging discussion, she reflects on her performance career, her work with students, and the importance of building spaces for contemporary music.

You Should Watch If…

• You want to hear how one singer builds bridges between performance and education

• You’re interested in Brightwork Ensemble’s role in supporting contemporary composers

• You’re fascinated by the real-world balance of artistry, collaboration, and teaching

A Conversation with Composer David Lefkowitz

New Interview: David Lefkowitz on Craft, Curiosity, and the Composer’s Life

Atlanta Music Critic presents an in-depth conversation with the award-winning composer

I’m excited to share my new interview with composer David Lefkowitz—a wide-ranging discussion about process, mentors, risk-taking, and how composers navigate today’s musical landscape. Watch here:

👉 Full video: https://youtu.be/PJD6-KWKZvA

Why watch

• Insightful, plain-spoken talk about how pieces start—and how they really get finished

• Practical thoughts on teaching, influence, and finding a personal voice

• Honest takes on career resilience and sustaining a life in music

• Examples from his catalog that show range, humor, and depth

Highlights from the interview

• On process: how constraint and curiosity shape the first bars

• On influence: what to take from teachers—and what to leave behind

• On audiences: writing music that challenges without alienating

• On career: balancing commissions, teaching, and the long arc of a catalog

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Watch the interview now: https://youtu.be/PJD6-KWKZvA

If you enjoy this kind of long-form conversation and independent coverage, you can support the work here: Patreon.com/AtlantaMusicCritic

🎼 Revealed: The Hidden Finances of America’s Orchestras

 

🎶 New Landmark Study: The Financial Realities of America’s Orchestras 🎶

I’m excited to announce the release of my most ambitious project to date — a comprehensive, data-driven study of America’s leading symphony orchestras. This report is unlike anything else available to the public. It doesn’t rely on speculation or anecdotes. Instead, it delivers a clear-eyed analysis of the numbers that shape the orchestral world.

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🔍 What’s Inside the Study

✨ Comparative Measures
The study applies standardized metrics across all orchestras so readers can make meaningful comparisons. Measures include:

• Revenue and expenses

• Ticket sales vs. contributed income

• Musician and executive compensation

• Staffing and volunteer engagement

• Endowment and investment reliance

• Community support intensity

✨ Orchestra Profiles
Each orchestra is presented in a detailed profile with charts, tables, and commentary. These profiles highlight not only strengths but also vulnerabilities, making clear where financial strategies succeed and where challenges persist.

✨ IRS Form 990 Guide
Nonprofit finances can be intimidating, but this study includes a step-by-step guide to reading IRS Form 990s — the very filings that orchestras must submit each year. You’ll learn how to interpret revenue streams, program vs. management costs, and other critical data.

✨ Strategies & Insights
From the data emerge strategic recommendations for boards, executives, and arts advocates. These are not generic ideas, but concrete strategies grounded in evidence, offering guidance on sustainability, donor engagement, and long-term planning.

✨ Self-Analysis Tutorial
Perhaps the most empowering feature: a self-administering tutorial that allows any orchestra or arts nonprofit to apply the same methods to their own data. This turns the study into a living toolkit, not just a static report.

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📖 A Sample From the Findings

Here’s a short excerpt to give you a taste of the kind of analysis you’ll find inside:

“While the Orchestra of ______ demonstrates one of the strongest endowment draws in the field, reliance on investment income accounted for more than one-third of its annual revenue. This creates a powerful cushion in good years but exposes the organization to heightened vulnerability during market downturns. By contrast, the Orchestra of ______ maintains a leaner financial footprint with lower fixed costs, but this comes at the price of limited programmatic expansion. Taken together, these profiles illustrate the tension between financial scale and financial resilience.”

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🚀 Why This Study Matters

Classical music organizations face unprecedented pressures. Ticket sales rarely cover even one-third of expenses, donors face competing priorities, and endowments can swing dramatically with the markets. This study equips leaders, musicians, and advocates with the knowledge needed to confront these realities with confidence and clarity.

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👉 Ready to dive deeper?
You can access the full study by clicking the “Buy the Study” button in the sidebar.

This is not just a report — it’s a roadmap for understanding and shaping the future of America’s orchestras.