The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is considered the best in the United States, and 7th in the world, by a recent survey of music critics:

“Actually, this will be a surprise because a lot of people in America would, as a knee-jerk reaction, would rank the New York Philharmonic at the top,” Inverne says. “Or, indeed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which has fantastic technical standards. But Chicago beat a further six orchestras, which were in our top 20, from America.

…

“Chicago famously has this incredible brass sound,” Inverne says. “And it just pins you to the back of your seat. And the way that that brass sound shoots out, exemplifies a lot about the orchestra, which is a sense of adventure in music-making.”

Categories: Chicago, Entertainment Media
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The Co-Op Casino in Ann Arbor, MI (my home during graduate school) has been robbed, reports The Onion:

Thus far, no firings have been made or even suggested, but the casino’s members have agreed to beef up oversight measures by replacing the position of casino pit boss with a 15-person pit coordinating committee.

Categories: Community, Funny, Governance, Graduate School, Managing
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