Refreshing News

In a post of 10 May of this year, we had, in part, this to say concerning the work of classical music reviewer and journalist, Anne Midgette:

We've often in the past come down fairly hard on classical music reviewer and journalist Anne Midgette (most famously — or as famously as anything written on this blog can be considered famous — here), but since her move from The New York Times to The Washington Post in January of this year to take the place of the Post's on-leave Pulitzer Prize winning chief classical music critic, Tim Page, and where her official designation is, "interim chief classical music critic," Miss Midgette has been turning out reviews and commentary that are of consistently high quality and well worth one's time reading.

Apparently, The Washington Post agrees.

Amid the current trend to the contrary among newspapers, The Washington Post last week hired a permanent staff music critic to succeed Tim Page. Anne Midgette, who has been in the job on an interim basis since January, when Page took a leave of absence, has been hired officially as the Post’s classical music critic.

“In light of all the lay-offs around the country, they’re really bucking the trend in committing to serious arts journalism,” said a delighted Midgette in a brief telephone conversation.

The newspaper recently completed a round of voluntary buy-outs (of which Page availed himself, to start an arts journalism program on the west coast), offering early-retirement packages to some 200 employees; half of them accepted, having been asked to make their decision by May 15. That same day, the staff classical music critic job was posted.

“It’s fantastic that, after a round of buyouts, the music critic was one of the first people they hired,” said Midgette.

RTWT here.