Looking for a hot spot of music criticism? Portland can make its case for bringing some vital voices to the mix: A pair of Oregon ArtsWatch writers, James Bash and Angela Allen, have taken leadership roles in the Music Critics Association of North America.

Bash was elected president of the critics association at its annual meeting in Montreal, Quebec, on May 31, and Allen was elected to her third term as secretary. They’ll serve two-year terms.

“James deserved president,” Allen said. “He has been on a ton of committees, stirred up educational events, is probably the most outgoing member of the group, and is always on top of things.” Bash served as the group’s treasurer several times before being elected president.

The Music Critics Association of North America was founded in 1956 “to promote high standards and ensure the future of classical music criticism in the press of the Americas,” and includes almost 100 critics from publications large and small across Canada and the United States (plus one from Austria and one from Australia). It provides professional development in the form of workshops for emerging critics and opportunities to attend major music festivals and events, plus networking via its website and annual conference. It also chooses an annual best new opera; 2025’s award went to David T. Little’s What Belongs to You, which premiered Sept. 26, 2024, at Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond.

Joining Bash and Allen on the association’s executive board are independent critic Susan Geffen of Dallas, Texas, as vice-president; and Paul Robertson of Toronto (La Scena Musicale) as treasurer; plus members-at-large Janelle Gelfand (Cincinnati Business Courier) of Cincinnati; Los Angelino Richard Ginell (San Francisco Classical Voice); Montreal’s Robert Markow (Fanfare); freelance critic Esteban Meneses, of Altamonte Springs, Florida; and David Patrick Stearns (Philadelphia Inquirer); and ex-officio members Arthur Kaptainis of Montreal (Ludwig von Toronto) and association managing director Robert Leininger, of Baltimore.

Bash is a frequent reviewer and profile and feature writer for Oregon ArtsWatch, and also writes for Classical Voice North America, Opera, The Columbian, The Oregonian, and other publications, including his website Northwest Reverb. You can read his ArtsWatch stories here.

Allen was a daily newspaper columnist, reviewer, and staff writer for 25 years, contributes to Classical Voice North America, and writes about jazz, opera, chamber and other classical music for Oregon ArtsWatch. She’s a food writer, poet and photographer whose photo essays have been published in Oregon ArtsWatch and elsewhere. See her webpage Angela Allen: Journalist, Poet, Photographer. You can read her ArtsWatch stories here.

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