THE YEAR IN CLASSICAL: Plenty of arts organizations had tough 2011s, but it seems that those involved in classical music were hit particularly hard. That’s the focus of Scott Cantrell’s look back at the year that was on dallasnews.com. But before looking ahead to the challenges of 2012, he does find a bright spot. “Arts organizations that best weather difficult times tend to be led by charismatic figures with bold ideas and a knack for getting people — and funders — excited about them. Looking over the Dallas-Fort Worth classical music scene, I see only one leader who fits that description: Fort Worth Opera’s Darren Woods. He has turned what used to be an embarrassment of a provincial company into one drawing national attention as well as local excitement.”

TEXAS WOMEN IN THE ARTS: On Sunday, the Texas Tribune section of The New York Times spent a little space highlighting the contributions of female arts patrons in the state. Locals receiving shoutouts include Donna Axum Whitworth, a Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra board member, and Gene Jones, the driving force behind the Cowboys Stadium art collection.

ROCKABILLY ROYALTY: Did you know that Fort Worth is home to a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. If you’re of a certain age, you might remember a performer named Bobby Krajca, who recorded under the name Bobby Crown. At 70, he’s still alive and well and working on a book about his long career that’s taken him around the world and back. He touches on some of the highlights with dfw.com.