The musicians of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra have voted to accept the pay cut that management said was necessary to save the orchestra. The management had threatened to close the orchestra.

he police has arrested five people under suspicion of corruption at the Petruzzelli Theatre in Bari. Among the accused is the Administrative Director, Vito Longo. The affair focuses contracts for the supply of light and cleaning. According to the prosecutor, the theatre manager cashed money from the companies who would get the contracts.

Frank Peter Zimmermann
(c) Franz Hamm

Frank Peter who had to restitute the 1727 Lady Inchiquin Stradivarius violin to the financial liquidators of the WestLB, has finally got a new instrument. He has been offered the 1727 ex-Dupont/Grumiaux Stradivarius on interim loan for at least 2 or 3 years by a Chinese-German art dealer. Zimmermann expects to be able to use his former instrument again in a few years.

Two performing arts education actors in the US, Berklee and The Boston Conservatory, have formally agreed to merge, creating a comprehensive and dynamic training ground for music, dance, theater, and related professions. Read More →

Kursaal, San Sebastian
(c) Remy Franck

Am 20. Januar wird in der baskischen Küstenstadt San Sebastian das Kulturhauptstadtjahr 2016 nicht eingeläutet, sondern eingetrommelt. Am Tag des Heiligen Sebastian, dem Namensgeber der Stadt, treffen sich traditionsgemäß Tausende von Trommlern ab Mitternacht in der Altstadt. Read More →

Luthers Laute; Luther: Frau Musica singt, Sie ist mir lieb die werte Magd, Ein neues Lied wir heben an, Das Patrem zu deutsch; Senfl: Non moriar, sed vivam, Mein Fleiss und Müh, In pace inidispum, Ecce quam bonum; Finck: Nigra sum, sed formosa; Neusiedler: Ein seer guter Organistischer Preambel, Nunnentanz; Desprez: Mille regrez; Schlick: Maria zart; Anonymus: Nun treiben wir den Babst hinaus u. a.; Franz Vitzthum, Countertenor, Julian Behr, Laute; 1 CD Christophorus 8272973; Aufnahme 1/2014, Veröffentlichung 09/2015 (59'33) – Rezension von Remy Franck

Einige Lieder aus der Feder von Martin Luther sowie andere Lieder und Solo-Lautenstücke hauptsächlich aus der Zeit Martin Luthers erklingen auf dieser CD. Neben der Musik aus der Reformationszeit sind auch Kompositionen des zeitgenössischen, lettischen Komponisten Raitis Grigalis zu hören, der alte Texte neu vertont hat. Read More →

Frédéric Chopin: Klavierkonzerte Nr. 1 & 2; Ekaterina Litvintseva, Klavier, Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Heribert Beissel; 1 CD Profil PH15037; Aufnahme 07/15, Veröffentlichung 11/2015 (77’50) - Rezension von Alain Steffen

Ein guter Rezensent soll ein Schätzgräber sein; er soll aus den vielen qualitativ meistens hochwertigen Einspielungen jene herausfiltern, die in irgendeiner Hinsicht etwas ganz Besonderes oder Außergewöhnliches darstellen und dabei versuchen, künstlich aufgebauten Blendern wie dem inzwischen zu einem Klischee gewordenen Lang Lang nicht auf den Leim zu gehen. Read More →

The Jury of the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) announced today the Awards for 2016. Soprano Dame Felicity Lott is honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Composer, trombonist and conductor Christian Lindberg is Artist of the Year, cellist Pablo Ferrandez Young Artist of the Year. For the first time the new Discovery Award for musicians from 12 to 18 is awarded to flutist Nikolai Song, born in 2002, of Korean-Russian parentage. Read More →

Le Poème Harmonique and Vincent Dumestre present the Normandy International Baroque Music Competition, the first international competition in France for instrumental soloists in the baroque music. The competition is open to young musicians of any nationalities. The first edition will be held in September 2016 and will be dedicated to string instruments: violin, cello and viola da gamba. Registration is to be made at the website of Le Poème Harmonique from January 25 till May 29, 2016. Information: concours@lepoemeharmonique.fr.

Emmanuel Krivine
(c) Christian Aschman

Strong rumours are currently circulating about a possible nomination of Emmanuel Krivine, 68, as successor to Daniele Gatti as Music Director of the Paris based Orchestre National de France (ONF). Read More →