Sofia Gubaidulina
Photo: Remy Franck

The 55th ‘Biennale di Venezia’ today awards the Tatar composer Sofia Gubaidulina the ‘Golden Lion’ for her life’s work. The ceremonial presentation takes place at the Teatro alle Tese. Following the presentation, in honour of the composer, the Italian premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina`s percussion concerto ‘Glorious Percussion’ will be given with ‘Les Percussions de Strasbourg’ and the Orchestra de ‘La Fenice’. Read More →

Eve-Maud Hubeaux

Swiss-French mezzosoprano Eve-Maud Hubeaux has been awarded the First Prize at the 5th International Renata Tebaldi Competition in San Marino. The Second Prize has been given to South Korean baritone Kyu Bong Lee, 30. Marina Nachkebiya, 26 years old soprano from Georgia, was awarded the Third Prize. The Audience Award was awarded to American soprano Jeannette Vecchione-Donatti (1984). Read More →

Riccardo Muti

Pizzicato is one of the European partners for the culmination of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s celebration of the Verdi Bicentennial. CSO Music Director Riccardo Muti will lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a special performance of Verdi’s Requiem Mass at Symphony Center in Chicago. The event will be held on the evening of Thursday, October 10, 2013 and can be viewed live or in deferred mode at www.pizzicato.lu.

Das muss man gelesen haben: Die ‘Stagehands’, also die Bühnenarbeiter, die wegen Streiks die Eröffnungsgala mit dem ‘Philadelphia Orchestra’ in der New Yorker Carnegie Hall haben platzen lassen, verdienen laut einem Bloomberg-Artikel über 400.000 Dollar (ca 300.000 Euro) im Jahr…

Lawrence Perelman, managing director of Semantix Creative Group, is a strategic adviser to performing arts institutions has advised musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra to quit their ensemble and to create a new one. In the newspaper Star Tribune he wrote: « Follow Maestro Vänskä’s lead and resign from the Minnesota Orchestral Association. Immediately announce the creation of the Minnesota Symphony, a self-governing orchestra modeled on the Vienna Philharmonic. Read More →

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Photo: Toshiyuki Urano

Polish conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski celebrates today his 90th birthay. Skrowaczewski studied piano, conducting and composition at the Music Academies in Lviv and Krakow. A hand injury ended his promising career as a pianist. In 1946, became the music director of the Wroclaw Philharmonic, then the Katowice Philharmonic, the Krakow Philharmonic and finally the Warsaw National Orchestra. He studied composition with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. In 1956 he won the Santa Cecilia Competition for Conductors. Read More →

The National Opera in Paris signed an agreement with the Assocation of the French Mayors which will allow the willing cities to show transmissions from the Opera house in local theatres, cultural centers or even in open air events.

Thomas Dausgaard
Photo: Ulla C. Ekblom

Danish conductor Thomas Dausgaard, 50, has been named the Seattle Symphony’s principal guest conductor for three years, beginning in the 2014-15 season. Dausgaard is currently the Chief Conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra and Honorary Conductor of the Danish National Symphony. Read More →

Benjamin Britten

British Hallé Orchestra in Manchester performs tonight (3/10/13) the public  premiere of music written by Benjamin Britten for radio broadcasts during World War II. The concert led by Music Director Mark Elder opens with ‘Britten in Wartime’ which journeys back to 1942 when an anxious public in Britain and America tuned in to a special CBS radio broadcast jointly commissioned with the War Office – ‘An American in England’. Read More →

Alban Berg: Streichquartett op. 3, Bela Bartok: Streichquartett Nr. 3, Alfred Schnittke: Streichquartett Nr. 3; Signum Quartett; 1 CD Capriccio C5163; 12/12 (51’06) – Rezension von Alain Steffen

Dies ist eine CD, die pure Begeisterung hervorruft. Nur schade, dass nach 51 Minuten schon Schluss ist. Das Signum Quartett spielt die drei Werke des 20. Jahrhunderts mit einer derartigen Überzeugungskraft, dass man nur staunen kann. Wann hat man das Bergsche Quartett so analytisch und auch so musikantisch gehört? Wann lässt uns ein Klangbild das Musizieren so hautnah miterleben? Read More →

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