Rachel Willis-Sørensen & Mario Chang
(c) Trevor Goldstein - Dario Acosta

The winners of the 2014 Operalia competition are Tenor Mario Chang from Guatemala and soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen of the U.S. Tenor Joshua Guerrero was awarded a second-place prize, along with American soprano Amanda Woodbury. The third-place prizes were awarded to four singers who received identical scores: Anaïs Constans and Mariangela Sicilia (two sopranos from France and Italy); John Holiday and Andrey Nemzer (countertenors from the United States and Russia). Read More →

13 singers will take part in the final concert of the 2014 Operalia competition tonight at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The 13 finalists were chosen from a total of 40 candidates, all of whom are young opera singers at the beginning of their careers. The top honors of Placido Domingo’s contest come with monetary prizes as high as $30,000. It’s noteworthy that only one Asian singer acceded to the finals. Read More →

Bayreuth, Festspielhaus

Die Bayreuther Festspiele 2014 waren zwar weitgehend ausverkauft, die Nachfrage nach Karten war immer noch größer als das Angebot, aber die Festspiele haben sich verändert. In den Analysen deutscher Zeitungen wird deutlich, dass – wegen des Internetverlaufs – mehr Festspielbesucher aus Bayreuth und Umgebung Karten bekommen. Das erklärt, weshalb in Bayreuth die Hoteliers dieses Jahr über sinkende Übernachtungszahlen klagen. Read More →

Dolora Zajick
(c) David Sauer

In der Kathedrale von San José (Kalifornien) fand vor wenigen Tagen die Uraufführung von ‘Roads to Zion’ statt, einer Komposition der weltbekannten amerikanischen Mezzosopranistin Dolora Zajick. ‘Roads to Zion’ ist eine Opernszene für Solostimme (die von Dolora Zajick gesungen wurde), Damenchor und Orchester. Sie beschreibt die Heilige Teresa von Avila, wie sie Novizinnen in verschiedenen Etappen ihrer spirituellen Reise ermutigt. Read More →

The Minnesota Orchestra has received a $10 million leadership gift, it was announced at a Minnesota Orchestra Board Meeting yesterday. The donors, who wish to remain anonymous, offered the philanthropic contribution in order to inspire others with the capacity for leadership gifts to support the Orchestra. Subsequently, three additional donors stepped forward over the course of the summer with gifts totaling $3.2 million for the institution, which makes the total amount as high as $13.2 million. Read More →

Das grosse Festspielhaus in Salzburg

The 94th edition of the Salzburg Festival attracted more than 270.000 guests from 74 nations. As during the previous season, the percentage of seats sold has reached more than 93%. More than half the tickets offered for sale (ca. 130.000) were located in the price segment below € 105. Ticket Sales brought ca. € 29,100,000 in terms of gross revenue. According to a press release published today, the Salzburg Festival has achieved a commercial viability of 79%. This festival was the last one under the directorship of Alexander Pereira.

Die französische Internet-Plattfom ‘Qobuz’, die sich auf Streaming und Downloads in High Definition spezialisiert hat, ist in finanziellen Schwierigkeiten. Das Unternehmen hat eine ‘Procédure de sauvegrade’, also ein Rettungsverfahren vor Konkurs eingeleitet. Der Chef von ‘Qobuz’, Yves Riesel, hat Finanzierungsprobleme als Ursache angegeben.

Hannu Lintu
(c) ICMA / Martin Hoffmeister

Hannu Lintu is to continue as Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra until 2018. He began his tenure in autumn 2013. The musicians are, reports Chairman of the FRSO Orchestra Committee Jussi Sarkka, very pleased. Read More →

James Conlon
Photo: Robert Millard

James Conlon, music director of Ravinia Festival since 2005, announced that 2015 will be his final season. Conlon has offered a one-year extension on his current contract that was due to expire at the end of this season, said Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman. Conlon and Kauffman have shaped the 2015 season as a celebration of Conlon’s long association with Ravinia, where he has been regular guest conductor since 1977. Read More →

A violent attack on Russian composer Ilya Demutsky is reported by The St. Petersburg Times. Under the pretext of an interview he was ambushed and attacked near the Mariinsky Theatre, but he was able to escape without greater injuries. The attack is obviously related to Demutsky’s new opera ‘New Jerusalem,’ about a group of hunters who search for pedophiles. The premiere of the new opera was canceled in St. Petersburg last week probably due to pressure from authorities. Read More →