Die Bilanz der Ruhrtriennale 2013, die an diesem Wochenende endet, ist erfreulich. Die Zuschauerzahlen sind deutlich gestiegen. Mit 90% wurde die höchste Auslastung seit Bestehen des Festivals erreicht. Rund 49.400 Tickets wurden für die Produktionen 2013 vergeben. Darüber hinaus sahen rund 23.000 Besucher die Installation ‘test pattern’ von Ryoji Ikeda, rund 12.000 die Videoinstallation von Douglas Gordon in der Mischanlage der Kokerei Zollverein und hochgerechnet (Laufzeit bis 6. Oktober) rund 8.300 Zuschauer die ‘Unguided Tour’ von Stifters Dinge in der Duisburger Kraftzentrale. In den Zuschauerzahlen unberücksichtigt bleiben die zahlreichen Besucher anderer Installation des Festivals.

Internationalen Pressemeldungen zufolge erwägt der russische Präsident Putin, die Villa Rachmaninovs in Hertenstein am Vierwaldstättersee zu kaufen. Der Vorschlag dazu kam vom Pianisten Denis Matsuev. Nach dem Tod des Rachmaninov-Enkels Alexander B. Rachmaninov steht das Haus zum Verkauf, in dem der Komponist von 1929 bis 1939 lebte

Osmo Vänskä
Photo: A Marsden

It was meant to be two concerts, but an additional performance has been added due to high demand So, on this Friday and tomorrow, Saturday on 2 and 8 PM, Osmo Vänskä will conduct concerts with the musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra at Ted Mann Concert Hall at the University of Minnesota. The concerts, also featuring piano soloist Emanuel Ax, will be Vänskä’s farewell to the community and audience that have supported classical music so passionately. They also are a huge gesture of solidarity from Vänskä with the locked out musicians.

Sofia Gubaidulina
Photo: Remy Franck

The 55^th ‘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 5^th 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 90^th 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.