An architect, pianist, philosopher and mathematician are the recipients of this year’s Rolf Schock Prizes. The Laureates are the philosopher David Kaplan, mathematician Jonathan Pila, architect Rem Koolhaas, and pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. The four laureates will share 2 million Swedish kronor, the press release says. Víkingur Ólafsson (* 14. Februar 1984 in Reykjavík, Island) studierte an der Juilliard School in New York.

Gianandrea Noseda
(c) Sussie Ahlburg

Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda, 58, has agreed to a three-year contract extension as Music Director through the 2027-28 season, the house announced. Noseda replaced Fabio Luisi at the start of the 2021-22 season. He has also been music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., since the 2017-18 season and has served since 2016-17 as principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Asher Fisch

The West Australian Symphony Orchestra has announced that their partnership with Israeli conductor Asher Fisch, 64,  has been extended until the end of 2025, making him the longest serving Principal Conductor in the orchestra’s history. Read More →

Alain Altinoglu
(c) Fred Toulet

The Colmar Music Festival announced the appointment of 47-year-old French conductor Alain Altinoglu as artistic director for its 33rd edition in July 2023. Altinoglu is Music Director of the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels since 2016 and until 2025 and of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (since last season. Read More →

Carnegie Hall
(c) PR

Die Berliner Philharmoniker gehen vom 8. – 23. November auf ihre erste gemeinsame USA-Tournee mit ihrem Chefdirigenten Kirill Petrenko. In fünf Städten – New York, Boston, Chicago, Ann Arbor und Naples – spielen sie neun Konzerte mit zwei unterschiedlichen Programmen, die sich beide durch eine starke Verbindung zwischen Europa und den USA auszeichnen. Read More →

In dem von der Neuen Leipziger Chopin-Gesellschaft ausgerichteten  4. Leipziger Clara Schumann-Wettbewerb vergab die Jury vergab am gestrigen Sonntag im Schumann-Haus Leipzig insgesamt acht Preise in drei Altersgruppen. Read More →

Grace Bumbry
(c) Remy Franck

American singer Grace Bumbry, 85, has been hospitalized after a stroke. According to a press release, she is currently in recovery in Queens, New York. Read More →

The Czech conductor Libor Pesek has died at the age of 89. After appointments at the opera houses in Pilsen and Prague from 1958 to 1964, he founded a chamber orchestra in Prague. In the 1970s he led orchestras in Pardubice, Leeuwarden and Enschede. Read More →

Seit vor zwei Tagen das Ergebnis des diesjährigen Wieniawski-Wettbewerbs in Poznan feststeht, haben sich bei uns mehrere Leser gemeldet, darunter auch ganz bekannte Geiger, die ihrer Verärgerung über das Ergebnis Ausdruck gegeben haben. Read More →

String players all over the world are worried about the possible classification of pernambuco wood in Appendix I of the CITES Convention (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The launched an international petition which was signed already by over 5000 people. Read More →