The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) – the official non‐partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, of which there are over 1,400 such cities in the country – adopted a resolution urging Congress to provide continued arts and culture relief funding in the wake of the COVID‐19 pandemic. This action, the press release says, would ensure urgent relief for artists, who are drivers of wellbeing in their communities and essential arts and culture organizational partners. Read More →
Jayce Ogren
The Monterey Symphony, California, has appointed Jayce Ogren, 43, as Music Director. Along with his tenure with the Monterey Symphony, this fall Ogren will be part of the College of Michigan’s prestigious Faculty of Music, Theater & Dance as an assistant professor within the conducting division and affiliate director of orchestras. Read More →
Die Internationale Musikakademie in Liechtenstein teilt mit, dass sich unter den Preisträgern des Reine Elisabeth Wettbewerbs in Brüssel mehrere aktuelle und ehemalige Stipendiaten befinden. Dazu zählen die Erste Preisträgerin Hayoung Choi, sowie Marcel Johannes Kits (3. Preis), Petar Pejčić (5. Preis) und Bryan Cheng (6. Preis). Read More →
The Basque National Orchestra has extended the contract of its Music Director Robert Trevino, 38, indefinitely. The official announcement says, « With the end of the 21/22 Season, Robert Trevino completes his fifth and last season as the chief conductor. However, the great artistic results that the orchestra is achieving in recent years, and which has received widespread backing from critics, have led to the decision to continue and extend his tenure without specifying an end date. »
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
(c) Alfonso Salgueiro
Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra has addressed the gun violence in the city during a concert at Verizon Hall. He said: « Just since we’ve been playing this fabulous set of concerts to end the season with you all, just this week, just in our city, 30 people have been shot by gun violence, five people have been killed by guns just in our city. We’re way past the time for thoughts, prayers, and all of that.”
Teatro alla Scala, Milano
When at La Scala in Milan, during a concert with Verdi choruses and overtures conducted by Riccardo Chailly, a cell phone rang insistently the maestro interrupted the performance, turned to the audience and said to the cell phone’s owner, « Go ahead and answer the call, we’ll resume later. » Read More →
Philharmonie Berlin
Die Digital Concert Hall der Berliner Philharmoniker eröffne mit Immersive Audio (Dolby Atmos) « eine neue Dimension des Konzerterlebnisses », teilte die Organisation mit. Dem Team der Digital Concert Hall sei es gelungen, « auf Basis des etablierten Formats Dolby Atmos einen speziell auf die ausgezeichnete Akustik der Philharmonie Berlin abgestimmten Algorithmus zu entwickeln. Read More →
Harry Ogg
Der 27-jährige Brite Harry Ogg ist ab August 2022 neuer Kapellmeister an der Deutschen Oper am Rhein. Ogg wurde beim Mahler-Dirigierwettbewerb 2020 in Bamberg mit dem 3. Preis ausgezeichnet, erhielt 2018 den 2. Preis beim Dirigierwettbewerb des MDR-Sinfonieorchesters in Leipzig und war Finalist beim Donatella Flick-LSO-Dirigierwettbewerb im Barbican in London. Read More →
No candidate was awarded First Prize at the 5th Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Monte Carlo. Second Prize went to Jesko Sirvend (Germany) and Henri Christofer Aavik (Estonia). Third Prize was not awarded either. The Audience Prize was won by Ilya Ram (USA / Israel).
Osmo Vänskä
Photo: A Marsden
Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä, 69, who was appointed as Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic in January 2020, will not extend his contact. In an interview with Van Magazine, Vänskä refused to give any reason for his departure.
