Ivan Fischer
Photo: Marco Borggreve

An agreement has been reached between the Hungarian Government and the Budapest Municipality regarding the subsidizing of Budapest’s theatre companies. The agreement includes a 4-year subsidy agreement of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. The internationally celebrated orchestra will receive 1650 mio. HUF (4,61 mio. €) from the state and 240 mio.HUF (698.000 €) from Budapest in 2020, and from 2021 the grant from the state will be raised to 2 000 mio. HUF. Read More →

Valentina Peleggi

The Richmond Symphony Orchestra has named Valentina Peleggi as Music Director, making her the first woman to lead the orchestra since it was founded in 1957. The orchestra said Peleggi will start on July 1, and conduct eight weeks of concerts during the 2020/21 season. Peleggi succeeds Steven Smith, who stepped down at the end of the 2018-2019 season. Read More →

Die Spendenkampagne #MusikerNothilfe der Deutschen Orchester-Stiftung hat nach nur drei Wochen den Spendenstand von 1 Million Euro überschritten. Noch vor Ostern werden jetzt an 2500 Antragsteller jeweils 400 Euro Soforthilfe ausgezahlt. Read More →

Mikhail Pochekin

On Good Friday, April 10, Music without Quarantine offers to all listeners a special concert dedicated to the music by J.S. Bach. Violinist Mikhail Pochekin will perform the Sonata in a-minor BWV 1003, cellist Benedict Klöckner plays the Suite in c-minor BWV 1011, and Danae Doerken – Partita in a-minor BWV 827 for piano. Livestream at 19:00 CET on www.facebook.com/musicwithoutquarantine

Thomaskirche, Leipzig
(c) Remy Franck

Zu einer ungewöhnlichen Aufführung der Johannes-Passion lädt das Bachfest Leipzig am Karfreitag in die Leipziger Thomaskirche ein. Wenn am 10. April um 15 Uhr eine kammermusikalische Fassung von Johann Sebastian Bachs Johannes-Passion an Bachs Grab erklingt, ist die Bach-Community zum Mitsingen eingeladen. Read More →

Nach der Absage der Osterfestspiele fallen nun auch die Salzburger Pfingstfestspiele der Corona-Krise zum Opfer. Wegen des von der österreichischen Bundesregierung verordneten Veranstaltungsverbots bis Ende Juni kann auch das für den 29. Mai bis 1. Juni geplante Festival nicht stattfinden. Read More →

Pierre Bleuse
(c) Pilvax

The Danish Odense Symphony Orchestra has appointed the French conductor Pierre Bleuse (*1977) as Chief Conductor. He will assume the position (as successor to Alexander Vedernikov) in autumn 2021. Read More →

Thomaskirche, Leipzig
(c) Remy Franck

Die weltweite wichtigste Hommage an Johann Sebastian Bach, das Leipziger Bachfest, wird 2020 nicht stattfinden. Das teilte das Bach-Archiv Leipzig heute mit. Der Leipziger Oberbürgermeister Burkhard Jung ordnete der Stiftung Bach-Archiv die Absage an. Globale Ein-und Ausreiseverbote, beschränkter Flugverkehr sowie die potentielle Gefährdung von Gästen, Künstlern und Mitarbeitern hätten zu dieser Entscheidung geführt. Read More →

Karina Cannelakis
© Todd Rosenburg

The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) has appointed American conductor Karina Canellakis, 38, as Principal Guest Conductor from September 2020.Canellakis began her career as a violinist. She is Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Principal Guest Conductor, Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

Roger Kalia
(c) Sara Bojarski

The Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra (Indiana, US) has announced Roger Kalia, 35, as Music Director, effective June 1, 2020. Kalia currently serves as Music Director of the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, of California’s Orchestra Santa Monica and Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as Music Director and co-founder of the Lake George Music Festival in upstate New York. Read More →