Der Kursaal im Grand Resort Bad Ragaz

Es war ein ereignisreiches Konzert, mit dem gestern im Bernhard Simon-Saal des Grand Resort im schweizerischen Bad Ragaz das VP Bank Classic Festival eröffnet wurde. Remy Franck berichtet vom spannenden Geschehen. Read More →

Carlo Kalmar
(c) Michael Jones

Austrian-Uruguayan conductor Carlos Kalmar, 61, will step down as Music Director of the Portland based Oregon Symphony Orchestra at the end of the 2020/21 season. He will then be 18 years in this position. Kalmar is also the principal conductor and artistic director of the Grant Park Musical Festival in Chicago, a job he’s held for 20 years.

Australian baritone Peter Coleman-Wright, the Artistic Director of Canberra’s newly created National Opera, officially announced a small program for 2020, telling Australian magazine Limelight that he needs to take ‘baby steps’ to ensure the company is financially viable before programming bigger seasons. Read More →

Italian conductor Nello Santi (*1931) died today at the age of 88. Without being one of the most outstanding conductors he was a reliable musician and, in his best days, could really inspire orchestras, choirs and singers to surpassing themselves. That happened when he conducted Boito’s Mefistofele in the early seventies in Paris, leaving indelible memories for me. A profound connoisseur of the Italian repertoire, he was a traditional conductor who liked to put singers at ease and to get a fluid and perfect orchestral playing. Read More →

Eliette von Karajan, 80, the widow of conductor Herbert von Karajan, has handed over her board responsibilities at the Herbert von Karajan Easter Festival Salzburg Foundation to her two daughters Isabel and Arabel Karajan, according to a press release. Read More →

Opéra Bastille, Paris

The ongoing strike at the Paris Opera will lead to cuts in the next season. Stéphane Lissner, the General Manager of the opera house, announced on France Info that three new productions will be cancelled next season to reduce the institution’s losses, which amount to more than 16 million euros since the beginning of the strike. Lissner also announced « fairly drastic savings within all departments », and the sharp reduction in « investments over the next 3 or 4 years ».

Charles Dutoit

The executive committee of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria has finally dismissed Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit (*1936) from a concert scheduled for March 13th. Last Summer, Music Director Karel Mark Chichon said that he was very proud of the presence of Charles Dutoit, « because he has never conducted a Spanish orchestra ». Read More →

Der Bühnenumbau im NDR-Funkhaus in Hannover ist immer noch nicht beendet und der Saal wird auch im März noch nicht bespielbar sein. Die nach Sanierung für Januar vorgesehene Eröffnung musste erneut verschoben werden. Komplikationen beim Einbau der neuen Bühnenelemente führen dazu, dass sich die Arbeiten erneut verzögern, teilte der NDR mit, der alle Konzerttermine bis Mitte März 2020 ersatzlos absagte. Dazu gehören ein Klavierabend mit Igor Levit sowie Konzert der NDR Radiophilharmonie unter Simone Young und Andrew Manze.

Pavel Haas Quartet
(c) Philharmonie Luxembourg / Eric Devillet,

Das Pavel Haas Quartet gastierte im Kammermusiksaal der Luxemburger Philharmonie mit nur zwei Werken, die sie aber in größter Intensität darboten. Uwe Krusch war für Pizzicato dabei. Read More →

Marin Alsop
Photo: Grant Leighton

American conductor Marin Alsop, 63, has been named the first-ever chief conductor and curator of the Ravinia Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States, with a series of outdoor concerts and performances held every summer from June to September. Read More →