Das nächste Deutsche Chorfest des Deutschen Chorverbands findet vom 30. April bis 3. Mai 2020 in Leipzig statt. Das Festival erwartet mehr als 450 Chöre mit rund 15.000 Sängern, kündigte der Veranstalter mit. « In Leipzig werden wir vier Tage lang kulturelle Vielfalt feiern“, freut sich Christian Wulff, Präsident des Deutschen Chorverbands. Read More →

Alexander Merzyn
c) Staatstheater Cottbus

Alexander Merzyn ist neuer Generalmusikdirektor am Staatstheater Cottbus. Der 36-Jährige deutsche Dirigent übernehme ab sofort die Leitung des Philharmonischen Orchesters, teilte das Haus am Montag mit. Merzyn hatte die Funktion seit August 2018 interimistisch inne. Er ersetzte den Amerikaner Evan Christ, der wegen beleidigendem Gebaren seinen Posten aufgeben musste. Read More →

Als ob das Wetter einen Kommentar abgeben wollte, schneite es zum Ende des Festivals Moderner Musik in der Philharmonie Luxembourg. Wie das zweite Wochenende begann und endete, darüber kann Uwe Krusch berichten. Read More →

The Cadaqués Orchestra in Spain has announced a temporary closure, « a period of rest and reflection », as the news release says. This will happen after a concert tour this December. Read More →

Mariss Jansons

Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons has died last night at his home in St. Petersburg. He was 76 years old. Jansons was suffering from heart disease and had cancelled most of his concerts during the last year. In October 2019, after a six-month pause, he briefly returned to the conductor’s podium with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He conducted one concert at Carnegie Hall in New York but had to cancel the second one. Read More →

John Axelrod
(c) Bruno Fidrych

The Kyoto Symphony Orchestra has announced a new musical team to take over in April 2020. Junichi Hirokami will become the orchestra’s 13th Chief Conductor & Artistic Advisor and the American John Axelrod, Principal Guest Conductor. At the same time KSO will change its English name from Kyoto Symphony Orchestra to City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra.

Donald Runnicles
(c) Simon Pauly

There is trouble at the Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF): After the management did not re-invite three musicians to the Festival Orchestra, the GTMF Players’ Committee launched an online petition calling for the reinstatement of the three. A press release names the three musicians as former Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra principal second violinist Jennifer Ross, Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra principal violist Kristen Linfante and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra bassoonist and contrabassoonist Juan de Gomar. The latter two musicians serve on the GTMF orchestra’s Players’ Committee and all three have a long association with the festival. Read More →

Riccardo Muti

The designated Superintendent of Milan’s La Scala, Dominique Meyer, told the agency ANSA that he wants to bring conductor Riccardo Muti back to the Milanese opera house. Muti was music director of La Scala for 19 years. On 2 April 2005, he resigned, citing « hostility » from staff members. Today, Riccardo Chailly is the Music Director in Milan, and he is known for disliking Muti. So, the question is, if Meyer’s plan will be approved by Chailly.

The Dutch label Pentatone has announced that young soprano Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, has signed an exclusive, multi-album agreement with the label. For the first album, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, together with pianist Juliane Ruf, brings the German and French art song traditions together. Focusing on song cycles by Robert Schumann, Alexander von Zemlinsky and Francis Poulenc, this album will be released in February 2020 under the title Reine de Cœur.

Andreas Ottensamer

Eine der Reihen der Philharmonie Luxemburg nennt sich schlicht Soirées de musique de chambre. Dass damit keine seichte Unterhaltung verbunden ist, sondern hochkarätige Werke in starker Besetzung, konnte Mitarbeiter Uwe Krusch am Montag erleben. Read More →