Monte-Carlo Opera and Cecilia Bartoli announced the official appointment of Gianluca Capuano as Principal Conductor of Les Musiciens du Prince, an orchestra created in 2016 by the Italian singer. Read More →

International broadcaster Deutsche Welle has been admitted as Jury member into the Jury of the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA). Deutsche Welle is represented in the Jury by Anastassia Boutsko, editor in DW’s music editorial department. Read More →

Remix Culture is the central theme of the European Capital of Culture  Esch2022. With Luxembourg’s second largest city, Esch-sur-Alzette at its centre, Esch2022 comprises all the ProSud municipalities as well as the eight French Pays Haut Val d’Alzette (CCPHVA) municipalities. Esch2022 is inviting interested people and organisation to submit their cultural projects online at www.esch2022.lu. Read More →

American conductor and pianist André Previn died today, aged 89. Born in Berlin on April 6, 1929, as Andreas Ludwig Priwin, he grew up in Los Angeles. His family fled Germany in 1938 and first moved to Paris, and then New York, before arriving in Hollywood. Read More →

Joshua Bell
Photo: Bill Phelps

American violinist Joshua Bell (*1967) will receive the Glashütte Original Music Festival Award during this year’s Dresden Music Festival. The Prize will be presented to him as part of his concert at the Frauenkirche. Read More →

KKL Luzern
(c) Urs Wyss / KKL

At this year’s ICMA Award ceremony on May 10 in Lucerne, three musicians will musically enrich the event. Zofia Neugebauer and Andrea Cellacchi will perform the Sonatine for Flute and Bassoon by French composer Pierre Gabaye (1930-2000). Both are musicians of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. 15-year-old German cellist Philipp Schupelius will perform György Ligeti’s Sonata for cello solo. Read More →

The Russian Government takes more control over the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. It was announced that Olga Gorogetsu, Deputy Prime Minister since May 2012, has been appointed chairman of the organizing committee, along with Valery Gergiev, himself a Putin-man. At the same time, the chairpersons of each department were announced, representing a truly international panel. Read More →

Die Nestlé-Tochterfirma Nespresso steigt beim Verbier-Musikfestival aus. Das bestätigte eine Nespresso-Sprecherin gegenüber der ‘Handelszeitung’. 250.000 CHF jährliche Sponsorengelder fallen damit weg. Nestlé hatte zuvor bereits angekündigt, sein Sponsoring der Salzburger Festspiele massiv zu reduzieren. Die neue Führung des Konzerns will künftig eher auf Breite und Jugend setzen.

Hope, Quasthoff & Riemann
(c) Alfonso Salgueiro

Ein Trio namhafter Künstler sowie sechs weitere Musiker boten im Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie ein wort- und tonmächtiges Programm, das neben zwei neu zu hörenden Kompositionen auch mit einer Lesung einen Kontrapunkt zum Üblichen setzte. Was es bei diesem Antikriegsgedanken auf die Ohren gab, berichtet Pizzicato-Mitarbeiter Uwe Krusch. Read More →

Der deutsche Kulturmanager Stephan Pauly (*1972) könnte als Intendant von der Alten Oper Frankfurt zum Wiener Musikverein wechseln, um dort Thomas Angyan zu ersetzen, dessen Vertrag 2020 ausläuft, meldete der ORF. Der Musikverein hat entsprechende Verhandlungen bestätigt. Pauly leitet die Alte Oper seit 2012, sein derzeitiger Vertrag läuft bis 2022.