The French Minister of Culture, Françoise Nyssen, has announced the creation of a National Center of Music to support the French creation. The project could be realized early in 2019. The new Center is to preserve the diversity of creation and « support our production in a context of increased competition and give ourselves the means to conquer international markets », the Minister said.
Simon Rattle
(c) Sébastien Grébille/Philharmonie Luxembourg
Sir Simon Rattle und das London Symphonie Orchestra kommen regelmäßig zu Besuch nach Luxemburg. Jetzt hatten sie an zwei Abenden die beiden letzten Symphonien von Gustav Mahler im Gepäck. Am zweiten Abend konnte Uwe Krusch miterleben, wie die unvollendet gebliebene Zehnte Symphonie dargestellt wurde. Read More →
Der Intendant des Staatstheaters Cottbus, Martin Schüler, hat heute Morgen seinen Rücktritt zum Ende der Spielzeit eingereicht. Damit zieht der Manager die Konsequenzen nach den Unruhen um Generalmusikdirektor Evan Christ, den er stets gegenüber des Orchesters verteidigte. Read More →
The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Hungary has announced the Bartok World Competition of Composition. It is open for composers from all over the world, aged 40 or under. It concerns works for solo piano. The award-winning works will be performed at the final Gala Concert on 25 November 2018, and will be part of the repertoire of the next Bartok World Competition for young pianists in 2019. The deadline for submissions is 31 August 2018. Read More →
The Jury of the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) has admitted Polskie Radio Chopin as Jury member. Polskie Radio Chopin was launched in November by the Polish public radio. It is entirely dedicated to classical music and operates 24/24 in the Internet. The name of Chopin in the title is a symbol as well as an axis of the program, but in fact, the radio covers the widest possible range of classical music. Read More →
Ein Brief von Richard Wagner mit antisemitischen Äußerungen ist in Israel für 42.000 Dollar (€ 34.000) versteigert worden. Ein Schweizer Jude habe das Dokument erworben, teilte das Auktionshaus in Jerusalem mit. Read More →
ICMA President Remy Franck
The German Music Industry Association has finally abolished its ECHO Awards after the world-wide indignation about the award given to rap duo Kollegah and Farid Bang, who used anti-semitic, misogynist, homophobe lyrics, contemptuous of human dignity. Numerous artists had returned their awards, and presumably nobody would ever again have accepted such an award. Read More →
Die hauseigenen ECHO-Musikpreise des Bundesverbandes Musikindustrie wird es nicht mehr geben. Das hat der Vorstand in einer außerordentlichen Sitzung in Berlin beschlossen. Nach der weltweiten Empörung über die Auszeichnung einer antisemitischen und menschenverachtenden Produktion hatten zahlreiche Künstler ihre Preise zurückgegeben, und es galt als aussichtslos, dass noch irgendwer einen solchen Preis in Zukunft annehmen würde. Read More →
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
(c) Mecanoo
Taiwan announced the opening in October 2018 of the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying). In a single sweeping building designed by Dutch architects Mecanoo, Weiwuying incorporates five separate state of the art performance spaces, covering a surface area of 35 acres (141,000 sqm) and is set in the spectacular 116-acre (470,000 sqm) subtropical park in the heart of Kaohsiung, making it the world’s largest performing arts center under one roof. Read More →
Nadine Sierra
Soprano Nadine Sierra has received the 13th annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. The $50,000 award, the largest of its kind in the United States, is given to particularly gifted singers between the ages of 25 and 40 who have already appeared in featured solo roles at the Met. The award, given in honor of Beverly Sills, was established in 2006 by an endowment gift from the late Agnes Varis, a managing director on the Met board. Read More →
