Charles Dutoit
(c) ICMA /Martin Hoffmeister

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has announced that with effect from October 2019 Charles Dutoit, 80, currently the RPO’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, will assume the position of Honorary Conductor for Life. Read More →

Turkish President Erdogan has announced the construction of an opera house on Taksim Square in Istanbul, the AFP agency reported. Istanbul for sure needs such a venue which could be used for opera, ballet and concerts as well, yet the proposal has been heavily criticized. Read More →

Rolando Villazon

Der als Tenor so gut wie ausgemusterte Rolando Villazon wurde zum Intendanten der Mozartwoche Salzburg bestellt. Der sich mehr und mehr auf Entertainment und Opernregie verlegende Villazon übernimmt die künstlerische Leitung des Festivals zum 1. Juli 2017. Read More →

Chopin Monument Zelazova-Wola
Photo: Remy Franck

A most unusual Chopin Competition is announced for September 2018. It is not only falling out of the series (the next normal Chopin Competition is taking place in 2020), but it will also be the first ever Chopin Competition on historical instruments. The event is set up to mark 100 years of Poland’s independence after 123 years of foreign rule. Read More →

Myung-Whun Chung

The former Music Director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Myung-Whun Chung, 64, will return to his native country’s music scene as Music Director of the Lotte Youth Orchestra, which is to be set up later this year. The inaugural concert is scheduled to take place in January 2018. Read More →

Russian film composer Eduard Artemyev, as well as film director Nikita Mikhalkov were awarded the Shostakovich Prize on Saturday evening at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Concert Hall on Saturday. They received the award from violist and conductor Yuri Bashmet, whose Foundation awards this prize since 1994. Read More →

Fast zeitgleich erscheinen zwei Dirigentenbücher, die zwei sehr unterschiedliche Herangehensweisen an die Musik aufzeigen. Alain Steffen hat sie gelesen und beschreibt sie in folgendem Beitrag. Read More →

Concertgebouw Amsterdam
(c) Remy Franck

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam is making a large number of concert recordings, interviews and documentaries from recent years available on its website, the orchestra announced today. Read More →

Alan Gilbert
(c) Chris Lee

American conductor Alan Gilbert, 50, the former Music Director of the New York Philharmonic and of the Santa Fe Opera has been appointed as the next Music Director of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester in Hamburg. He will succeed Thomas Hengelbrock in 2018. Rumours had announced this appointment which was  officially confirmed  this morning by the NDR. Read More →

Dennis Russell Davies
Photo: SOB

Das Brucknerorchester Linz teilt mit, dass das Abschiedskonzert von Generalmusikdirektor Dennis Russell Davies, welches heute Abend stattfinden sollte, wegen eines Unfalls des Dirigenten « kurzfristig verschoben werden muss. (…) Es ist geplant, dieses Konzert im Frühjahr 2018 nachzuholen. » Read More →