John Axelrod

American conductor John Axelrod, 51, Artistic and Musical Director of the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla (ROSS) since 2014, has added another function, thus taking the complete control over the orchestra. Read More →

Recruiting musicians from the Lille National Orchestra and students from the local Music High School, young conductor Lucie Leguay, 27, has created the Orchestre de Chambre de Lille, a chamber orchestra that will give its first concert next Sunday, 2 July. More events are already planned for the fall 2017 and for 2018, some of them in locations where one does not necessarily expect such an orchestra, the conductor told the newspaper La Voix du Nord.

Midori
(c) Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Violinist Midori will be a member of Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music from the 2018-19 school year, according to a press release. « In addition to the preeminent musical education offered at Curtis, the school’s emphasis on community engagement was a key element in Midori’s decision to relocate to Philadelphia. Read More →

It happens that one can see a patron reading a printed score during a concert. And it happens also that the patron’s neighbour feels distracted by the page-turning. Now imagine somebody following the score on a smartphone or a tablet. And yet, it’s exactly what the Royal Philharmonic will try at Cadogan Hall in its Myths and Fairytales series. The app EnCue by Octava, so it is announced, delivers real-time programme notes to audiences’ mobile or tablet devices. Read More →

Martha Argerich
Photo: Adriano Heitman

Musicians of the Athens State Orchestra have been told that a special concert with pianist Martha Argerich on July 15 has been cancelled due to health problems of the pianist. Before, Argerich already cancelled her appearances in Sydney scheduled for 29 and 30 June, as well as Saturday 1 July. Read More →

Josep Caballé-Domenech
(c) Staatskapelle Halle

Spanish conductor Josep Caballé-Domenech, 44, has been announced as the next Artistic Director of the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra. The position was vacant during two and a half years. Read More →

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 →