Bernard Labadie

The New York based chamber ensemble Orchestra of St. Luke’s has announced the appointment of French Canadian conductor Bernard Labadie as its next Principal Conductor, beginning a four-year term in the 2018-19 season. This transition includes a new role at St. Luke’s for sitting principal Pablo Heras-Casado, who will be Conductor Laureate in acknowledgement of his years of leadership. Read More →

Alastair Willis

Alastair Willis has been announced as Music Director of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. The 46 year-old Seattle based American conductor succeeds Tsung Yeh, who retired in May 2016 after 28 years in the position. Willis’ four-year contract in South Bend (Indiana) takes effect July 1. Read More →

The Jacksonville Symphony President and CEO Robert Massey, apologized for the choice of the word « retiring » when the orchestra informed parents and musicians that the contract of Music Director Scott Gregg has not been renewed. Yet, this is just about text. The orchestra won’t change the decision to end the collaboration with the conductor and ignores the musicians’ petition.

On 3 June the German orchestra Dresdner Sinfoniker is planning a concert on both sides of the US-Mexican border, in the Friendship Park between Tijuana and San Diego. The project is aimed to be exclusively funded by its Kickstarter Campaign. By performing together with Mexican and American musicians, the orchestra will take a stand against policies of isolation, fanaticism and nationalism. Read More →

Conductor Scott Greg has been forced by the management of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra to retire. His young musicians felt betrayed when they received a letter stating that their music director of more than two decades is retiring. The conductor himself was told, his contract won’t be renewed. Read More →

Antonio Pappano
Photo: Musacchio & Ianniello

Der 2021 als Nachfolger von Kirill Petrenko an der Bayerischen Staatsoper angedachte britische Dirigent Antonio Pappano, Musikdirektor des ‘Royal Opera House’ in London (bis 2020) und Chefdirigent der ‘Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia’ in Rom (bis 2021) denkt über die Möglichkeit  nach, nach München zu wechseln. Das erklärte er gegenüber dem ‘Merkur’. Read More →

Jonathan Handman

Jonathan Handman has been named Music Director of the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra. Handman was chosen by the orchestra’s Search committee, which had to evaluate four 4 candidates for the post. Read More →

Philippe Herreweghe
(c) Michel Hendryckx

Der belgische Dirigent Philippe Herreweghe feiert heute seinen 70. Geburtstag. Bereits 1970 hat er mit der Gründung des Collegium Vocale Gent Pionierarbeit geleistet, und seine Einspielungen der Bach-Kantaten gelten noch heute als wegweisend. Read More →

Douglas Bostock

Das Schweizer Orchester ‘Argovia Philharmonic’ in Aarau hat den in der Saison 2017/18 auslaufenden Vertrag mit seinem Chefdirigenten Douglas Bostock um ein weiteres Jahr verlängert. Der 1955 geborene Brite will aber 2019 nach 18 Jahren seine Tätigkeit in Aarau beenden. Das meldete die Aargauer Zeitung, wo der Dirigent sagte, es sei dies die schwierigste Entscheidung seines Lebens gewesen. »

Georges Lentz
(c) Stanley Ciccone/Universal Edition

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra played last weekend ‘Jerusalem (after Blake)’, a work by the Luxembourgish composer Georges Lentz. Lentz (*1965), who lives in Australia and in Berlin, composed this piece from 2011 to 2014 as part of his cycle  ‘Mysterium’ (« Caeli enarrant … » VII). Read More →