Die voraussichtlichen Gesamtkosten der Sanierung und Erweiterung des Badischen Staatstheaters (BST) in Karlsruhe steigen von zunächst mit 125 Millionen Euro angegebenen Kosten um mehr als 100 Prozent. Der Kostenrahmen soll zwischen 270 bis 325 Millionen Euro liegen, teilten die Stadt Karlsruhe sowie das Land Baden-Württemberg mit.

After Nézet-Séguin cancelling Berlin, Kirill Petrenko cancelled his concerts with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on 14, 15 and 16 June for health reasons. He is replaced by Cristian Macelaru. And then, Bayerischer Rundfunk announced that Gustavo Dudamel, the conductor of the concerts on 15 and 16 June  at Munich’s Herkulessaal, also had to cancel due to illness. His substitute is Juanjo Mena.

Claus Peter Flor
(c) Peter Rigaud

The Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro Sinfonico di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, called La Verdi, has hired a new music director. Claus Peter Flor, is succeeding Chinese conductor Zhang Xian with a three-year contract. After the founder Vladimir Delman, Richard Chailly and Zhang Xian, Claus Peter Flor, is the fourth music director in the orchestra’s 25 years of history. John Axelrod, Patrick Fournillier and Aziz Shokhakimov are Principal Guest conductors. Read More →

Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Photo: Marco Borggreve

Kurz nach einer langen Tournee mit dem Philadelphia Orchestra sagt der kanadische Dirigent Yannick Nézet-Séguin aufgrund einer Armverletzung seine Konzerte mit den Berliner Philharmonikern am 15., 16. und 17. Juni 2017 ab. Für ihn springt Ludovic Morlot ein. Nézet-Séguins nächster Termin ist erst Anfang Juli im Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, mit Mozarts ‘Clemenza di Tito’, konzertant.

The Parliament of the Geneva Canton and the City of Geneva are in disagreement over the Opera house in Geneva. In 2015, the politians of both sides agreed that the Grand Théâtre would become a State institution. Since then, apparently the City council changed their position and is speaking now about a 50/50 responsibility, much do the anger of the Canton. Meanwhile the opera house pays the price for this disagreement. The Canton refuses to pay their share of the funding, no less then 3 millions Swiss Francs.

John E. Gardiner
Photo: Rock/Universal

Der Präsident des Leipziger Bacharchivs, der Brite John Eliot Gardiner (74), will 2018 in Leipzig ein einzigartiges Großprojekts starten. So sollen innerhalb von 48 Stunden beim Bachfest insgesamt 30 ausgewählte geistliche Kantaten Bachs an einem Wochenende in zehn Konzerten in Bachs Leipziger Kirchen zyklisch aufgeführt werden, mit Interpreten wie John Eliot Gardiner, Ton Koopman, Hans-Christoph Rademann, Thomaskantor Gotthold Schwarz und Masaaki Suzuki.

The Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition announced its winners. Winner of the Gold Medal and the Van Cliburn Winner’s Cup is Yekwon Sunwoo, 28, South Korea.The silver medallist is Kenneth Broberg, 23, United States, the bronze medallist Daniel Hsu, 19, United States, who also won the Award for the Best Performance of Chamber Music as well as the Award for the Best Performance of a new work. Read More →

The General Assembly of Germany’s Bühnenverein, the association of theatres and orchestras, has sent a strong politic signal. The assembly decided to boost activities against right-wing populism and right-wing nationalists. President Ulrich Khuon said: « It matters to show the richness of a diversified society and not to consider this richness as a threat. » Read More →

Alain Trudel

The Symphony Orchestra of Toledo, Ohio, named Canadian conductor Alain Trudel as Music Director. He succeeds Stefan Sanderling and will serve as Music Director Designate for the next year. He will officially take the position July 1, 2018. Read More →

Giancarlo Guerrero

The Wroclaw Philharmonic announced the appointment of Giancarlo Guerrero, 48, as Music Director from the 2017/18 season. Guerrero, a native from Costa Rica, will continue as Music Director of the Nashville Symphony, a post he has held since 2009 and to which he has committed through the 2024-25 season, the Wroclaw Phil says.