The permanently ongoing Italian opera drama has another act. Carlo Fuortes, who was appointed as General Manager of the Maggio Musicale in Florence last week has now been sentenced to one year and four months for the death of Oberdan Varani, the worker who fell at the Opera House of Rome when Fuortes was at the helm of the theatre, in 2017. Read More →

Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

Das Ereignis der Osterfestspiele Baden-Baden ist ohne Zweifel die einwöchige Residenz der Berliner Philharmoniker mit Konzerten, Opernaufführungen und Kammermusik. Besonders hohe Erwartungen hatte man für die Neuinszenierung der Richard Strauss-Oper Elektra durch Philipp Stölzl in Zusammenarbeit mit Philipp M. Krenn entgegen. Alain Steffen hatte sich die Vorstellung vom 26. März  angesehen. Read More →

The back-and-forth over Esa-Pekka Salonen’s contract as Music Director with the San Francisco Symphony continues. After Salonen said he would quit the orchestra at the end of his current contract, the musicians asked the Board to keep him in the position. Read More →

Following complaints for misconduct, the Royal College of Music in London launched an independent investigation. After the investigation was completed, the complaints were upheld as part of the disciplinary proceedings and qualified as gross misconduct. The person concerned, Mark Messenger, Head of Strings, resigned with immediate effect during his disciplinary hearing, and he is no longer employed by the RCM, according to a statement issued today.

Honens, Canada’s international piano competition located in Calgary, opens applications today and announces details of its 2025 edition. Quarterfinals take place in Berlin and New York in March 2025, and the advancing Semifinalists and Finalists perform in Calgary that October. The Competition culminates with the announcement of the three 2025 Honens Laureates – Gold, Silver, and Bronze – on October 24, 2025. Read More →

Gala wird u.a. als Hoffestlichkeit umschrieben. Dementsprechend war das Gala-Konzert im Saal am Landeplatz in Schaan eine große Festlichkeit der Musik, vor allem der Musikalität. Guy Engels berichtet. Read More →

KKL Luzern
(c) Urs Wyss / KKL

Frühjahrszeit ist auch Festspielzeit. Unser Mitarbeiter Alain Steffen hat das Luzerner Frühlingsfest für Pizzicato besucht. Read More →

Christian Thielemann
(c) Matthias Creutziger

Chefdirigent Christian Thielemann hat seine letzte Opernpremiere an der Semperoper in Dresden dirigiert. Aufgeführt wurde Die Frau ohne Schatten von Strauss. Thielemann wechselt bekanntlich an die Berliner Staatsoper. Michael Oehme berichtet über die letzte Opernproduktion von Thielemann in Dresden. Read More →

Teatro alla Scala, Milano

On April 8, the board of Milan’s opera house La Scala will discuss about the new leadership of La Scala, when Dominique Meyer’s contract as Superintendent expires next February. Now they have to face a request from the orchestra musicians. Read More →

Slovenian violinist Igor Ozim, died in Salzburg last Saterday. He was 92 years old. After studying thge violin in his country, he received in 1949 a British Council scholarship to study in the UK. He spent three months at the Royal College of Music learning Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B minor under one of its greatest exponents, Albert Sammons, followed by two years studying with Max Rostal. Read More →