After a patron of the Metropolitan Opera in New York dispersed the human ashes of a friend into the orchestra pit and brought the opera house to cancel the afternoon performance of ‘Guillaume Tell’ and the evening performance of ‘L’italiana in Algeri’ as well, it is clear that opera houses face a new source of revenue. A lot of opera lovers will like to be laid to rest in an opera house, and so Peter Gelb as well as all the other managers should brainstorm about possibilities to install a funeral area in their houses and earn money with this new lucrative activity…

Metropolitan Opera New York

An afternoon performance of Rossini’s Guillaume Tell at the Metropolitan Opera in New York was abandoned on Saturday during the second intermission after a member of the audience peppered an unidentified powder into the orchestra pit. The New York Police Department was called to investigate the incident. The company has also canceled the evening performance of L’Italiana in Algeri while the authorities investigated the incident. Read More →

Daniel Harding
(c) Julian Hargreaves

British conductor Daniel Harding, 41, like Herbert von Karajan, is a fan of aviation. As France Musique revealed this week, that Harding got his pilot’s license two years ago and just passed the final exam for the ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot Licence).

Opéra Bastille, Paris

The French government has announced an important extension project for the National Opera in Paris. The Bastille opera house will move its workshops from the North of Paris next to the opera house, Rue de Lyon. Furthermore, the Bastille will finally get its second hall, seating 800. This hall will be used for educational projects, chamber operas and experimental music theatre. The construction is to begin in 2018.

Alexander Prior

24-year-old British conductor Alexander Prior will be the next Music Director of the Canadian Edmonton Symphony Orchestra from the 2017-2018 season. He will succeed the outgoing conductor Bill Eddins who will be Music Director emeritus. Read More →

Riccardo Muti

During its 2015-2016 fiscal year (in fact the last concert season), Riccardo Muti’s Chicago Symphony Orchestra registered record ticket revenues for its CSO Main series of performances, and record single-ticket sales for that series. At the same time, records do not mean profit, since the CSO announces a $1.1 million operating deficit, with operating revenues totalling $71.9 million and operating expenses, $73 million. Read More →

Viktor Ullmann

When the Austrian composer Viktor Ullmann was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944, he had just finished the libretto of an opera with the title Der 30. Mai 1431, dedicated to Jeanne d’Arc. In two acts it stages the most famous moments of Jeanne’s life until she died on the stake. The text was published in German by Schott. Now, composer Hélios Azoulay used the two pages of sketches for a score based on a French translation of Ullmann’s text. Read More →

Rund 186 Millionen Euro soll die komplette Sanierung des Theaters in Augsburg kosten. Das Gebäude wurde im Juni wegen Sicherheitsmängeln geschlossen. Ein Bürgerbegehren gegen die geplante Renovierung ist gescheitert, weil die vorgeschriebene Zahl gültiger Unterschriften nicht erreicht wurde. Die Bürgerinitiative hatte nach Angaben der Stadt geschummelt, weil rund ein Viertel der Unterschriften von nicht Stimmberechtigten stammte.

Due to the ongoing strike by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra musicians, additional FWSO concerts through December 31 have been cancelled. A press release says: « We deeply regret having to cancel further performances. Unfortunately, talks with the Musicians’ Union over the weekend did not yield the results necessary to ensure the Orchestra’s survival in the short term while we implement plans to secure the long-term future of the institution. Therefore, we must cancel these performances in consideration of our patrons and ticket buyers, artists, and presenters to give them ample time to make alternative plans.”

Enrique Batiz

The musicians of the State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico have asked their 74-years-old chief conductor Enrique Batiz to resign. They say, it has become increasingly difficult to follow his conducting. Batiz has admitted that he suffers from Parkinsons disease. He has been music director since the orchestra was founded in 1971.