Die 28-jährige deutsche Sopranistin Jana Baumeister hat den diesjährigen Bundeswettbewerb Gesang im Bereich Oper/Operette/Konzert gewonnen. Sie errang am gestrigen Montagabend nach dem Finalkonzert in Berlin den mit 10 000 Euro dotierten Hauptpreis. Wie die Veranstalter mitteilten, kam die 24 Jahre alte Sängerin Anna-Doris Capitelli auf Rang zwei, gefolgt von der 29-jährigen Elissa Huber.

With his orchestral work Play, American composer Andrew Norman, 37, has won the Grawemeyer Award for music composition. The prize, worth $100,000, was announced by the University of Louisville, the sponsor of the award. Former winners include Pierre Boulez, John Adams, Kaija Saariaho and Thomas Adès. Play was written for the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, an ensemble led by Gil Rose, which premiered the work in 2013.

In an official statement of the regional government of Lower Austria, Governor Dr. Erwin Pröll confirmed that Grafenegg aspires to become the new seat of the European Youth Orchestra. With its international festival, Grafenegg « has established itself as a first class cultural city », Pröll said.  The European Union Youth Orchestra has its summer residence in Grafenegg since 2014. The orchestra’s  seat is curently in London, and after the Brexit, it will have to move back in the EU.

Tadaaki Otaka
(c) Richard Anderton

When Michiyoshi Inoue, who became chief conductor of the Osaka Philharmonic in 2014, will finish his three-year term and retire as of March 31 next year, his successor will be Otaka Tadaaki, firstly as music advisor and later as music director from 2018. Read More →

Valery Gergiev
Foto: Marco Borggreve

Busy Russian conductor Valery Gergiev who cancelled last week concerts in Luxembourg and Brussels as well as in St. Petersburg, had to undergo a knee surgery and is unable to travel to London to conduct the LSO’s concerts on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 November. In London he is replaced by Thomas Sondergard.

John Neschling

Brazilian conductor John Neschling, 70, who has been dismissed in September by authorities as artistic director of the National Theatre in São Paulo, counterattacks. He told the New York Times « “I’m being attacked by liars and thieves in a witch hunt of the lowest calibre. (…) It makes me sad that I have to undergo this humiliating situation at my age, after having done so much for this country.” Read More →

Georg Friedrich Händel

Die Händel-Festspiele in Halle bekommen 2017 mehr Geld aus der deutschen Bundeskasse. Der Zuschuss steigt um 40.000 Euro auf 190.000 Euro. Der Intendant der Händel-Festspiele, Clemens Birnbaum, sahte, die Bundesförderung sei ein Zeichen für die gewachsene überregionale und internationale Ausstrahlung des Festivals und gleichzeitig der Auftrag, den eingeschlagenen Weg weiter fortzusetzen. Der Gesamtetat des Festivals liegt bei 1,5 Millionen Euro.

Christian Gerhaher
Photo: Jim Rakete/Sony Classical

Der geplante Liederabend von Christian Gerhaher und Gerold Huber im Januar 2017 im ‘Grand Théâtre de Genève’ stand offenbar unter keinem guten Stern. Bei der Planung des Konzerts war « seit jeher », so die Künstler, ein Liederabend für den 29. Januar 2017 besprochen worden. Um Genf diesen Termin anbieten zu können, wurde sogar der schon feststehende Tourneeplan geändert. Read More →

The Jury of the Concours de Genève has announced the winners of this year’s String Quartet Competition: First Prize was awarded to the Vision String Quartet (Germany), along with both Audience and Young Audience Prizes. The Quatuor Hanson (France) won Second Prize and Third Prize went to the Abel Quartet (South Korea). Read More →

Michael Sanderling
Photo: Marco Borggreve

In einem Brief an die Dresdner Kulturbürgermeisterin Annekatrin Klepsch teilt der Chefdirigent der Dresdner Philharmonie, Michael Sanderling, mit, seinen Vertrag nach 2019 nicht mehr verlängern zu wollen. Als Grund nennt er den Beschluss des Stadtrates, die Subvention des Orchesters ab 2017 um jährlich 250.000 Euro zu kürzen. Read More →