The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra announced Canadian composer Vincent Ho (*1975) as its new Music Advisor. Ho will act as a consultant to the Orchestra’s music director, president & CEO, chorus master, director of Artistic Operations, and other members of the planning team on new music repertoire performances, events, and musicians. The appointment comes after recent appointments of Rune Bergmann as the music director, and Karl Hirzer as new resident conductor.

Fazil Say
Photo: Marco Borggreve

Im Rahmen eines ‘Festlichen Konzerts für Menschenrechte und Freiheit in der Türkei’ am 17. Dezember in Bonn erhält der türkische Pianist und Komponist Fazil Say den Beethovenpreis 2016. Die Laudatio wird der türkische Journalist Can Dündar halten. Der von Torsten Schreiber und Andreas Loesch initiierte Internationale Beethovenpreis für Menschenrechte, Frieden, Freiheit, Armutsbekämpfung und Inklusion wird zum zweiten Mal vergeben. Read More →

Strong gusts of wind seriously damaged the roof of the opera house in Saint-Etienne (Central-France) and big parts of the stage tower’s tarred insulation are no longer waterproof. A representation of Bellini’s Norma, tonight, has been cancelled.

Juanjo Mena
(c) Michal Nowak

After having been awarded the Spanish National Music Award on Monday 21 November in Madrid, conductor Juanjo Mena, 51, announced that he will donate the prize money, 30 000 Euros, to music education in Spain. Since 2011 Mena is chief conductor of the BBC Philharmonic and a mont ago he was announced as the new Principal Conductor for the Cincinnati May Festival, the longest running choral festival in North America.

Andrea Marcon
(c) Marco Borggreve

Italian harpsichordist, organist and conductor Andrea Marcon (*1963) will be in charge of the artistic direction of the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada for four more years. The Granada Consortium for Music, comprising the City Council of Granada, the Junta de Andalucía and the Provincial Government of Granada, has signed a new contract with the Treviso born musician, going through 2020, and still extendable for two more years. Andrea Marcon took the job in 2012. The Orquesta Ciudad de Granada was created in 1990.

Teatro alla Scala, Milano

Der Aufsichtsrat der Mailänder Scala hat den Intendanten Alexander Pereira, laut italienischen Medienberichten zum Sparen aufgerufen. Der Aufsichtsrat analysierte am Montag den Haushaltsplan für 2017 und stellte fest, die finanzielle Lage des Opernhauses sei nicht zuletzt dank der Unterstützung der von Pereira gewonnenen Privatsponsoren solide. Read More →

Antonio Pappano
Photo: Musacchio & Ianniello

British-Italian conductor Antonio Pappano, 56, has accepted the extension of his contract as Music Director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome until 2021. This was announced by the superintendent of Santa Cecilia, Michele dall’Ongaro. Pappano, who serves as Music Director of the Royal Opera House in London since 2002, is the chief conductor of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia since 2005. Under his tenure, the Orchestra gained in quality and reputation.

Milos
(c) Lars Borges

Suffering from a « complex and uncompromising movement disorder », classical guitarist Milos Karadaglic, 33, has withdrawn from all concert engagements for at least this whole season. The musician said in a statement that he is hoping to « break the vicious cycle I have found myself in. It is so incredibly hard for me to accept this, but sadly, I have no other choice but to comply. In the next year, while firmly on the quest to fully recover and play again, I am planning to focus my energy on other things that truly matter to me. »

Vivica Genaux
(c) Harry Heleotis

Die amerikanische Sängerin Vivica Genaux, 47,  erhält im Jahr 2017 den Händelpreis in Halle. Das hat die Stiftung Händel-Haus heute bekannt gegeben. Der Mezzosopranistin wird die Auszeichnung im Rahmen ihres Festkonzertes am Pfingstmontag, 5. Juni im Dom zu Halle verliehen. Die aus Alaska stammende Vivica Genaux hat eine enge Bindung zu Händel und zu den Händel-Festspielen in Halle.

Bruno Weil

Der 62-jährige deutsche Dirigent Bruno Weil hat den mit 10.000 Euro dotierten Duisburger Musikpreis erhalten. Der Duisburger Oberbürgermeister Sören Link verlieh die Auszeichnung am gestrigen Sonntag im Duisburger Theater. Weil war von 1994 bis 2002 Generalmusikdirektor der Duisburger Philharmonie. Seit 2015 ist er Professor für Dirigieren an der Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg und als Gastdirigent international tätig.