The flagship of British festivals, the BBC Proms is to give birth to a baby at Dubai Opera in 2017, with four days of performances from March 21-24. The performers will be the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Singers.

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
(c) Maxim Schulz

Der Bau der Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg ist offiziell abgeschlossen. Rund neuneinhalb Jahre nach der Grundsteinlegung hat der Baukonzern Hochtief das Gebäude gestern an die Stadt übergeben. Read More →

Lucilin
© Jean Huot

Konzerte in Bauruinen, alten Festungsanlagen, Einkaufszentren und auf einem großen städtischen Parkplatz, Konzerte mit Publikumsbeteiligung… das Luxemburger Festival ‘Rainy Days’ geht ungewohnte Wege und realisiert wilde Ideen. Für die, die es traditioneller, mögen gibt es auch geheizte und trockene Konzerte in der Luxemburger Philharmonie und im Grand Théâtre, aber ohne, dass das Wild-Musikalische aufgegeben würde: Vom 2. bis 11. Dezember ist in den 14 Projekten des Festivals jede Menge laute und wilde Musik angesagt. Read More →

Riccardo Muti

In einem bemerkenswerten Interview mit dem Wiener ‘Kurier’ sagte Riccardo Muti u.a.: « Heute gibt es viele von Plattenfirmen oder ihren Managern forcierte Dirigenten, die wie wild auf dem Podium herumhüpfen und große Gesten machen. Das Publikum soll dann glauben: Der empfindet die Musik aber wirklich. Insofern ist der Beruf des Dirigenten heute sehr bequem geworden. Man kann viel leichter bluffen. Denn die Menschen hören weniger genau zu und fallen mitunter auf optische Effekte herein. Viele hören mit den Augen. » Read More →

Eckart Preu

The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra has named Eckart Preu Music Director. The 47-year-old German conductor will begin a three-year contract this fall. Preu, a native of Erfurt, Germany, has lived in the United States for two decades. He is currently music director of the Spokane Symphony and the Stamford Symphony. Recently, he was named Music Director of the Long Beach Symphony in California, from the 2017-18 season on.

Serge Prokofiev

A monument to Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, will be built in Moscow before the end of 2018. The corresponding decree was signed by Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The monument, created on the initiative of the Russian military-historical society (RVIO) will stand in front of the house where Prokofiev lived.

Robert Spano
(c) Atlanta Symphony

Thanks to the Delta Air Lines Foundation the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Musicians’ Endowment Campaign exceeds its $25 Million Goal Ahead of Schedule. Indeed, Delta Airlines pledged to contribute $2.5 Million To the fund. This endowment will help Robert Spano’s orchestra to restore a size of 88 musicians.

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).