The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (Santa Cruz, CA) has appointed Romanian conductor Cristian Macelaru, 36, as Music Director. He is the successor of Marin Alsop, who hold the post for 25 years and will conduct his inaugural season in August 2017. Cristian Macelaru, winner of the 2014 Solti Conducting Award, currently serves as Conductor-in-Residence with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Jean-Philippe Tremblay

Jean-Philippe Tremblay has been named Music Director of the chamber orchestra Appassionata in Montreal. He succeeds the first Music Director and founder of the orchestra, Daniel Myssyk. Chicoutimi born Jean-Philippe Tremblay (*1978) is the founding Artistic Director and chief conductor of the Montreal based Orchestre de la Francophonie. He is also artistic consultant for the New York-based Tremblay Ensemble. As violist, he still participates in prestigious festivals.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) now opens the Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings Cube, a refurbished performance space that also marks the beginning of new programming stream for the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center’s black box performance venue. Formerly known as the Music Box, The Cube has been renamed in honor of DSO Chairman Emeritus Peter Cummings and his wife Julie, whose lifetime giving to the DSO has surpassed the $10 million milestone. Read More →

Itzhak Perlman

Winner of the Genesis Prize 2016, violinist Itzhak Perlman announced now the major recipients of his prize money. The Genesis Prize is an award created by a trio of Russian Jewish philanthropists. The basic prize money of $1 million has been doubled to $2 million by a $1 million contribution from tycoon and philanthropist Roman Abramovich. An additional $1 million comes from a funds program administered by the Jewish Funders Network, bringing the total amount to $3 million. Read More →

According to the Denver Business Journal the Colorado Symphony is starting in the new season with a budget surplus of $1.7 million. Andrew Litton currently serves as Artistic Advisor, yet the orchestra just has appointed a new music director, Brett Mitchell, now associate conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. Mitchell will be music director designate for the 2016-2017 concert season, and will become music director in July 2017. Mitchell was born in Seattle in 1979. With approximately 150 musical performances per season the Colorado Symphony is one of the busiest orchestras in the United States.

Das 10. ‘Grafenegg Festival’ in Niederösterreich ging gestern mit Konzerten der Wiener Philharmoniker und Rudolf Buchbinder zu Ende. Die Jubiläumssaison in Grafenegg verzeichnet einen Besucherrekord. Das 10. Festival mit 16 Abendkonzerten, 4 Matineen und im musikalischen Rahmenprogramm ‘Préludes’, Konzerteinführungen sowie einer ‘Late Night Session’, wurde von mehr als 30.000 Gästen besucht, 2.300 mehr als 2015. Read More →

Die Preise des 65. ARD-Musikwettbewerbs gehen im Fach Harfe an die 26-jährige Französin Agnès Clément und an die Französin Anaïs Gaudemard (2. Preis). Die Japanerin Rino Kageyama wurde mit dem dritten Preis ausgezeichnet. Read More →

Das Beethovenfest Bonn unter der künstlerischen Leitung von Nike Wagner steht 2016 unter dem Motto ‘Revolutionen’. Das Festival wurde am September eröffnet. Ausgehend von den folgenreichsten europäischen Revolutionen – der Französischen und der Russischen – gibt es zwei Programm-Schwerpunkte. Sie zeigen die künstlerischen Reflexe auf die epochalen Ereignisse. Unabhängig davon sind auch die Revolutionen in der Musik ein Thema. Read More →

The Wu Family Academy, the learning and engagement wing of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) that includes training ensembles for children and teenagers, is introducing a new string group for adults. The Detroit Symphony Community Orchestra (DSCO) is open to amateur violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists, and will provide registrants the opportunity to rehearse and perform with adult peers and DSO musicians. All interested musicians can find more information and a link to register at dso.org/wfa.

Estelle Revaz
(c) Charly Rappo

German label Solo Musica (Munich) has signed a long-term recording contract with 27-year-old cellist Estelle Revaz from Switzerland. Her first recording for the label, to be released in Spring 2017, distributed by Sony Music in Europe and by Naxos worldwide, will feature Cello solo works by J.S. Bach and their reflections in selected repertoire of contemporary composers. Read More →