Ein Streit um den künstlerischen Leiter des Balletts Johan Kobborg an der rumänischen Nationaloper ist eskaliert. Dabei kam es unter Opernmitarbeitern zu ausländerfeindlichen Äußerungen. Dann wurde der Direktor der Oper, der Dirigent Tiberiu Soare, ab- und wieder eingesetzt. Mittlerweile ist deswegen auch Rumäniens Kulturminister Vlad Alexandrescu vom Regierungschef aus dem Amt verwiesen worden. Seinem Nachfolger obliegt es, Ordnung ins Chaos zu bringen.

British cellist Jacob Shaw, who has been based in Copenhagen, Denmark since 2012, has created the Scandinavian Cello School. The aim of this new initiative is to help young cellists: « We support, educate and promote cellists aged from 16-25 years old. Cellists are welcome from all over the world to apply for various SCS projects or to become an SCS Young Artist. Our long term goal is to create a permanent center for cello in Scandinavia. » Read More →

The often as ‘dying’ labelled classical music is healthy as never before: With what is called an ‘unprecedented demand for tickets’ for this year’s Wexford Festival Opera, the board of the Festival Trust have announced that they will expand the 2017 Festival from 12 to 18 days, running across three weekends, for the first time since 2008, with next year’s 66th Festival opening on Thursday 19 October and closing on Sunday 5 November.

In Paris, Itzhak Perlman and Martha Argerich just have recorded a new album, to be released late 2016 on Warner Classics. It has been 18 years since their last album together: a live recital from the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Read More →

Elena Obraztsova

The Elena Obraztsova International Competition of Young Singers may not take place this year, as the Culture Commission of St. Petersburg refused any financial support. The competition is scheduled to take place early in July 3-8, at the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall. The organizer already received more than 200 applications from Russia and other countries.

Pope John Paul II

Karol, a musical about the life of Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II. in 1978, will be premiered on 27 February 2017 in the Tauron Arena in Krakow, southern Poland. The music is by Filip Siejka, script and song lyrics, are from Michał Kaczmarczyk. Over 500 tickets have been sold in the first week of online bookings. Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow, who was the pope’s personal secretary, is an honorary patron of the production.

The jury of the Third International Svjatoslav Knushevitsky Cello Competition in Saratov announced the winners in the younger group, with performers up to 18 years. 14 years old Chinese cellist Zhai Mo Zi won first prize while the Second Prize went to Michael Makhnach (Belarus). The third prize was split between Bok Eul Ji (Korea), Bakhytzhan Tolzhuma (Kazakhstan) and Ludmila Funtikova (Russia).

Joseph Calleja
(c) Simon Fowler (Decca)

Gemeinsam mit dem Maltesischen Ministerpräsidenten führt Joseph Calleja am 2. Mai ‘Meludia’, eine Initiative zur musikalischen Bildung für die gesamte Bevölkerung auf Malta ein. Alle Bewohner und Besucher des Inselstaates im Mittelmeer haben dann kostenfreien Zugang zu dem französischen internetbasierten Musik-Lernportal, das hierfür speziell ins Maltesische übersetzt wurde. Read More →

Arribert Reimann
(c) Schott

Aus Anlass des 80. Geburtstags des Komponisten Aribert Reimann kündigt die Universität der Künste Berlin eine Aufführung von Reimanns auf ein Schauspiel von Yvan Goll zurückgehender Oper ‘Melusine’ an. Sie erzählt von der Rätselhaftigkeit und Unbegreifbarkeit unseres Daseins, vom Zerschellen eines Naturgeschöpfs an der sogenannten zivilisierten Welt. Die Uraufführung wurde 1971 zum Durchbruch des Opernkomponisten Reimann. Read More →

The Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, which once produced a highly successful series of recordings for the French label Timpani will soon be back on the CD market. The plan is to produce nine CDs over three years for the Dutch label Pentatone Classics. The first CD will comprise works by Anton Bruckner, notably his first symphony in its original version.