Jack C. Taylor, the founder of Enterprise Holdings, parent company of several major car rental companies, announced on Wednesday donations of $92.5 million to 13 cultural institutions and charities, with $10 million to the St. Louis Symphony’s endowment. Back in 2000, Taylor gave already $40 million to save the Orchestra.

Placido Domingo
Photo: Sheila Rock

Placido Domingo, who recently cancelled several concerts to stay with his sister in Boston, announced « the passing of my beloved and adored sister Maria José. She left us last night at 7:45 PM at Massachusetts General Hospital in the city of Boston, surrounded by the entire family.(..) Maria José rest in peace and may God welcome your precious and kind soul into heaven. You will be tremendously missed and I know our dear parents would have been extremely proud to see how caring, devotedly and above all unselfishly you led your life, always thinking and putting everyone else before you. I love you Gordita, your brother… Plácido. »

Daniel Harding
(c) Julian Hargreaves

British conductor Daniel Harding is supposed to become Music director of the Orchestra de Paris, when Paavo Järvi quits in 2016. Harding is currently Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and Music Partner of the New Japan Philharmonic. He is Artistic Director of the Ohga Hall in Karuizawa, Japan and was recently honoured with the lifetime title of Conductor Laureate of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. After Sir Georg Solti, Harding will be only the second British conductor to lead an orchestra in the French capital.

Der russische Opernsänger Mikhail Guzhov hat sich in der italienischen Botschaft in Moskau mit dem Wachpersonal geprügelt. Er wollte angeblich die Botschaft nicht verlassen, nachdem ihm wegen einer fehlenden Steuernummer die Einreise nach Italien und damit in den Schengen-Raum verweigert worden war. Dem Sänger zufolge war er von einem Sicherheitsbeamten aus der Botschaft geschoben worden und dabei kam es zu Handgreiflichkeiten. Er habe sich dabei nur gewehrt, sagte er russischen Journalisten.

Oper Stuttgart

Der Umfang und die Kosten der notwendigen Maßnahmen zur Sanierung des Stuttgarter Opernhauses sind in der Vergangenheit deutlich unterschätzt worden: Sie könnten sich nun laut dem Intendanten Marc-Oliver Hendriks auf bis zu 400 Millionen belaufen. « Wir nähern uns der nächsten Hunderterzahl », sagte Hendriks heute in Stuttgart. Bisher war von 300 bis 320 Millionen Euro die Rede.  Die Sanierung soll sieben Jahre dauern, wovon drei Jahre eine komplette Schließung mit sich bringen würden.

Cyprien Keiser

The European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY) organises a chamber music tour through South Bavaria and Austria with three young laureates from national and international music competitions: cellist Cyprien Keiser (Luxembourg, 14 years old, winner of the Luxembourgish National Competition for Young Soloists), clarinettist Matouš Kopáček (Czech Republic, 16 years old, winner of the international Czech radio competition Concertino Praga) and pianist Benjamin Zumpfe (Austria, 20 years old, winner of the Austrian competition Prima la Musica). Read More →

James Conlon
Photo: Robert Millard

American conductor James Conlon, 65, has been named principal conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Turin, Italy. He will start his tenure in 2016, the orchestra announced today. Conlon will succeed Juraj Valcuha.

Leontyne Price

The City of Laurel (Mississippi, USA) has renamed one of their main roads, Beacon Street, after opera singer Leontyne Price who was born in that city in 1927. Leontyne Price Boulevard should be inaugurated as such by the singer herself who lives in New York.

Apple has announced the launch of Apple Music, a service that will add a subscription streaming service to iTunes. It will include a live, 24/7 global radio station and a feature called Connect where musicians can directly upload content. Apple Music will be available on June 30. The service will cost $9.99 a month for a single subscription or $14.99 a month for a family pass. No special announcement was made regarding classical music.

Die Universität Tübingen will die Figur von Kommissar Kurt Wallander des schwedischen Schriftstellers Henning Mankell im Sommer 2016 erstmals auf die Opernbühne bringen. Komponiert wird die Oper unter dem Titel ‘W – The truth beyond’ vom schwedischen Komponisten Fredrik Sixten. Das englische Libretto verfasst der schwedische Dramatiker Klas Abrahamsson. Initiator des Projekts ist der Tübinger Universitätsmusikdirektor Philipp Amelung. Read More →