Two pianists and a soprano join 15 gifted string players (three string quartets, two violinists and a violist) on the roster of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust’s Award and Fellowship winners for 2016. A Special BBT Chamber Music Prize for Italian musicians worth €25,000 is also being given this year in honour of Claudio Abbado and his commitment to chamber music. Read More →
Two performing arts education actors in the US, Berklee and The Boston Conservatory, have formally agreed to merge, creating a comprehensive and dynamic training ground for music, dance, theater, and related professions. Read More →
Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda, 51, will become the seventh Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, beginning with the 2017-2018 season. During the current season, the sixth and last of Christoph Eschenbach, Noseda will be Music Director Designate. The appointment comes only two months following his recent appearance with the NSO. Read More →
The American businessman and conductor Gilbert Kaplan died on January 1, aged 74. He is known as an expert of Gustav Mahler’s work and especially of the Resurrection Symphony which he recorded twice and conducted all over the world. Read More →
Major changes will affect the musical life of the Frenbch city of Metz (Lorraine). While the National Orchestra of Lorraine and Metz Scènes are considering a merger and already search a common general manager to be appointed next year, the Républicain Lorrain announced that the Music Director of the National Orchestra of Lorraine, Jacques Mercier, 70, will retire. Mercier, a native of Metz, has been in this job since 2002. Supposedly the search for a successor will be started once the new structure of the Cité de la Musique Metz will be operational.
'alla czeca': Erwin Schulhoff: 5 Stücke für Streichquartett; Joseph Suk: Meditation über den altböhmischen Choral Der heilige Wenzel; Antonin Dvorak: Streichquartett G-Dur op. 106; Signum Quartett; 1 CD Capriccio C5257; Aufnahme 04/14, Veröffentlichung 10/2015 (57') - Rezension von Alain Steffen
Es ist immer wieder schön zu sehen, wie sich im doch sehr emsigen Musikbetrieb der Klassik einige junge Künstler oder Ensembles besonders hervorheben und ihren eigenen Weg finden. Das Signum Quartett gehört für mich schon seit einigen Jahren zu den besten Vertretern seiner Zunft. Ein tolles Programm, hervorragende Interpretationen und eine brillante Spieltechnik zeichnen auch das neue Album ‘alla czeca’ aus. Read More →
Ivan Ilić was born in California, where he was in contact with music since childhood. At age 17, he was accepted to the University of California Berkeley where he received a Bachelor's Degree in mathematics and music. With the help of a fellowship from Berkeley, he continued his studies at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris in 2001 where he received a Premier Prix in piano. He pursued graduate studies at l'École Normale de Musique de Paris, where his mentors were Christian Ivaldi and François-René Duchâble. Following his studies, he performed throughout Europe, North America and Asia. His recordings of Debussy and Godowsky have garnered ecstatic reviews, as well as his more recent album "The Transcendentalist". French label Paraty has just released Ilić’s new album, a recording of "For Bunita Marcus" by Morton Feldman. The new CD was one of the subjects of an interview with Remy Franck, below:
This is the english version of the original French text published on November 4, 2015.
The CD review is here
Ivan, how did you first come into contact with music?
I was born into a family of non-musicians, but my parents are great music-lovers. As a family the four of us would drive forty minutes to San Francisco to listen to concerts. Then, during the forty-minute return, we would discuss and share what we had heard. It was an enriching experience! Read More →
After former chairman Ronald O. Perelman had charged Carnegie Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director Clive Gillinson of malpractice in the governance of the concert hall, an independent review has proved the contrary. Perelman particularly accused Gillinson of signing a contract for the $100,000 Warner Prize « without the approval mandated by New York law. »
French streaming service Qobuz is still in serious financial difficulties, and since the jurisdictional observation period came to an end, the Commercial Court of Paris ruled on the receivership. This means that the company can continue its commercial activities under the guidance of the court, yet before long, if no potential buyer makes any offer, it will have to file for bankruptcy. Currently the company employs around 40 people.
Christopher Theofanidis: Creation/Creator; Jessica Rivera, Sopran, Kelley O’Connor, Mezzosopran, Thomas Cooley, Tenor, Norman Ford, Bariton, Evan Boyer, Bass, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Robert Spano; 1 CD ASO Media 1006; Live 0472015 (73'28) - Rezension von Remy Franck
‘Creation / Creator’ von Christopher Theofanidis ist ein im April 2015 uraufgeführtes Werk, das Robert Spano für das ‘Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’ in Auftrag gab. Nach intensivem Studium diverser Schöpfungsgeschichten aus verschiedenen Kulturen entfernte sich Theofanidis weit von der biblischen Schöpfung, wie sie Joseph Haydn vertonte. Für den Amerikaner konzentrierte sich das Ganze immer stärker auf den ‘Impuls zur Erschaffung’, ob er nun aus göttlicher Eingebung oder aus der Suche nach irgendeiner Art von Wahrheit komme. Read More →
