Julian Rachlin
(c) Ashley Klassen

Violinist and conductor Julian Rachlin was in Israel last week to start his tenure as Music Director of the Jerusalem Symphony. On his social media pages he gives an account of the tragic events in Israel and how they affected him. Read More →

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony (KWS) announced it was filing for bankruptcy and ceasing operations. This will end the 78-year history of the third largest orchestra in Ontario, Canada. The 52 musicians were taken aback by the announcement, especially since a new contract had been ratified this past summer with a pay increase of 3 percent.

Der Dirigent Daniel Barenboim sagte über die Entwicklung in Israel: « Der Angriff der Hamas auf die israelische Zivilbevölkerung ist ein ungeheuerliches Verbrechen, das ich auf das Schärfste verurteile ». Read More →

Daniel Cohen

Daniel Cohen bleibt Generalmusikdirektor des Staatstheaters Darmstadt. Wie die hessische Kunst- und Kulturministerin Angela Dorn und Darmstadts Oberbürgermeister Hanno Benz am Mittwoch bekanntgaben, hat der israelische Dirigent seinen Vertrag um weitere drei Jahre bis Sommer 2027 verlängert. Er ist seit Oktober 2018 Gauf diesem Posten. Read More →

Maurizio Pollini
(c) Cosimo Filippini

Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini, 81, has cancelled a recital scheduled at the Philharmonie in Paris on 16 October. He was meant to play Nono, Schönberg and Chopin. Due to ongoing health problems the concert has been cancelled without a replacement date.

The Franco-Argentine opera director Jorge Lavelli died in Paris Monday morning. He was born in Buenos Aires in 1932, with parents of Italian origin. He arrived in France in 1960 as a recipient of a scholarship from the National Fund for the Arts in his country to follow courses at the Charles Dullin school and the Jacques Lecoq school. He spent almost his entire career there and became a naturalized French in 1977. Read More →

The Jury of the Finnish Wihuri Sibelius Prize, worth 150,000 Euros, has chosen French composer Tristan Murail, 76, as its next recipient. The statement says: « Born in Le Havre, France, in 1947, Tristan Murail is a significant figure in contemporary classical music. He has created a unique musical language that combines compositional rigour with a deep and broad understanding of the traditions of art music. In his works, Murail utilizes computer-assisted sound synthesis and analysis, making him one of the pioneers of spectral music. » Read More →

The French oboist Maurice Bourgue passed away last October 6 in his hometown at the age of 83. Born in Avignon in 1939, Bourgue studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris. After winning the competitions of Geneva (1963), Birmingham (1965) and Munich (1967), Charles Munch offered him in 1967 the position of first oboe of the Orchestre de Paris, which he held for thirteen years. His performance as a soloist and also as a chamber musician, especially at the head of the Maurice Bourgue Octet, was also very remarkable. Read More →

Das Präsidium des Deutschen Musikrates beruft Antje Valentin als Generalsekretärin des Deutschen Musikrates ab 1. März 2024. Sie wird die Nachfolge von Christian Höppner antreten, der nach 20 Jahren im Amt des Generalsekretärs seinen Vertrag auf eigenen Wunsch nicht mehr verlängert. Read More →

According to guidelines issued by Israel’s government, the Tel Aviv-based Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has announced the postponement of its upcoming season-opening concerts. The Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, has cancelled all current performances. The Israel Camerata Jerusalem, has postponed upcoming concerts. Read More →