British conductor Kenneth Montgomery, died today at the age of 80. Born in Belfast, he studied at the Royal College of Music in London. He studied with Adrian Boult, and later continued to study conducting with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Sergiu Celibidache, and John Pritchard. Read More →
Daniel Harding
(c) Philharmomie Luxembourg/Grébille
British conductor Daniel Harding, 47, has been appointed as Music Director of the Orchestra and choir of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He will take up the post in October 2024, replacing Antonio Pappano, who has been at the helm of Santa Cecilia for 18 years.
Das grosse Festspielhaus in Salzburg
Die Vermittlung von Eintrittskarten für die Salzburger Festspiele durch Viagogo, oft zu vielfach überhöhten Preisen, war rechtswidrig, teilen heute die Salzburger Festspiele in einer Presseaussendung mit. Read More →
Thomas Quasthoff
(c) Harald Hoffmann / DG
Der 24-jährige Tenor Laurence Kilsby aus England und der 33-jährige Tenor Tae Hwan Yun aus Südkorea sind die Sieger des diesjährigen Heidelberger Frühling-Wettbewerbs ‘Das Lied’. Der 1. Preis wurde zweimal vergeben. Die Klavierpartnerinnen waren Ella O’Neill aus England und Dokyung Han aus Südkorea. Der vom Juryvorsitzenden Thomas Quasthoff gegründete Gesangswettbewerb fand nach vier Jahren pandemiebedingter Pause dieses Jahr zum dritten Mal statt. Read More →
RSO Wien im Konzerthaus
© Andrea Humer, Wiener Konzerthaus
The IMZ International Music and Media Centre has published an open letter to express « unwavering support for the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSO) », which is facing significant budgetary cuts and might be on the brink of dissolution. « It is distressing to think that the future of such an iconic institution is in jeopardy », the open letter says. Read More →
Opéra de Strasbourg
Designed and built at the beginning of the 19th century, the Strasbourg opera house, Place Broglie, is desperately needing a thorough renovation which was announced now by the municipality. The necessary work, which should last at least three years, will begin in 2026. The estimated cost is about 60 to 70 million euros. Read More →
Diego Ceretta
The Firenze-based Orchestra della Toscana (Orchestra of Tuscany) has a new Principal Conductor, Diego Ceretta, 26. The post had been vacant since June 2020 when Daniele Rustioni ended his tenure after nine years. Read More →
Operated by New Music USA, the Amplifying Voices program, launched in 2020 to foster collaboration and collective action between U.S. orchestras and composers through a network of co-commissions, continues this season with 13 premieres taking place across the country. The program has expanded rapidly to include over forty-five orchestras across the U.S. and beyond. Read More →
John Axelrod
The Bucharest Symphony Orchestra and its Principal Conductor John Axelrod have announced the launch of the Schumann 41/51 project and the continuation of the artistic partnership with Classeek. This will include recording sessions and professional engagements to further the careers of Classeek Ambassador soloists. Read More →
Axel Kober
Nach 15 Jahren als Generalmusikdirektor der Deutschen Oper am Rhein (Düsseldorf/Duisburg) beendet Axel Kober seine Amtszeit. Der 53-Jährige wird seinen im Sommer 2024 auslaufenden Vertrag nicht verlängern. Kober bleibt dem Doppelhaus aber verbunden: Bis Ende der Saison 2026/27 werde Kober dort regelmäßig am Pult stehen, verlautet aus der Opernleitung.
