The Admission Committee of the 20th Santander International Piano Competition, whose final phase will been held between 25 July and 5 August, has accepted 129 pianists for the pre-selection phase, after evaluating the 303 applications received. Read More →
Young pianist Kyan Pennell, 12, from Gympie, Australia, was killed in an accident on 31 January, and his mother discovered a yet unfinished piece of his own music after his death and plead to have it performed at the boy’s funeral next Sunday. Musicians from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra decided to record Kyan’s piece and the recording will be played during the service.
Piotr Beczala & Helmut Deutsch
(c) Eric Devillet
Geradezu frenetischer Applaus und wiederholte Bravorufe standen am Ende des Liederabends, den Piotr Beczala zusammen mit dem Pianisten Helmut Deutsch im Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie gab. Welches Programm es zu hören gab und mit welchen Mitteln es realisiert wurde, weiß Uwe Krusch für Pizzicato zu berichten. Read More →
Ludwig van Beethoven
In Taipei, Taiwan, the city’s yellow garbage trucks play music to remind the population that it is time to bring their plastic trash bags downstairs for collection. The tune used by the city for this action is Beethoven’s Für Elise.
Paul Daniel
(c) Groves Artists
British conductor Paul Daniel, 63, artistic director of the Real Filharmonía de Galicia in Santiago de Compostela has decided to leave the orchestra at the end of the current contract, in December 2022, our colleagues from Scherzo reported. Read More →
Hélène Grimaud
(c) Philharmonie Luxembourg
Vermutlich mit ihrem Lieblingswerk, dem Klavierkonzert von Robert Schumann, beendeten Hélène Grimaud und die Camerata Salzburg ihr Konzert in Luxemburg. Erstmals wieder mit einer Pause, allerdings ohne Gastronomie, hatten die Beteiligten das Konzert mit dem Klavierkonzert in d-Moll von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart eingeleitet. Zwischen den beiden Konzerten erklang die große g-Moll Symphonie von Mozart, also KV 550, weiß Uwe Krusch für Pizzicato zu berichten. Read More →
The Mannheim Philharmonic’s application for institutional funding from 2022 onwards was rejected by the City of Mannheim with immediate effect. This means that the € 50.000 which the orchestra received in 2020 and 2021 are no longer available. This has existential consequences for the Philharmonic. Read More →
The Swedish Polar Music Prize 2022 is awarded to the Paris-based Ensemble Intercontemporain, founded by Pierre Boulez. The Statement says: « Ensemble Intercontemporain is the Stradivarius of modern music and has inspired the greatest composers of our time to create new masterpieces since the 1970s. Thanks to its openness to new technology and collaborating with other art forms, this groundbreaking ensemble has been enormously important for pushing progress. Read More →
Ryan Wiggleworth
Ryan Wigglesworth, 42, has been announced as chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, taking over in September 2022 from Thomas Dausgaard. Ryan Wigglesworth is a composer, conductor and pianist born in Yorkshire, England. He is currently Composer in Residence at English National Opera. He is not to be confused with British conductor Mark Wigglesworth, to whom he is not related.
Gewandhaus Leipzig
(c) Remy Franck
Im Leipziger Gewandhaus wurde am Freitag ein Konzert des Gewandhausorchesters kurzfristig abgesagt, weil es ‘positive’ Corona-Tests unter den Musikern gab. Einige Musiker « sowie unser Gewandhauskapellmeister Andris Nelsons (43) haben sich aus privaten Gründen PCR-testen lassen », erklärte Gewandhausdirektor Andreas Schulz (60) in einem Video, das über Twitter verbreitet wurde. Read More →
