Musicians from the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (Massachusetts) played a free concert last Saturday at the city’s Symphony Hall to protest management’s handling of contract negotiations. Claiming that their orchestra is in danger, the musicians are calling on the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Board to take initiative and work towards a vision for the future of the orchestra. Read More →

Dmitry Matvienko

The winner of this year’s Malko competition for young conductors is Dmitry Matvienko from Belarus, who also receives the Audience Prize! Linhan Cui won Second Prize as well as the prize of the Children’s Jury, and Chloé Dufresne won Third Prize. Read More →

Andreas Schüller

Andreas Schüller, 47, wird ab der Spielzeit 22/23 Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) des Stadttheaters Gießen. Das gaben die designierte Intendantin Simone Sterr und die designierte Operndirektorin Ann-Christine Mecke bekannt. Read More →

Jaime Martin
(c) Alexander Lindström

Spanish conductor Jaime Martin, 55, is named the new Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He replaces Sir Andrew Davis, who ended his tenure as chief conductor after six years in 2019. Read More →

Beim Robert-Schumann-Wettbewerb in Zwickau wurden dieses Jahr erstmals Preise in einer rein digitalen Ausscheidung vergeben. Von den 41 jungen Pianisten und Sängern im Finale haben die beiden Jurys per Videokonferenz insgesamt 11 Preisträger gekürt und einen Sonderpreis für Liedbegleitung vergeben, wie die Stadt am Freitag mitteilte. Read More →

22 pianists from 15 countries have been selected by the jury for the Iturbi Prize, organized by the Valencia Provincial Government. There were an initial 178 musicians registered from 41 countries, for this 21st international competition which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Read More →

Die 2014 gegründeten Musiktage Feldafing haben eine neue Künstlerische Leitung: Der Pianist Kit Armstrong und die Geigerin Franziska Hölscher übernehmen die Programmgestaltung des Klassikfestivals am Starnberger See, das in diesem Jahr vom 6.–8. August 2021 stattfinden wird. Beide sind dem Musikfestival seit vielen Jahren verbunden: « Als künstlerische Leiter möchten wir eine Erweiterung des traditionellen Hörerlebnisses durch ungewöhnliche Konzertformate anbieten: Read More →

The National Music Conservatoire in Paris has suspended a cello professor following accusations of sexual violence, according to Mediapart. An internal investigation led to the suspension, since mid-March, of cellist Jérôme Pernoo from his position as professor at the Conservatoire.

The Spanish tenor Francisco Ortiz has died at the age of 82. Born in 1938, his debut took place in Prague, in 1968, in a production of Verdi’s Aida. A few months later, the Teatro de La Zarzuela hired him for a year as first tenor. Laster made his breakthrough in Europe and sung in London, Paris and other major international venues, inducing the Met in New York. Read More →

Sound studio at the Philharmonie in Berlin
(c) Stefan Höderath

With the introduction of Hi-Res Audio, the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Digital will be the world’s first video stream on demand with audio track in lossless studio quality, the orchestra says. Read More →