San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago announced the cancellation of the 2020 fall season. With the Metropolitan Opera NY remaining closed too, that makes a nine-month break for the country’s three largest opera companies uniform.

Im Gegensatz zu den meisten anderen Musikwettbewerben, die verschoben wurden, wird die Mahler Competition 2020 der Bamberger Symphoniker stattfinden. Nach langen und intensiven Prozessen der Planung hat der Veranstalter von den Behörden grünes Licht. Read More →

Der bisherige Preis ‘Innovatives Orchester’ der Deutschen Orchester-Stiftung wird zum ‘Preis Innovation’ und richtet sich neben professionellen Orchestern erstmals auch an professionelle Chöre und Big Bands. Allen Ensembles, die mindestens die Größe eines Kammerorchesters (12 Mitglieder), eines Kammerchores (16 Mitglieder) und einer Big Band (16 Mitglieder) haben und mindestens 20 Wochen im Jahr aktiv sind, steht eine Bewerbung bis zum 31. Oktober 2020 offen. Das Preisgeld wird auf 15.000 € erhöht, teilte der Veranstalter mit.

Alpesh Chauhan
(c) Patrick Allen

Birmingham Opera Company has announced that conductor Alpesh Chauhan, 30, will join the organisation as Music Director from 1 July 2020. Birmingham born Alpesh was Principal Cello with the CBSO Youth Orchestra. He entered the Royal Northern College of Music in 2008 to study the cello before pursuing the prestigious Master’s Conducting Course. For the past five years Alpesh has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini in Parma, who awarded him the title of Principal Conductor in 2017.

Jean Sibelius (1913)

The 12th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition has been rescheduled for May 18–29, 2022. It was originally set to take place in Helsinki in late November and early December 2020, but due to the uncertainty about possible travel and assembly restrictions, the competition committee has decided to postpone the event. Read More →

Placido Domingo

Due to the ongoing health concerns and global uncertainty generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Placido Domingo’s Operalia competition is postponed. New dates in 2021 will be communicated in due time, the organizer says The twenty eighth edition was scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv, Israel, from October 22-28, 2020 at the Israeli Opera.

Jaap van Zweden
(c) Hans Vanderwoerd/IMG

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) has announced that Jaap van Zweden has accepted to extend his Music Director contract for two more years, through the end of the 2023/24 season. This will bring his tenure as Music Director with the orchestra to 12 years. Following his tenure as Music Director, he will hold the title of Conductor Laureate. Read More →

The Nashville Symphony announced that it will suspend all activities through July 31, 2021. Furloughs will be issued to 128 employees, including Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero and 79 musicians, beginning July 1. Read More →

Philharmonie Luxembourg
(c) Wade Zimmermann

Nach dreimonatiger Schließung öffnet die Luxemburger Philharmonie am 18. Juni wieder ihre Tore. Das Luxemburger Jazz Trio Reis Demuth Wiltgen ist für das erste Konzert eingeplant. Zwei weitere Konzerte sind bereits in Vorbereitung. Ein besonderer Anlass ist sicherlich der 15. Geburtstag der Philharmonie, den das Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg am 25. Juni unter der Leitung seines Chefdirigenten Gustavo Gimeno feiern wird. Read More →

Andrew Crust

American conductor Andrew Crust was chosen out of the seven finalists to be the Music Director and Conductor of the Lima Symphony (Ohio) at the start of the next season. Read More →