Based in Tourcoing, France, the ensemble La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy has found a successor for Jean-Claude Malgoire who died in April 2018. The hired French flutist and conductor Alexis Kossenko, 42, known as Music Director of the ensemble Les Ambassadeurs.

Over 10 years now, the Palazzetto Bru Zane-Centre de musique romantique française inaugurated in Venice in 2009, has strongly favoured the rediscovery of the French musical heritage of the years 1780-1920 and obtained international recognition for that repertory. Read More →

Utah Symphony & Utah Opera and Music Director Thierry Fischer announced an extension of Conner Gray Covington’s contract through the 2020-21 season, and a retention of his two titles as Utah Symphony Associate Conductor and Principal Conductor of the Deer Valley Music Festival, the latter of which he received in Spring 2019. The agreement extends the current contract, set to expire at the end of the 2019-20 season, for an additional year until August 31, 2021. Read More →

Gustavo Gimeno
(c) Alfonso Salgueiro

On Thursday night at Roy Thomson Hall, where incoming artistic director Gustavo Gimeno – he will begin his tenure in 2020 – conducted the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra’s CEO Matthew Loden announced a $10-million donation from the Mary and Tom estate, the largest single donation in the orchestra’s history. Over their lifetime, the Hungarian-born Becks had donated more than $20-million to the TSO.

Tanglewood, Linde Center
(c) BSO/Robert Benson

Tanglewood announced its first ever year-round program to take place in the new Linde Center for Music and Learning on the festival grounds which were established as the Boston Symphony’s summer home in 1937. The new program offers participants a broad spectrum of performances and multidisciplinary activities. More information and the program can be found here.

No, it’s not the Black Friday, but the Silvery Friday, with no less than six reviews of silvery CDs published today. Six from over 250 received in September and, so far, in October. We are particularly happy that among the reviews we got two Supersonic Awards for two musicians who were both Young Artist of the Year at the ICMA (International Classical music Awards), Joseph Moog in 2014 and Christoph Sietzen in 2018. Both prove, once more, that we were right in nominating them for this award. Congrats, Joseph and Christoph!

William Christie
(c) Sébastien Grébille

Chor und Orchester von Les Arts Florissants musizierten unter ihrem Gründer und ständigen Dirigenten William Christie in historisch informierter Lesart mit einer dem Urtext nahe kommenden Fassung das große Oratoriums Messiah von Georg Friedrich Händel. Wie diese Beteiligten und die fünf Solisten die Darbietung bewältigten, kann Uwe Krusch für Pizzicato berichten. Read More →

Gemeinsam statt einsam! Das ist das Motto der heute in Deutschland beginnenden Woche der seelischen Gesundheit. Musik kann in diesem Kontext eine wichtige Funktion einnehmen, sagen der Deutsche Musikrat (DMR) und die Deutsche Musiktherapeutische Gesellschaft (DMtG) in einer Presseaussendung. Musiktherapie leiste im stationären und ambulanten Bereich nicht nur einen Beitrag zur Inklusion, sondern auch zur Bildung sozialer Kontakte, zur Krankheitsbewältigung und zur Förderung der Resilienz. Read More →

The Takacs Quartet, just entering its 45th year, has announced a change to its line-up. Violist Geraldine Walther will retire from the group in May 2020, after 15 years. Korean-American violist and chamber musician Richard O’Neill will join the quartet from June. Read More →

Lars Vogt
© Giorgia Bertazzi

German pianist and conductor Lars Vogt, 49, has been appointed as Music Director of the Orchestre de chambre de Paris, replacing Douglas Boyd, according to a press release of the City of Paris. His contract runs for three years, through the 2022/23 season. Read More →