Der Kursaal im Grand Resort Bad Ragaz

Das ‘Ensemble Esperanza’ eröffnet heute Abend im Kursaal des ‘Grand Resort’ in Bad Ragaz (CH) das diesjährige Festival ‘Next Generation’ mit Werken von Sibelius, Vaughan Williams, Britten und Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Solisten sind Sara Domjanic (Violine) und Robert Neumann (Klavier), die beiden ‘Artists in Residence’ des Festivals. Beim Festival 2018 wird auch die neue CD von ‘Esperanza’ vorgestellt, die den ‘Supersonic Award’ von Pizzicato erhielt. Read More →

Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Photo: Marco Borggreve

Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, 42, will take over his job as the Metropolitan Opera’s music director already next season, two years earlier than planned. Nezet-Seguin’s appointment was announced in June 2016, two months after Parkinson’s disease caused the end of James Levine’s 40 year-run. Read More →

Adam Fischer

Der Dirigent Adam Fischer, Chefdirigent der Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, erhält den Wolf-Preis in der Kategorie Musik. Die Auszeichnung wird von der in Israel ansässigen ‘Wolf Foundation’ verliehen. Read More →

Renaud Capuçon
(c) Marc Ribes

French violinist Renaud Capuçon has created a new ensemble linked to the Lausanne School of Music (HEMU) where he teaches since 2014. Composed of the best strings of HEMU, the Lausanne Soloists will be performing in Switzerland and internationally in the season 2018-2019. Read More →

Dmitri Hvorostovsky
(c) Pavel Antonov

Russian city of Krasnoyarsk will build a monument to Dmitri Hvorostovsky. The singer, who died of a brain tumour in November 2017, was born in that city in 1962. A competition was launched for the design of the monument.

On February 9, Aeroflot announced that musical instruments like violins, violas, saxophones, bassoons, French horns, trombones etc. would no longer be allowed as hand-luggage. Yesterday, after huge protests from musicians and organizers, the airline withdraw the regulation.

Gustav Kuhn
Ph. T. Benz/Tirolerfestsp. Erl

Ein Österreicher hat in seinem Blog eine lange Reihe an Vorwürfen gegen die Festspiele Erl (Tirol) erhoben. Sie reichen von Korruption und Lohndumping bis zu sexueller Belästigung. Das vom Dirigenten Gustav Kuhn geleitete Festival will wegen dieser Vorwürfe rechtliche Schritte gegen den Autor in die Wege leiten.

Daniel Raiskin

Canadian Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) announced that Russian-born conductor Daniel Raiskin (*1970) has been named Music Director from August 1, 2018, succeeding Alexander Mickelthwate who served as Music Director since 2005. Read More →

Mrs. Xenakis with the former Luxembourgian Minister of Culture., Erna Hennicot
(c) Remy Franck

French writer and journalist Françoise Xenakis died after a long illness on February 12 at Courbevoie, her daughter Mâkhi has announced. She was 87. She was the widow of the composer and architect Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001), whom, she married in 1953. Read More →

David Robertson

The Juilliard School in New York announced American conductor David Robertson, 59, as director of conducting studies. Robertson will be the principal teacher for all conducting degree students at the school. Read More →