György Kurtag

Hungarian composer György Kurtag, 91, and his wife for 70 years, pianist Marta Kurtag, have been presented with a Borletti-Buitoni Trust award in recognition of their contribution to the world of music, as well as their long and devoted musical partnership. This special tribute is in memory of Franco Buitoni (1934-2016) who co-founded the Borletti-Buitoni Trust (BBT) in 2002 with his wife, Ilaria.

Julian Prégardien

Der aus Frankfurt stammende deutsche Sänger Julian Prégardien nimmt in einem ‘Offenen Brief’ an die Jury des Frankfurter Musikpreises Stellung zur Vergabe des Preises an den deutschen Geiger David Garrett. Es stimme ihn « nachdenklich, dass ein Musikpreis, dessen erster Preisträger Gidon Kremer war, heute an einen Geiger geht, dessen aktuelle ‘corporate identity’ den Inhalt um ein vielfaches überstrahlt », schreibt der Sänger in seinem Brief, den wir nachfolgend integral veröffentlichen. Read More →

Fabio Luisi

Conductor Fabio Luisi will be heading the jury of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra’s international Malko Competition for young conductors. The competition will take place on 20-27 April 2018 in Copenhagen. Read More →

Naxos has closed its streaming service ClassicsOnline « since our technology partner ceased operating the platform used for », the website announces. Yet, there is also a financial reason, since Naxos’s CEO Klaus Heymann says: « ‘I don’t feel that terrible about it because nobody offering streaming is making money. » Read More →

The Symphony Orchestra of Torrevieja (Costa Blanca, Spain) has announced that it will temporarily suspend its activities due to the impossibility to pay the rental cost of the Auditorium where it usually performs, the local radio station reported. The orchestra intends to continue the dialogue with the administration, in order to find a solution.

The 21st Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival will run in Warsaw, 2 – 14 April under the motto ‘Beethoven and the Fine Arts’.The festival audience will be able to experience a concert performance of Igor Stravinsky’s opera The Rake’s Progress, and in the series of Unknown Operas Georges Bizet’s opera Djamileh will be presented. Otherwise the program comprises an impressive number of works by Ludwig van Beethoven, overtures, symphonies and concertos. Read More →

Der Geiger David Garrett (36) erhält den diesjährigen Frankfurter Musikpreis, teilte die Musikmesse Frankfurt mit. Die Jury ehre den Geiger, weil er durch Crossover-Projekte zahllose Menschen an die klassische Musik heranführe und gleichzeitig mit Kammermusik- und Orchesterkonzerten die Neugier für Klassik wecke. Read More →

Sofia Gubaidulina
Photo: Remy Franck

Composer Sofia Gubaidulina (*1931) is the recipient of BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) Foundation’s Frontiers of Knowledge Award in contemporary music. The Foundation says: « Sofia Gubaidulina is an outstanding example of a composer who has pursued her own distinctive voice and followed her conscience despite extremely difficult political circumstances. Read More →

Ensemble Esperanza

Das ‘Ensemble Esperanza’ hat gestern beim ‘Festival Next Generation’ in Bad Ragaz das Publikum mit einem Valentinskonzert begeistert. Read More →

‘Give Music a Future’, a cooperation project of the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY), co-funded by the culture programme Creative Europe of the European Union, pays an ‘Homage a Heifetz’. On 2 February, they started ‘Homage a Heifetz’, with celebrations for the birthday of the famous Vilnius born virtuoso Jascha Heifetz. Read More →