Gustavo Dudamel
Photo: Mathew Imagaing

At the upcoming New Year’s Concert the musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic will wear for the first time their new dresses designed by Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler. Another premiere will be the conductor: Gustavo Dudamel is the youngest ever in charge of the event.

The famed Early Music and Baroque Festival Rencontres Musicales de la Vallée de l’Alzette announces its 2017 edition with renowned musicians and ensembles like La Fenice, Sandrine Piau, Vox Luminis, Stravaganza… The program and its description is below (in French). Read More →

Sarah Chang

Valuables totaling 12.000 Dollars were stolen from the luggage of American violinist Sarah Chang during a flight from Philadelphia to Moscow with a connection in London. This was reported by the Russian news agency TASS. Read More →

Rudolf Buchbinder
(c) Bruno Fidrych

Mit dem seit Wochen ausverkauften Silvesterkonzert des Tonkünstler-Orchesters klingt am 31. Dezember das bisher erfolgreichste Jahr in der Geschichte von Grafenegg aus. Rund 150.000 Besucher nahmen das vielseitige Angebot in Anspruch, das vom ‘Schlossklänge’-Zyklus über die Sommersaison bis zum Grafenegger Advent reicht. Read More →

Yuri Bashmet
(c) ICA Artists

Viola player Yuri Bashmet, 63, is the artistic director of a new project which was announced in Moscow: a residence for composers. The apartment block will comprise eight buildings plus a central area aimed at creating a unique creative atmosphere. Read More →

Zubin Mehta
(c) Stephan Polzer

Zubin Mehta, 80, announced today that he will quit his job as Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic in October 2018. In 1977 the conductor was named Music Director and in 1981 he received a lifetime appointment. His first appearance with the oirchestra goes as far back as 1961. Since that time Mehta has conducted over 2,000 concerts.

Futuristic Philharmonic Hall in Moscow

The construction work of the new Philharmonic Hall in a new central park in Moscow is proceeding according to schedule, Russian media reported. Built with Valery Gergiev as adviser, the new hall will be bigger as Mariinsky II in Saint Petersburg. Read More →

A Russian military plane with 92 people on board has crashed into the Black Sea, Russia’s defence ministry said, pointing out that the plane was carrying 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, soldiers, and nine journalists. It was flying from Moscow to Latakia in Syria where the Alexandrov Ensemble, the official Russian Army Choir including singers, instrumentalists and dancers, were scheduled to perform for Russian soldiers in Syria. No survivors are reported.

Hosted by Fondation de Luxembourg, Fondation Michelle is a foundation set up by an anonymous German music lover and meant to fund activities of young musicians in Luxembourg. The foundation’s activities are organized by Luxembourg’s National Cultural Fund FOCUNA. Since 2014, Fondation Michelle has supported 77 young musicians, 2 music scholars and 2 composers. Read More →

Austrian cellist and conductor Heinrich Schiff died last night at a hospital in Vienna. He was 65. He had given up performing in 2012 due to health reasons. Read More →