Simon Rattle
(c) Sébastien Grébille/Philharmonie Luxembourg

The Czech Philharmonic today named Simon Rattle their next Principal Guest Conductor. As part of the five-year appointment, Sir Simon was also named the Rafael Kubelík Conducting Chair. Read More →

György Mészáros
(c) Attila Varga

Der 40-jährige Dirigent und Pianist György Mészáros wird Leiter der Kinder- und Jugendorchester der Tonhalle Düsseldorf. Das Auswahlgremium, dem neben der Geschäftsführung der Tonhalle u. a. auch Mitglieder der Düsseldorfer Symphoniker und des Jugendsinfonieorchesters (JSO) angehörten, entschied sich einstimmig für Mészáros. Der gebürtige Ungar ist aktuell Erster Kapellmeister und stellvertretender Generalmusikdirektor am Landestheater Detmold. In der Spielzeit 2021/22 bekleidete er dort kommissarisch die Position des Generalmusikdirektors. Read More →

Kaija Saariaho
Photo: Priska Ketterer.

The Opéra de Paris is naming a salon at Bastille after Kaija Saariaho, who passed away last June. According to the Opéra’s press release, this tribute to the Finnish composer, initiated by Alexander Neef, emphasizes her « special relationship with Paris, where she moved in 1982 to study at IRCAM » and pays homage to « one of the most gifted musical pioneers of her generation.

Robert Spano
(c) Atlanta Symphony

Robert Spano, 62, current music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, is set to become the music director of the Washington National Opera in 2025. His contract as the music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO) will run through the 2027-2028 season. Read More →

Giordano Bellincampi
(c) Andreas Köhring

Giordano Bellincampi‘s tenure as the Music Director of the Auckland Philharmonia has been extended until the end of 2027. The 59-year-old Danish-Italian conductor is in this position since 2016. Read More →

The 2024 Jury of the Gurwitz International Piano Competition announced the winners. Gold Medal is won by  Yungyung Guo, China. Born in Hong Kong, Yungyung Guo began her piano study at the age of four. After instruction from teachers Jia Xie and Meidan Guo, she graduated from the Affiliated Middle School of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She has been awarded the People’s Scholarship, the Shanghai Scholarship, and the Lily En-Teh New Scholarship. Read More →

Finnish soprano Riikka Hakola died yesterday of a brain tumor at the age of 61, according to Opera Magazine. A graduate of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, she went on to study in London, Berlin, New York and Milan. Riikka Hakola was one of the leading sopranos at the Finnish National Opera for twenty years, after making her debut in Lucia di Lammermoor. She has performed on numerous stages worldwide.

Christoph Gedschold

After five years as Music Director of Copenhagen Phil, Peter Lodahl is stepping down to prioritize his own singing career. The new chief conductor from the 2024/2025 season will be German Christoph Gedschold, chief conductor of the Leipzig Opera. Read More →

Philharmonie Berlin

Der Stiftungsrat der Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker hat der Verlängerung des Vertrags mit Andrea Zietzschmann als Intendantin zugestimmt. Damit wird sie die Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker für weitere drei Jahre bis zum Sommer 2028 leiten. Andrea Zietzschmann hatte im September 2017 die Intendanz der Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker übernommen.

John Cage

John Cage’s ORGAN2/ASLSP (As Slow as Possible) is performed since 2001 at the St. Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, a small town in central Germany and is still be playing for another 616 years. Read More →