Gustavo Dudamel
Photo: Mathew Imagaing

After having been repeatedly accused for sympathies with the dictatorial regime in Venezuela, conductor Gustavo Dudamel declared last week that, in fact, he is ‘not political’ and that all his engagement for El Sistema and the Bolivar Orchestra is about his love for his county and for the music. His words have considerably upset Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero who published her very personal opinion about it. Read More →

Hermann Lewen
(c) Mosel Musikfestival - Foto Thewalt,Wittlich

Der Abschluss der Ernte im musikalischen Weinberg der Mosel war mit Berlioz und Guilmant ein würdiger Abschluss der (Musik-)Lese des Jubiläumsjahrgangs 2015 beim Mosel Musikfestival. Pizzicato-Mitarbeiter Marc Jeck war am 3. Oktober in der Trierer Konstantin-Basilikabeim Abschlusskonzert des Mosel Musikfestivals dabei. Read More →

James Levine

The Metropolitan Opera in New York announced that James Levine has cancelled the new production of Alban Berg’s Lulu, opening on November 5. The announcement said Levine will concentrate his energies on Wagner’s Tannhäuser, which opens on October 8. Why this overlapping was planned after all, is one of the mysteries of the music business. Lothar Koenigs will take over the first five performances of Lulu. The Met said that the conductor of the final three performances would be announced later.

In Memphis (Tennessee) the Memphis Symphony Orchestra has named Robert Moody (42) as Principal Conductor beginning with the 2016-2017 season. Moody has signed a two-year contract. He is the successor of Mei-Ann Chen. Moody has served as Music Director of the Winston-Salem Symphony (North Carolina) since 2005, Artistic Director of Arizona Musicfest since 2007, and Music Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra (Maine) since 2008.

Luxembourg Music Publishers (LMP) has been granted a substantial financial support by the foundation Oeuvre de Secours Grande-Duchese Charlotte, in order to publish important works of deceased composers. Preliminaries to the publishing of works by René Mertzig, Jeannot Heinen and Edmond Cigrang will soon be completed and the first scores will be published by the end of this year. Read More →

Matthias Foremny
(c) Gero Breloer

Der Vertrag von Matthias Foremny (*1972) als Chefdirigent des Stuttgarter Kammerorchesters wurde um weitere drei Spielzeiten verlängert. « Wir freuen uns, dass die Zusammenarbeit mit Matthias Foremny als Chefdirigent fortgesetzt wird. Das Orchester ist begeistert von seiner mitreißenden Arbeitsweise“, so Wolfgang Laubichler, Geschäftsführender Intendant des Stuttgarter Kammerorchesters. Formeny ist seit der Saison 2011/12 auch Erster ständiger Gastdirigent an der Oper Leipzig.

Michael Stern

Kansas City Symphony announced Music Director Michael Stern (56) has renewed his contract through the 2019-2020 season. Stern, whose current contract continues through the 2015-2016 season, will have served as Kansas City Symphony music director for 15 years when the new contract expires. Read More →

Board Chairman Daniel K. Meyer, M.D. announced today that Opera Philadelphia’s Board of Directors has extended David B. Devan’s contract as the company’s General Director and President, and Corrado Rovaris’s contract as Music Director, through the end of the 2019-2020 Season. “David Devan and Corrado Rovaris have transformed Philadelphia into a destination for opera lovers,” said Meyer.

Oper Stuttgart

Der Schweizer Jossi Wieler (64) bleibt bis 2018 Intendant an der Staatsoper Stuttgart, wird seinen Vertrag jedoch nicht darüber hinaus verlängern. Dies gaben Kunstministerin Theresia Bauer, Stuttgarts Oberbürgermeister Fritz Kuhn sowie Jossi Wieler heute in Stuttgart bekannt. Read More →

Musicians of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (Minnesota) have ratified a two-year extension of the current contract, which was set to expire June 30, 2016. The two-year extension will become effective July 1, 2016, extending the expiration date to June 30, 2018. Nearly all terms and conditions of the current contract will remain unchanged in the extension, except for increases in musician compensation. Read More →