The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has named Gemma New from New Zealand as Principal Guest conductor. She was unanimously chosen following a search by a committee comprised of DSO musicians, board and staff, and with the artistic leadership of Fabio Luisi. Her two-year contract will commence with the 2019-2020 season. Read More →

This weekend, American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers appeared in four performances to celebrate the opening of the new Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia, by special invitation of the composer himself. Read More →

Steffen Krebber: Kammermusik Neolithic Brass; Faire signe + Nichtsattrappen + Aufstieg und Fall außerweltlicher Flug- und Kriechtierattrappen + Streichquartett Nr. 1 + Konfusion I & IV + Konfusion IIa + Zimzum + Obdach // Wohnung + Style Study (+DVD: Laufzeitumgebung; Style Study); Julia Mihaly (Stimme), ensemble garage, Mariano Chiachiarini, Sonar Quartett, Sabine Akiko Ahrendt (Violine, Talkbox), Ensemble Praesenz, lux:nm, Dirk Rothbrust (Drum set), Ulrich Löffler (Keyboard); 1 CD + 1 DVD Wergo WER 6420 2; Aufnahmen 10/2010, 11/2012, 8/2014, 3+5/2016, Veröffentlichung 08/2018 (CD: 61'59 + DVD: 15'10) – Rezension von Uwe Krusch

Für den Komposition Steffen Krebber bedeutet die Verschränkung des Zeichenhaften und Referentiellen mit dem Körperlichen und Materiellen und eine fortschreitende Verfeinerung eine Resubjektivierung des Komponisten. Diese Subjektivierung verbindet den Komponisten mit seinem Werk und eröffnet der Kunstmusik neues Territorium. Einerseits wird der Komponist verstärkt des ihn umgebenden Netzwerkes Musik bewusst. So nutzt er die Neue Musik Szene als Teil seiner Arbeit sowie Referenzen zu bildender Kunst zu seiner Musik. Andererseits werden verschiedene Milieus musikalisch aufgerufen. Read More →

The New York Philharmonic has fired two musicians, according to the New York Times. The musicians are principal oboist Liang Wang, and associate principal trumpet Matthew Muckey. The reason is a yet unspecified misconduct. For the moment both musicians are on unpaid leaves of absence, while the orchestra delayed their dismissals, allowing the union to review the case.

Andrey Boreyko has been named Artistic Director and Music Director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, commencing from the 2019/20 season. Boreyko will succeed Jacek Kaspszyk, who served in the role since 2013. He also holds the position of Music Director of Artis-Naples in Florida. Read More →

The Medici Villa in Rome, where the winners of the Prix de Rome used to live – the competition ended in 1968 – is now owned by the French Ministry of Culture. It still is a home for artists in various fields, however artists are no longer recruited by a competition but by application, and their stays generally vary from six to eighteen months. Read More →

The set work for the ARD competition is for solo viola – but not exclusively. Some special bells are used in the first movement. How exactly do they sound, and what is the challenge for the perfomer?
The bells are tied to the player’s foot, and they have to play them at the same time as the music, without any stamping noises on the floor. Playing another instrument as well as the main one is not only a musical act for me. It is also a challenge, because you have to coordinate your physical balance as well as the spiritual balance of different sounds. Read More →

The Shanghai Orchestra Academy (SOA) – a partnership between the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music – has now kicked off its worldwide student admission process for the 2019 academic year. Read More →

One and a half years after its inauguration in January 2015, the Philharmonie de Paris, undertook a study to better know the various segments of its audience. The quantitative study surveyed the individual adult audience (age 15 and higher) over an entire season, from September 2016 to August 2017. In all, 38,185 surveys were collected. The study was now published. Read More →

John Adams: Doctor Atomic; Gerald Finley (Dr. Robert Oppenheimer), Brindley Sherratt (Edward Teller), Andrew Staples (Robert Wilson), Julia Bullock (Kitty Oppenheimer), Jennifer Johnston (Pasqualita), Aubrey Allicock (General Leslie Groves), Marcus Farnworth (Frank Hubbard), Samuel Sakker (Captain James Nolan), BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams; 2 CDs Nonesuch 7559 79310-7; Aufnahme 04/2017, Veröffentlichung 06/2018 (157'15) – Rezension von Uwe Krusch

Dies ist die zweite Einspielung der zweiaktigen Oper ‘Doctor Atomic’. Sie entstand unter der Leitung des Komponisten John Adams. Die Aufnahme des im postminimalistischen Stil gehaltenen Werks präsentiert erneut Gerald Finley in der Rolle des Robert J. Oppenheimer. Das Werk befasst sich mit emotionalen Spannungen und Ängsten der am Manhattan-Projekt Beteiligten während der Vorbereitungen zum Test der ersten Atombombe. Read More →