Daniel Hope
(c) Harald Hoffmann
British violinist Daniel Hope (41) has been appointed Principal Conductor of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, starting with the 16/17 season. Hope will be the successor to Sir Roger Norrington. He is supposed to do more than music, as the orchestra’s manager says: « With his musical and communications skills, Hope will strengthen the profile and global reach of the orchestra. In exchange, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra will provide the musical backbone for Hope’s various projects. »
After a cancelled season 2014/15, the Sacramento Philharmonic has announced a seven-concert season for 2015-16. According to a report in the Sacramento Bee, the return of the orchestra to the concert hall will begin with a performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony at the Community Center Theater on June 27. The season will end in May 2016 with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. After its merger with the local Opera company, the two operate under an umbrella organization called the Sacramento Region Performing Arts Alliance.
Jamie Barton
American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton (34) has won the Richard Tucker Award. The $50,000 prize commemorates the great American tenor. Barry Tucker, president of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation described the singer as having a ‘once-in-a-generation voice.’ Read More →
Helmut Lachenmann
Photo: Astrid Karger
Der Deutsche Musikautorenpreis in der Kategorie Lebenswerk wird in diesem Jahr an Helmut Lachenmann für sein über fünfzigjähriges musikalisches Schaffen als Komponist, Kompositionslehrer und Begründer der Stilrichtung ‘Musique concrète instrumentale’ verliehen. Die Ehrung des Preisträgers für sein Lebenswerk ist einer der Höhepunkte der am 21. Mai 2015 in Berlin stattfindenden Gala zur Verleihung des Deutschen Musikautorenpreises. Read More →
Cecilia Bartoli
(c) Ulli Weber/Decca
The Monte-Carlo Opera is creating a new baroque orchestra, ‘Les Musiciens du Prince’, and has named Cecilia Bartoli artistic director of the new baroque series. The Monegasque opera house confirmed that the mezzo-soprano has a contract until 2021. The singer already holds the same position at the Salzburg Whitsun Festival since 2012.
OIympiapark München
(c) Remy Franck
Die Gerüchte um den Bau eines neuen Konzertsaals in München verdichten sich, nachdem die Politiker von der Renovierung der Gasteig-Philharmonie abzurücken scheinen. Da frühere Pläne vor allem an der Standortfrage scheiterten, wurde nun der Olympiapark ins Gespräch gebracht. Dort soll ein Einkaufszentrum bald abgerissen werden, und das so frei werdende Areal könnte als Bauterrain für einen neuen Konzertsaal genutzt werden, heißt es in deutschen Medien.
The Cleveland Orchestra has announced that Giancarlo Guerrero’s contract as principal guest conductor of its Miami residency will not be renewed after the 2015-16 season. Guerrero, currently music director of the Nashville Symphony, is not available for the projected expansion of the residency, his conducting schedule being too full. Entering its 10th season in 2015, Cleveland Orchestra Miami was launched in January 2007 during the inaugural 2006-07 season of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County.
The promotion of composers from Luxembourg or in close contact with this country is the main objective of a new organization, Luxembourg Music Publishers, run by a team comprising Claude Krier as president, as well as internationally renowned composers Alexander Müllenbach and Camille Kerger as vice-presidents. Read More →
Der britische Dirigent Leo McFall hat den mit 15.000 Euro dotierten Deutschen Dirigentenpreis 2015 gewonnen. McFall, Schüler u.a. von Leif Segerstam und Jorma Panula, ist derzeit 1. Kapellmeister am Theater Meiningen und Assistenzdirigent des Gustav Mahler Jugendorchesters. Zwei Sonderpreise gingen an Ciarán McAuley, ‘Resident Conductor’ beim ‘Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra’, und Justus Thorau, 1. Kapellmeister am Theater Aachen.
Gemma Summerfield
At this year’s Kathleen Ferrier Competition held at Wigmore Hall in London, soprano Gemma Lois Summerfield (24) swept the board winning both 1st
Prize and the Song Prize. The English singer was the youngest of the finalists. She is currently studying for a Master’s in performance at the Royal College of Music. Second prize was awarded to soprano Soraya Ma who is also a current student at the Royal College.
