Police raided the offices of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) today in central Seoul, according to the Korean Times. The raid was the consequence of a plea by the former CEO of the Orchestra, Park Hyun-Jung. Park resigned as CEO over allegations that she harassed SPO employees sexually and verbally after taking office in February, 2013. Now she sues the employees over defamatory remarks made against the former manager. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said investigators secured computer hard disks, USBs and mobile phones of SPO employees.

Im Zuge des Schwerpunktes zu zeitgenössischer Musik, der in den nächsten Spielzeiten den Spielplan der Wiener Staatsoper prägen wird, hat Staatsoperndirektor Dominique Meyer für die nächsten fünf Spielzeiten fünf Kompositionsaufträge fixiert. Das chronologisch letzte Uraufführungsprojekt ist Olga Neuwirths Oper ‘Orlando’ basierend auf Virginia Woolfs gleichnamigem Roman. Das Libretto besorgt die franko-amerikanische Autorin und Dramatikerin Catherine Filloux. Die Premiere ist für Dezember 2019 vorgesehen.

Evelyn Glennie
(c) Mark Harrison

Scottish percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie has been named 2015 Laureate of the Polar Music Prize. She will receive the award from Sweden’s King Carl XVI at a ceremony in Stockholm on 9 June. Glennie (49) has been profoundly deaf since the age of 12. This does not inhibit her ability to perform at an international level. She says to have taught herself to hear with parts of her body other than her ears. That’s why she always performs barefoot. Read More →

Thomas Dausgaard
Photo: Ulla C. Ekblom

Danish conductor Thomas Dausgaard (51) will become the Glasgow based BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s Chief Conductor in September 2016. He is currently Chief Conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Seattle Symphony and Honorary Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. In Glasgow, Dausgaard will be the successor to Donald Runnicles who is in that position since 2009.

Anna Netrebko
(c) Dario Acosta

Weil Anna Netrebko einem ostukrainischen Separatistenführer eine Spende für das Opernhaus Donetsk überreicht und anschließend vor der Separatistenflagge posiert hatte, war sie in die Kritik geraten. Am vergangenen Freitag kam sie nun mit dem vom russischen Maler und Philosophen Nicholas Roerich entworfenen Banner des Friedens zu einer Friedenskundgebung im Opernhaus von Donetsk. Read More →

Die von der orthodoxen Kirche gegen Regisseur Timothy Kuljabina und den Direktor der Oper von Novosibirsk, Boris Mezdricha, angestrengte Klage, ihre ‘Tannhäuser‘-Inszenierung habe die Gefühle der Gläubigen verletzt, wurde vom Gericht abgewiesen. Richterin Ekaterina Sorokina fand keinen ‘corpus delicti’ in der Wagner-Produktion, berichten russische Medien am heutigen 10. März. Die Richterin begründete ihren Entscheid mit Gutachten von zwei Kirchen- und Religionswissenschaftlern aus Moskau.

Dietrich Henschel

Der Bariton Dietrich Henschel widmet sich seit vielen Jahren auch der visuellen Darstellung von Liedern. Aus der intensiven Zusammenarbeit mit der belgisch-katalanischen Videokünstlerin und Regisseurin Clara Pons entstand eine Serie von Projekten, wovon das nächste Gustav Mahlers ‘Des Knaben Wunderhorn’ gewidmet ist. Read More →

Louis Langrée
(c) Benoît Limero

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has extended the contract of its music director, Louis Langrée (54), through its 125th anniversary season in 2019/20. Langrée has taken over this position in 2013. The French conductor is also Chief Conductor of the Camerata Salzburg and Music Director of the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center in New York.

Dimitrij Kitajenko
Photo: Gerd Mothes

Pizzicato published today an interview with Russian conductor Dmitrij Kitajenko who is honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA). Kitajenko expresses himself on various topics, such as the performance of Tchaikovsky’s music (A conductor can make many wrong decisions and turn Tchaikovsky into a jam, something sweet and whiny), young conductors (The main problem for young conductors is that they do not take enough time to study), music directors Read More →

David Stern
(c) Maria Rosenblatt

Palm Beach Opera (Florida) has appointed David Stern as chief conductor, effective June 1, 2015 for a three year term. Stern is the successor of Bruno Aprea, who left the house in 2012. He is the founder and director of the Paris-based opera studio and period-instrument ensemble, Opera Fuoco, as well as director of the Shanghai Baroque Festival and director of opera at the Crested Butte Music Festival in Colorado. He resides in Paris with his wife, violinist Katharina Wolff, and his two daughters.