A Sneak Peek At Butterfly
Sydney’s star-gazers could be forgiven for an element of confusion over the next couple of weeks as not one but two moons and two suns float over Sydney harbour. The two gleaming orbs are part of Handa on Sydney Harbour’s 2014 production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly which opens of Friday March 21st and runs every…
Butterfly On The Harbour – Image Gallery
More stunning images from Madama Butterfly, the production for 2014 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour which opens tomorrow night. Scroll down to see all four images. Images by James Morgan, courtesy Opera Australia.
Reviews: Carby’s Performances In London
In our recent Q and A with mezzo-soprano Catherine Carby, she talked about her upcoming roles as Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi for the Chelsea Opera Group and as the Voice from Above in Richard Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten for the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Read the glowing reviews of her performances as…
Music, History And Politics – A Conductor’s View
Conductor Christoph von Dohnányi is in the middle of a seven concert series of Beethoven’s music with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. After this, the 84 year travels to Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York, San Diego and Chicago before returning to Europe in early May. He talks to David Mermelstein of the Wall Street Journal about Making Music in History’s…
ABC Symphony Australia Announce Young Performers Finalists
Twelve finalists performing on the oboe, flute, violin and piano have been selected to compete in the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year finals for 2014 to take place in Adelaide in August. Representing New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, the young musicians Andrew Kawai, Anna Da Silva Chen, Anne-Marie Johnson, Catherine Gregory, David Soo, Glenn Christensen, Grace…
A New Music Director for Sydney Chamber Choir
Australia’s most admired conductor and respected musical educator, Richard Gill, has been announced as the incoming Musical Director of the Sydney Chamber Choir. Richard will take over from Paul Stanhope who was recently appointed as Artistic Chair of the Australia Ensemble. Richard Gill has been the Patron of the choir since 2009 and is guest conductor for the first…
2014 Menuhim Competition Winners Announced
The first and second place winners in the prestigious Menuhin competition for violinists are just 17 and 14 years old! Founded in 1983 by Yehudi Menuhin, the competition’s previous winners include Julia Fischer and Tamsin Little. The first prize includes the opportunity to perform with the Cleveland Orchestra, an individual prize of $10,000 and the one-year loan of fine Italian…
Honour for Harnoncourt
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, now 84 and retired from conducting has been made an Honorary Member of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Read more from Gramophone Magazine.
The Story Behind Handel’s Messiah
Here in Sydney we’re more likely to hear Handel’s Messiah performed at Christmas rather than at Easter. Yet, a significant portion of this oratorio is centred on the Passion, and it’s premiere was in April 1742, in Dublin. Subsequently, Messiah became associated with London’s Foundling Hospital for orphans, where Handel directed a performance of it…