The ACO thrills at the Edinburgh Festival
The Australian Chamber Orchestra has again impressed on the international stage with its performance at the Edinburgh Festival, an achievement whose significance is swelled by the knowledge that performing at this hallowed event is strictly at the invitation of Festival Director Jonathan Mills. With Richard Tognetti directing from the violin, the concert was simulcast on BBC3 and included works…
Mario Lanza’s classics revived by Joseph Calleja
Tenor Joseph Calleja has turned his magnificent voice to recording the songs of Mario Lanza. Called Be My Love – A tribute to Mario Lanza, it’s the 4th solo CD for the 34 year old Maltese born lyric tenor. Due for release in mid-September under the Decca label, the music on the CD is inspired by the…
Tuning a piano is good for your brain
Having reported recently that an increasing number of pianos (in the US at least) are being dumped ( http://soundslikesydney.com.au/news/free-to-a-good-home-when-pianos-pass-their-use-by-date/8789.html), and that Australia is suffering a lack of piano tuners and training facilities for them, (http://soundslikesydney.com.au/news/australia-out-of-tuners/9084.html) research has proven that working and training as a piano tuner produces specific adaptations in brain function that relate to the…
Sir Simon Rattle on ten years with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Ten years after Sir Simon Rattle began his tenure with the Berlin Philharmonic, he speaks to Ivan Hewitt of The Telegraph about the last decade …and that unforgettable moment when he shared the stage with the infamous Mr Bean. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/9492893/Simon-Rattle-interview-of-course-the-orchestra-is-stroppy.html
ACO 2013 season announced
The Australian Chamber Orchestra has just announced its 2013 season. Andreas Scholl sings Vivaldi, Barry Humphries presents music from Berlin, Martin Fröst plays Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Patricia Kopatchinskaja guest directs from the violin. There’s music by Brahms, Brett Dean, Ginastera and Rautavaara in the mix. More at: http://www.aco.com.au/buy/subscriptions?utm_source=mail2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Announcing2013season
Ticket giveaway to Selby and friends
Selby and Friends present A Feast of Rarities featuring quartets by Mozart, Dvorak, Mahler and Stanhope. They are offering two double passes to each of their concerts in Turramurra (Sunday Sept 2nd 2 pm) and the City Recital Hall (Tuesday 4th September at 7pm) to readers of SoundsLikeSydney. If you’d like to be in the running…
Australia out of tune(rs)
Some weeks ago we posted the link to a feature in the New York Times bout the destruction of pianos that no-one wanted to keep or maintain. Now the Sydney Morning Herald reports on a rapidly diminishing skill base of piano tuners. http://www.smh.com.au/national/scaled-back-dying-skill-a-note-of-concern-for-pianists-20120824-24rxj.html
Spectrum: creative collaboration realised
London based pianist Zubin Kanga presented his recital Spectrum to an admiring and dedicated audience at the Independent Theatre in North Sydney recently. I was fortunate to speak with Zubin Kanga after the concert to reflect on its content and creation – a process substantially more enlightening than a preview or critique. Kanga performed 7 works…
Opera Australia launches into 2013
The anticipation was palpable as Opera Australia announced its 2013 season in the opera theatre of the Sydney Opera House today. Glittering in more ways than one, Taryn Fiebig and the ensemble whetted appetites with a larger than life rendition of Quando m’en vo from the video of the 2010 production of La Boheme, projected onto…