News

Pianist bridges the political chasm

  This week, Richard Tognetti along with ACO2 and guest artists have packed their surf gear and travelled the country presenting The Reef. which comes to Sydney on Monday July 23rd.  Back in Sydney, three core members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra are performing Schubert’s Trout Quintet and Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time with…

Accolades for Carolyn Watson

  Sydney conductor Carolyn Watson’s star continue to rise as she has headed off to Europe for the northern summer. She sent  Sounds Like Sydney a ‘postcard’ from Berlin. “I’m writing this from Berlin where I’ve just arrived. Very fortunately, I was named as the recipient of Opera Foundation Australia’s 2012 Berlin New Music Opera Award,…

More news….

There are changes  afoot in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, aimed at improving the acoustic. More at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/opinion/acoustic-alterations-at-the-opera-house-must-retain-the-architectural-harmony-of-the-hall/story-fn9n9z9n-1226420429346     What’s the obsession with expecting musicians to have the stamina of an athlete, the technique of the possessed and the looks of a deity? http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/making-beautiful-music/story-fn9n8gph-1226416992126     Review the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s current touring…

Hot off the press….

How will we access music over the next decade? http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mp3s/music-revolution-20120705-21jmo.html     A new organ in unveiled in Sydney: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/traveller-over-seas-and-years-20120707-21nqz.html     A review of the weekend’s Sydney Symphony concert conducted by conductor designate David Robertson: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/shifting-layers-have-rewards-20120705-21jt9.html

More about Melba’s funding cut

“The Melba Foundation was established to promote Australia’s finest classical musicians and artists in the national and international music world”  says the opening statement on the home page of Melba Recordings. It continues: “The appointed role of the foundation is to help the best contemporary Australian musicians…. develop a profile and continue to build musical…

Technology transports the sound

The orchestra pit of the Opera Theatre in the Sydney Opera House wasn’t big enough to accommodate the 86 orchestral musicians required for Opera Australia’s present production of Korngold’s “Die tote Stadt”. Answer: take them off-site and link them to the theatre with video and acoustic technology. Matthew Westwood of The Australian has the full story: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/music/pits-not-up-to-it-so-piped-musics-the-go/story-fn9d2mxu-1226409545488

The weekend’s music news

William Barton receives a standing ovation for his performance with the Sydney Symphony: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/hail-the-didgeridoo-virtuoso-20120628-2156p.html Michael Shmith reviews DG’s 82 CD set release of Herbert von Karajan’s 1060s recordings: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/a-school-reunion-of-sorts-20120628-213fy.html …and a new Chief Executive for the Sydney Opera House: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/ex-belvoir-head-to-run-opera-house/story-e6frg8n6-1226412792951

Haitink seeks new generation of conductors

During this year’s Lucerne Festival mestro Bernard Haitink conducts master classes for aspiring young professionals. The festival has been running since 1938 when the concerts in its first series were conducted by Toscanini. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/features/bernard-haitink-a-maestro-passes-on-his-baton-to-the-next-generation-7873227.html