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
A New CD for Slava and Leonard Grigoryan
Keeping up with the Grigoryan brothers is no mean feat. This month Slava Grigoryan performs in concert with the Willoughby Symphony, the brothers Leonard and Slava appear on Jose Carbo’s recent release My Latin Heart, but most importantly, between early July and mid-October, they will undertake an extensive national tour from Perth to Townsville…
Just spreadin’ the news: music in NYC
The music of Philip Glass is premiered in the neart of NYC: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/23/arts/music/the-new-rule-at-make-music-new-york.html?_r=1&ref=music Satie’s Vexations is performed on Wall Street for 18 hours. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/23/arts/music/vexations-at-make-music-new-york.html?ref=music
Sydney cellist at London’s Cultural Olympiad
Making his journey to London amidst the melee of Olympic athletes, tourists and media is Sydney cellist Mathisha Panagoda, on a mission to represent Australian in London’s 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Mathisha will be performing with the Aldeburgh World Orchestra on a tour that will culminate in a performance at the BBC Proms in late July at…
Lisa Gasteen and Eric Whitacre interviews:
Lisa Gasteen makes a welcome return to the stage during the Brisbane Festival in August. She talks to Matthew Westwood of The Australian: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/opera-star-lisa-gasteen-sets-her-own-tempo/story-fn9n8gph-1226403160732 …… and Eric Whitacre talks to Bridget Cormack: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/music/master-of-the-ethereal-choristers/story-fn9d2mxu-1226404727785
Simone Young interviews
Simone Young returns to Australia at the end of July to conduct the Australian Youth Orchestra in Brisbane. In this interview with the Sydney Morning Herald she talks about her tenure in Hamburg and her plans for the future: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/funding-means-its-a-long-way-between-sydney-and-hamburg-20120622-20t5k.html http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/climbing-every-mountain-with-a-bit-of-metal-20120622-20t5h.html