Latest news
Kurt Masur injured
Kurt Masur has reportedly fractured hs shoulder blade after falling off the podium during a performance in Paris: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-kurt-masur-june-20120430,0,127614.story …and in Colorado, a conductor has collapsed and died during performance of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. As this is a work for organ and not for orchestra, it is unclear whether the deceased…
Stuart Skelton in trans-Atlantic Wagner roles
Australian tenor Stuart Skelton steps in for an ailing Jonas Kauffman next week, in the Met’s production of Die Walkure. Later this month, he sings in The Flying Dutchman for the English National Opera in London. Last week, he gave his most recent interview: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/features/stuart-skelton-one-man-two-tenors-7687275.html
A new principal conductor for the waso
The West Australian Symphony Orchestra has appointed a new Principal Conductor to succeed Paul Daniel who ends his contract next year. Asher Fisch is no stranger to Australia having worked here in 2004, conducting Adelaide’s production of The Ring. Since 2007, Asher Fisch has been Seattle Opera’s Principal Conductor. He is a former music director…
Review fom the NYTimes: The ACO at Carnegie Hall
“Intensity and virtuosity are the hallmarks of this orchestra”. Read the New York Times review of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s performance with soprano Dawn Upshaw at Carnegie Hall early this week. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/arts/music/australian-chamber-orchestra-at-carnegie-hall.html?_r=1&ref=music Benefactors, a Stradivarius and The Glide build the bottom line for the ACO: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/rare-violin-lifts-aco-bottom-line-20120502-1xz60.html http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/acos-subscription-switch-wins-surplus/story-e6frg8n6-1226345172062
A documentary on peter sculthorpe
The influence of Peter Sculthorpe on Australian music in the 20th and 21st centuries is beyond measure. The Goldner Quartet aims to document at least some of the essence of this great life and great talent in a new documentary. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/four-score-and-19-political-quartets-later-20120424-1xj20.html
Welcome David Zinman
Acclaimed conductor David Zinman conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra during May this year in two programmes. Zinman is the Music Director of the Tonhalle in Zurich to which he was appointed in 1995. Renowned for his creative programming, he has also appeared as guest conductor with the major orchestras of the world – the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony,…
Latest reviews
What’s in a name? Nicknamed music on CD
Try referring to a piece of music by its key and opus number and you can be met with a blank look until you hum the tune or refer to it by its nickname. Opus numbers and keys are an essential part of the identity of a work, but nicknames can be a welcome aide…
extraordinary tale – extraordinary singing from the idea of north
As always, The Idea of North delight listeners with their new CD. Their freshness, purity of tone and unerring pitch, blend like the strands of a braid that start and end their journey together, meandering their own part in between, independent, but never losing sight of being part of the single design. Extraordinary Tale (ABC…