The Sydney Symphony Orchestra prepares to open its 2012 season with four performances of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony over the coming week. Check out this witty Q and A with Philip Glass from the UK Guardian on the curse of composing a Ninth Symphony. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/feb/05/pass-notes-ninth-symphony

  The legacy of Sir Charles Mackerras will be honoured in a new award created by the English National Opera, of which Sir Charles was director from 1970-1977. The first recipient is to be announced in April 2012. More at: http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/eno-announces-the-charles-mackerras-fellowship

Chamber music is the focus in the continuing overview of Sydney’s 2012 concert agenda. Australia’s flagship chamber ensemble, the Australian Chamber Orchestra continues its innovative and classy programming performing classics as well as thinking outside the square. They’re bringing to Sydney guests artists whom one would otherwise need to travel the world to hear. Chief amongst these…

  As the summer holidays end and the Sydney Festival wraps up, Sydneysiders contemplate the start of a wealth of subscription series. Despite the struggle to survive and intense competition for audiences and sponsorship, performing arts companies will offer Sydneysiders numerous opportunities for their delectation, ranging from rare one-offs, through to the equivalent of an evening with…

Gustav Leonhardt, Dutch harpsichordist, organist and a world authority on early music, has died after ill health caused him to retire from public performance just last month. http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/harpsichordist-and-conductor-gustav-leonhardt-has-died