The names of next summer’s judges have been released to Russian media (but not posted on the competition’s website).

The competition’s chairman is Valery Gergiev, its artistic director Peter Grote.

The judges include:

Piano: Denis Matsuev (Gergiev and Putin pal), Vladimir Ashkenazy, Michel Beroff, Verbier director, Martin Engstroem, Peter Donohoe.

Violin: Yuri Bashmet (Gergiev and Putin pal), Maxim Vengerov, Salvatore Accardo, Victor Tretyakov, Ilya Kaler, Maxim Fedotov, Liana Isakadze.

Cello: Antonio Menezes, Lynn Harrell, Alexander Knyazev, Michael May, David Geringas, Sergei Roldugin.

Voice: Thomas Quasthoff, Geneva opera director Tobias Richter, Scottish conductor John Fisher, Elena Obraztsova and, wait for it, Gergiev’s sister, the pianist and opera coach Larisa Gergieva.

The organising committee is chaired by a deputy prime minister, Olga Golodets. The Putin regime’s footprints are all over this show.

They’re getting married in St Petersburg, she told Russian television.

Her intended, Yusif Eyvazov added quickly ‘not in winter’.

Next summer, he said, probably August.

Slipped Disc is offering to attend as a neutral observer.

Kevin Ramach, 54, has resigned as president and general director of Minnesota, less than three years into the job. His predecessor, Allan Naplan, lasted no more than a year.

Nina Archabal of the historical society has taken over as interim. Not looking good.

The above headline in Le Monde is causing lots of waves.

The article is a song of praise for directors and casting chiefs at Nancy and Bordeaux, who have kept their audiences happy by spotting big voices when they were young and cheap. Bordeaux tapped Nina Stemme long before she caught the eye of Bayreuth. The top fee at Bordeaux is 10,000 Euros, but it is paid only once or twice per season. For the rest, these opera houses are on the hunt.

There’s not much content in the article, but the headline nails a prevalent phenomenon.

The tenor Reinaldo Macias has responded online:

‘Opera singers are also looking!!! We’re looking for competent theater directors at affordable prices!!! It’s time to stop using singers as the scapegoats for the current crisis created by the mismanagement of theater directors. Production and management costs have skyrocketed while soloists face ever increasing costs and significantly lower fees. In the arts we face the equivalent of the banking crisis and the blame can be placed directly on the shoulders of theater directors first and foremost.’

 h/t: Peter Lodahl

Wesley Hawryliw, 32, an orchestral musician from Leicester, has been jailed for eight years for offences against girls aged 11 to 15.

Earlier this year, Christopher Dunn, a former teacher at the same Soar Valley Music Centre, given eight years for offences against girls of 15.

Manfred Klein, a prize winner at the 1976 centennial Richard Wagner competition, has died at 66. Born in Bayreuth, he sang various roles there. Much of his career was spent at Wiesbaden, but he was heard on several international stages, including Amsterdam, Vienna and Prague.

The sad tale of Sol Adler is told in New York magazine. Click here.

Katharina Wagner has appointed Uwe Eric Laufenberg, the overspending former intendant of Cologne, to direct Parsifal in 2016.

She had previously fired Jonathan Meese, over alleged budgetary concerns.

It’s a fantasy world, Bayreuth.

A list of 31 contestants has been announced for the Boris Goldstein Competition, founded in memory of his own teacher by the eminent violin teacher, Zachar Bron. Professor Bron will be president of the jury.

We understand that 13 of the participants admitted are Professor Bron’s students.

We wish the best of luck to the rest.

The list:

Benjamin Baker (UK)
Marie Bégin (Canada)
Vlada Berazhnaya (Belarus)
Yejin Byun (S. Korea)
Mizuki Chiba (Japan)
Soo Jin Hannah Cho (S. Korea)
Maxime Gulikers (Netherlands)
Victoria Gusachenko (Ukraine)
Mone Hattori (Japan)
Ryan Howland (Canada)
Alexander Kuznetsov (Russia)
Joanna Lee (USA/S. Korea)
Furong Li (China)
Sean Yongjoo Lim (USA)
Petya Lundstrem (Russia)
Sofija Nikoska (Macedonia)
Kana Ohashi (Japan)
Ami Oike (Japan)
Marek Pavelec (Czech Republic)
Alexander Read (Canada)
Siena Sanchez-O’Brien (USA)
Arsenis Selalmazidis (Greece/Russia)
Aleksey Semenenko (Ukraine)
Dmitry Serebrennikov (Russia)
Stefan Tarara (Germany)
Hannah Tarley (USA)
Shiori Terauchi (Japan)
Yuna Toki (Japan)
Xin Wen (China)
Takuya Yamamoto (Japan)
Arata Yumi (Japan)

Aylen Pritchin, 27, from St Petersburg was announced last night as winner of the Thibaud round of the Long Thibaud Crespin competition.

He receives 25,000 Euros.

Second was Naoka Aoki, 22 (Japan)
Third: Frederike Starkloff, 24 (Germany)
Fourth: Kyung Ji Min, 19 (South Korea)
Fifth: Hildegarde Fesneau, 19 (France)

The jury was chaired by the distinguished Italian soloist, Salvatore Accardo. Pritchin’s teacher, Eduard Grach, was a member of the jury, as was one of his ex-pupils.

Change is coming fast at the San Diego Symphony with the arrival of CEO Martha Gilmer from Chicago.

Jahja Ling, 63, music director since 2004, has announced he’s stepping down.

He told the orchestra: ‘After the 2016-17 season, I look forward to pursuing more international guest conducting, passing on the great musical traditions to the next generation through teaching and continuing with my volunteer work in the Christian mission.’

According to his wikipedia entry, Jahja Ling has been volunteering for the Reformed Evangelical ministry in Jakarta, Indonesia, since 2008. He is also a Vice President of the Stephen Tong Evangelistic Ministries International.

Andrew Patner has sent us ultimate audio of the announcer test set by Mike Nichols more than 60 years ago and still in use at WFMT Chicago.

You are allowed to make one mistake. After that, it’s next candidate please….

Ready? Click here for two versions.