Joseph Cullen, who pleaded guilty to offences against two boys aged eight and eleven, was sentenced in Glasgow today to 12 months in jail.
Cullen, 55, was successively director of the London Symphony Chorus and the celebrated Huddersfield Choral Society.
More here.
Latvian National Opera has just announced the death of Anita Garanca (10.02.1949 – 23.07.2015), one of the country’s most respected vocal teachers.
Anita’s daughter Elina cancelled all summer engagements to be with her mother in the late stages of her illness.
Our sympathies to Elina and the family.
This is Leif Ove Andsnes at Marylebone today, and he’s doing it for a film.
South Florida lost three classical stations last week when the Minnesota owner sold them to Christian operators. Miami critic Lawrence A. Johnson is incensed. So are many Slipped Disc readers.
Larry assesses the options for a non-Christian resurrection here.
Richard Nass, who played English horn (cor anglais) at the Metropolitan Opera, for forty-eight seasons until his retirement in 1999, has died at the age of 96. Before the Met, he played six seasons for Fritz Reiner in Pittsburgh.
Richard is survived by his wife, Met cellist Marian Heller, and three children.
Tributes here.
The latest summer victim of airline maltreatment is the distinguished NY-based French bass player, Joëlle Léandre. Joelle flew Austrian to the avant-garde Nickelsdorf Konfrontation festival last week when this happened.
She won’t be flying Austrian again any time soon. We’re awaiting a response from the airline.
Joelle, who is also a singer and composer, has performed with Pierre Boulez and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, as well as John Cage and the Merce Cunningham company.
Founder of the Chicago Sinfonietta and a widely known guest conductor, Paul Freeman has died at 79.
Born in Richmond, Va., Paul conducted more than 100 orchestras in over 30 countries and made around 90 recordings, many of them in London and Prague. He retired four years ago in declining health.
His papers are held at the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College, Chicago.
The Berlin Phil have posted a subtitled interview clip from 2012 with their incoming chief conductor.
Asked how he gets his particular sound in each piece with an orchestra, he tells clarinettist Alexander Bader: ‘I work on it a lot at home. When I study a score I learn it page by page and I sing it to myself.
‘Otherwise when I step in front of this kind of orchestra you have so much coming at you, unless you have your own idea of sound you will just go under….It ought to sound different with every conductor.’
The interview was filmed the last time Kirill worked with Berlin, in December 2012.
The ivory ban imposed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and followed by some other nations has left many musicians in a state of high anxiety about getting their instruments through airports.
Joey Grimmer, incoming principal bassoon of Kennedy Center and Washington National Opera orchestra, has compiled an indispensable guide to instruments and ivory.
From ascertaining whether you have any ivory to learning how to obtain the appropriate instrument passport, you absolutely need to read and keep this guide if you want to travel in peace.
Read Joey’s guide exclusively here. Then save it.
And share with your friends.
Joey writes:
If you are going to travel, you have 3 options:
I know some people who have opted for option 1 and I highly discourage it. These instruments are many of our livelihoods and Congress has given the FWS the authority to seize property that contains undocumented ivory. This is no idle threat and we have seen instances of ivory being confiscated.
Alexander Toradze, the Georgian pianist and Valery Gergiev pal, has been a professor at Indiana University South Bend since 1991. They haven’t seen him since last August and have no idea when he’s likely to return.
‘It’s a personnel issue and we can’t comment on it,’ says the college. More here.
Song without words.
John Hudspith, a retired hotel manager in Coventry, got into a row with his neighbours. After a lot of slamming doors, he bought an amplifier and started playing classical pieces very loud.
Last week, enforcement officers seized his keyboard, organ and amplifier after his third alleged breach of a noise abatement order.
Full, sad story here.
