From a passionate article by a current Jacobs student:

I’ve been hit with “Is music even a job or is it just something you do in your free time?” and “We didn’t even have a music teacher at our school, so there probably won’t be jobs for you when you graduate.” Regardless of the answers I give, there always seem to be more questions. It’s hard enough working toward my major academically, but no one prepared me for the amount of work it takes to defend my major’s importance.

Music education differs from studying performance in that, while we are required to take many of the same classes — such as music theory and history, musical skills, and the fundamentals of piano — we also learn how to play every instrument offered in schools’ music programs, including string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. If you think that’s a walk in the park, we have ensemble rehearsal for two hours a day at least three days a week, individual lessons on our primary instrument, and field observations of music education in local schools. Add on a casual 20-credit-hour course load — as opposed to virtually everyone else at IU with an average of 15 credits per semester — and you’ve got a concoction for one of the most stressful majors on IU’s campus.

Read Miller Susens’ full article here.

photo: Ben Meraz

We have been notified of the passing of Rainer Schottstädt, one of Germany’s best-known bassoon players, principal of the Gurzenich orchestra of Cologne for 40 years.

Rainer, who retired last year from the orchestra, was 65.

He was a member of the Syrinx quintet and set up his own publishing house for his many bassoon arrangements of classical scores.

The Cologne conductor Franz-Xavier Roth writes: Extremely sad and chocked to hear the sudden death of the great Rainer Schottstaedt who was the legendary principal bassoon of the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne. Rainer retired from his orchestra position a few months ago. It was an honor to play with him and to know him. All my thoughts go to his whole family and colleagues.

Viktor Grishin was principal percussion of the Bolshoi orchestra since 1973.

He was also founder if its percussion ensemble and a widely published composer.

source: classicalmusicnews.ru

A 15 year-old American, Elli Choi, came first in the World Monaco Music Masters competition. Elli, who won 30,000 Euros, is a student of Zakhar Bron in Switzerland. Her career is managed by the Zakhar Bron Akademie.

The ubiquitous Zakhar Bron was on the very small jury of the Monaco competition. It was chaired by Maxim Vengerov, his friend and former pupil.

This racket must stop.

And they must be praying this will continue throughout the season.

The Baltimore Symphony scored heavily with the black-tie crowd thanks to a rare appearance by Itzhak Perlman in the Mendelssohn concerto.

Seattle made $920,000+ thanks to having Bill Gates in the audience and Joyce DiDonato on stage.

Third best were Houston, at $730,000, with Sir Ben Kingsley narrating Peter and the Wolf. The last-named was kept well away from the door.

The Queensland Symphony is in mourning for one of its own. Stephen Philips, born and reared in Brisbane, was killed in a car crash while on a family holiday in New Zealand.

His two stepsons, aged 14 and 12, also died. His wife, Belinda, and daughter are injured in hospital.

Stephen, 54, was a member of the first violins of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and an occasional soloist. He was also a church singer and organist. Belinda played viola as a freelance in the orchestra. The music community of Brisbane is bereft.

Friends and colleagues of the well-liked London clarinettist, who died on Wednesday, are invited to a secular ceremony at his daughter’s house this coming Friday. But do ring to say if you’re planning to attend.

Here’s what Sally tells us:

We are having a ceremony here, as a celebration of Nick’s life, this Friday 23rd September.  I expect you know that Nick was fiercely anti religion and I promised him a long time ago that I would lead a ceremony when the time came.  I would be very happy for you to let any one who would be interested know, and although I’m afraid it will be rather short notice we would be very happy to welcome any one here who would be happy to trek out to darkest Norfolk.  It might be a good idea for them to contact me, but not obligatory!  It will be here at our house at 12.00 midday and there will be lunch.

Best wishes

Sara (always known to Nick as Sally)

Sara Barns Needlework

Toby Spence was supposed to stand in for the German star in Berlin’s Dream of Gerontius tonight.

But it appears he has also pulled out.

Andrew Staples is standing in at the last minute.

So is Catherine Wyn-Rogers, who is replacing Sarah Connolly.

Thomas Hampson is still there. Barenboim conducts.

Announcement here.

The the Donaueschingen Festival, second only to Darmstadt as a fortress of the postwar avant-garde, has invited the British conservative philosopher Roger Scruton to give a lecture next month.

One observer suggest it’s like Martin Luther being invited to the Vatican.

Scruton’s lecture, ‘On Zukunftsmusik’, will take place on 16 October in the Strawinsky Saal.

No they don’t. Turns out it was prerecorded.

Seventy of the orchestra’s musicians hustled onto the field and into their positions at the 50-yard line in less than two minutes to start the show with the four most famous notes in music history: the opening to Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5.”

Led by conductor Osmo Vanksa, the orchestra also played “Purple Rain” as a tribute to Prince.

So what, precisely, was the point.

This is Martin Wray, viola player of the Dulcinea Quartet.

At the end of a tour of Japan, he was flying with quartet’s 1st violinist from Sapporo to Tokyo Narita on Peach Air, a Japanese budget line.

The violinist was allowed to travel but the viola case was denied. Both conformed to dimensions stated on the ailine’s website. However, says Martin, ‘the attendant measured the case from depth right across the width of the case in one measurement. I do speak some Japanese but I was not able to explain that that was not how I had measured it. There was no arguing so I just had to battle to be able to hold the viola and not leave it in the overhead compartments.’

Musicians everywhere, beware of Peach Air.

From the NY Post:

The Washington Heights and Inwood Music Community Charter School will offer two hours of orchestral music and voice instruction to all students in grades K to 5 during an extended school day.

Musical concepts and content will also be integrated with other courses, such as math and science, according to founder David Gracia, a pianist and conductor who is a manager of artistic-training programs at Carnegie Hall.

Full article here.