We reported in January about the UK-Iranian composer Soosan Lolavar who had been told she could not re-enter the US to witness the premiere of her first opera, ID, Please.
Since then, the travel ban has been eased to allow dual nationals with a British passport to enter the US. Ms Lolavar is presently in Pittsburgh, attending the premiere this weekend.
Three lines from her libretto seem extraordinarily timely:
I clutch my passport so hard my hand hurts /I’m never going back to where I’m from / I do not like the way you look at me like that.
Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra rehearsing in Moscow’s Great Hall under the gaze of its late music director.
photo: Steven Honigberg
The Russian poet, famed for his Babi Yar lament, died today in Oklahoma, aged 84.
Babi Yar was set by Dmitri Shostakovich in his 13th symphony.
It excoriated both the Nazi genocide of Jews and Soviet anti-semitism.
Yevtushenko later modified his text under Soviet pressure to included Ukarainian victims and added an unpleasant line about ‘Israeli genocide of the Palestinians’.
His death was announced by his wife Maria, a Russian teacher in Oklahoma.
The piano legend has only two North America dates scheduled this year.
One is next weekend at the Walt Disney Hall, Los Angeles.
The other is tomorrow in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, population 2,263.
We are sad to report the death of Roger Nelson, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Grand Rapids Symphony, a man widely liked across the music industry. He died suddenly at home on Thursday.
Roger joined the orchestra as a double-bass player in 1987 and performed for 17 years.
In 2002 he became part-time Operations Manager, and two years later full-time Director of Operations. In 2005 he rose to Vice President and General Manager.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has teamed up with Cancer Research UK to play a version of the Vivaldi hit with one-third of the notes missing, signifying those we have lost. Interesting idea.
A riveting consortium of principal horns, assembled by Sarah Willis, talk about what it’s really like to be big brass.
Taking part are Julie Landsman (ex-Met), Jennifer Montone (Philadelphia), Andrew Bain (LA Phil), Tim Jones (LSO) and Stefan Dohr (Berlin Phil).
Kick back and watch. We learned a lot.
We weren’t that thrilled last week with Yo Yo Ma’s release, in which the cellist plays with mandolinist Chris Thile on bits of Bach for the dinner-party circuit.
This, however, is different.
Amir Lavie, principal percussionist of the Israel Symphony Orchestra, thinks the Fugue from the Violin Sonata in G minor by J.S. Bach sounds better on Marimba.
See what you think.
The filiming is the work of ISO co-principal flute, Yoel Culliner.
