The Aizuri Quartet took first prize, worth 3m Yen (£21,000).

The Ulysses quartet were second with 1.5m Yen (£10,500) and the Viano Quartet were third with 1m Yen (£7,000).

Glass ceiling?

Here are the 20 finalists, selected from a field of 255:

Inbal Segev offers some useful advice.

This is the first picture released today of Nicky receiving the Queen’s Medal for Music, 2016.

UPDATE: Nicky tweets: I am humbled & grateful for this honour, & will continue to fight for people’s access to the arts. The soul of this country needs nurturing.

She is the youngest person to receive the award, which is for contributing to the musical life of the nation.

There are her predecessors:

2006    Sir Bryn Terfel CBE

2007    Judith Weir CBE

2008    Kathryn Tickell OBE DL

2009    Sir Colin Davis CH CBE

2010    Dame Emma Kirkby DBE

2011    Nicholas Daniel

2012    National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain

2013    Sir Thomas Allen CBE

2014    Simon Halsey CBE

2015    Oliver Knussen CBE

The classical singer Sioned Terry attended the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester with her daughter Nel, aged 11.

As they were leaving the Arena, they heard an ‘enormous bang, which sounded like a really powerful firework’.

In the street she saw people covered in blood.

She tweeted: ‘Evacuated from @ManchesterArena. Heavy police presence. Very frightening. Me and Nel ok but can’t get to the car as roads blocked.’

Michael Dervan thinks they might be:

It’s just over a year since RTÉ lost the nearest thing it had to a sure-fire musical draw when the principal conductor of the RTÉ CO, John Wilson, exited his contract seven months early. Wilson was like the rising tide that lifted all boats for RTÉ CO concerts. Since then both RTÉ orchestras have been without the nurturing and stabilising force that a principal conductor can provide. It’s not a healthy situation.

More here.

Amid a negligible classical response, the chairman of Universal Music Group, Lucian Grainge, has written to all employees. UMG lost three employees in the Paris Bataclan bombing. Here’s what Sir Lucian writes:

Dear Colleagues,
Once again, we try to make sense of a senseless act of violence.

Today, our emotions are raw.  We are deeply saddened by the awful events last night in Manchester.  We extend our thoughts and prayers to all of those affected.  And we grieve for all of those lost there, offering our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones.

We can report that no UMG employees were injured in the attack, and that Ariana Grande and her crew are safe. That said, the fact that such an unspeakable act can be committed at a place where innocent people – including so many young people – come together peacefully to enjoy music reflects a level of evil beyond comprehension.

This hits home for us as a music company—because so many of us, myself included, spend so much time out seeing our artists perform, let alone attending concerts as fans.  That’s why we’ve chosen music as our career—or rather music has chosen us.  Your safety and security is absolutely paramount to us.  I want you to know that if, for any reason, you ever have any questions or concerns, we want you to reach out so we can resolve it.  Our Security team and Human Resources staff stand ready to assist you.  Please take advantage of all they have to offer.

Today is a day of remembrance, a day to pause and reflect, with thoughts for yesterday’s tragedy.

Thank you, as always, for everything you do.

Lucian

Happier days: Lucian signs Lang Lang

The Halle has issued no response to the atrocity, either on its website or via social media.

The first we heard from the BBC Philharmonic is a tweet: ‘This afternoon’s 2pm concert and broadcast will be going ahead as planned.’

UPDATE: The BBC have drawn our attention to this tweet:

pic.twitter.com/Sk5ZIJu8Q7

— BBC Philharmonic (@BBCPhilharmonic) May 24, 2017

They further specify that the BBC Philharmonic’s first response was at 0859 on Tuesday morning with a tweet which read: Our thoughts are with all those affected by the attack at the concert at Manchester Arena last night.  Music unites us in peace and love.

The Manchester Camerata responded: ‘Here at Manchester Camerata we know better than most how integral music is to the lifeblood of this great city and we are immensely saddened that so many young people experienced their first taste of live music in such tragic circumstances. Our thoughts are with the families of those affected by last night’s incident.

‘We also know the people of this city and they’re already proving that Manchester has an unshakeable proud core – it is a city of compassion and a city of kindness. Manchester we love you.’

UPDATE: Music giant reflects on Manchester.

The Mozarteum arts university in Salzburg has named Reiner Schuhenn as its new Rector.

He’s the former rector of Cologne.

He takes the place of Siegfried Mauser, who has been convicted of sex offences in Munich.

Announcement:

From now on the Orchestra Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker will be called the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker. The members of the association voted unanimously in favour of the name change proposed by the board, which has already been entered in the register of associations.

Peter Riegelbauer, manager of the Karajan Academy and double bassist with the Berliner Philharmoniker, explained: “The change of name is a tribute to the contribution of Herbert von Karajan, with whom the long success story of the Academy is inextricably linked.”

Karajan founded the Academy, the first institution of its kind in Germany, in 1972, out of concern about the next generation of musicians for the Berliner Philharmoniker. Peter Riegelbauer added: “The Karajan Academy is an unmistakable cultural brand. The clear reference to its founder is an important step towards the perpetuation of the Academy’s outstanding performance record in the future.”

Last night, Cincinnati shuts the doors on the oldest annual piano competition in the US.

This morning, Vancouver announces ‘the 2017 Vancouver International Music Competition to celebrate Canada 150’.

The announcement haplessly fails to say what they are cometing for.

We understand it’s piano, voice and strings.

Here’s the text:
We are proud to announce the 2017 Vancouver International Music Competition to celebrate Canada’s 150^th Birthday! The VIMC is an industry pioneer, offering a worldwide platform for musical and culture exchange, and for young musicians of the world to perform and grow. It is organized by Canada International Arts & Music Society, supported by Canada Music Center. Our purpose is to promote the inheritance and preservation of classical music and to encourage young musicians to explore contemporary and modern music with a focus on Canadian composers. We believe that VIMC will build confidence among young musicians, encourage artistic and professional development, and expose them to the vast opportunities North America has to offer.

Application Deadline: August 15th 2017

press release:

The British cellist Steven Isserlis tonight received the 14^th Glashütte Original MusicFestivalAward at the Dresden Music Festival. The award was presented by Thomas Meier, CEO of Glashütte Original, and Jan Vogler, Intendant of the Dresden Music Festival, after Isserlis’ concert with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski’s baton at Dresden’s Kulturpalast. Steve said:

»I am very happy to receive the 2017 Glashütte Original MusicFestivalAward. It is a great honor, and a particular pleasure to receive this prize from Glashütte Original and from a valued (and generous!) cello-colleague, Jan Vogler. Music education has always been very close to my heart. I have been lucky enough to work with many great teachers, including my childhood teacher, Jane Cowan, and the Hungarian dynamo Sándor Végh – as well as, in more recent times, two other great Hungarians, György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados. I feel that it is my duty to pass along to the younger generation of players the values I imbibed from those inspired musicians. Bringing music to children is another preoccupation in my career. The life of any child, from whatever background, can be transformed by music. As well as providing personal fulfillment, music can be of immense help in social terms within difficult circumstances; we have seen tangible results of that in the forms of youth ensembles around the world, such as the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela, Buskaid in South Africa, and many others. Musical friendships are made that last for life; playing in groups with others teaches the importance of mutual respect, and of listening to others; sharing a musical goal can be as strong a bond as any in childhood. And children, as well as adults, turn to music in times of loneliness or sadness; music will never let them down. I think it’s true to say that a singing child is generally a happy child; the more we can bring great music into the lives of children everywhere, the better those lives will be,« Steven Isserlis said yesterday in Dresden.