Meet Daria van den Bercken. I did, yesterday in Amsterdam.

She’s an enterprising young pianist who wheels away from one canal to the next, playing her favourite composer.

Here’s her video – Handel hits the road.

The HRF has issued a statement attacking those actors and musicians who performed for the Putin-appointed Chechen president on his 35th birthday. The Foundation points out that President Ramzan Kadyrov is responsible for many alleged ‘disappearances’.

Vanessa-Mae was singled out, along with Hilary Swank and Jean-Claude Van Damme for their participation.

The Colombian singer Shakira was praised for her withdrawal. Full statement here.

Below: Kadyrov with Van Damme at his birthday. (photo: Ria Novosti)

The New York Times today reports that Nicholas Huebbe has signed on for another five years as artistic director of Royal Danish Ballet.

It does not mention that the Ballet is mired in a massive cocaine scandal centred on Huebbe and his circle. The matter has been public knowledge for months and is being swept under a Copenhagen carpet.

Hard to tell which is worse – the Danish Ballet turning a blind eye to drug abuse or the New York Times turning a blind eye to truth.

Oh, it’s by Daniel J. Wakin: sign of an unrecycled press release.

ballet

I reported a few weeks back that musicians of the Finnish Radio Orchestra have their own private sauna in Helsinki’s new concert hall. Well, I’ve just heard that they broke club rules and allowed a maestro in to shed his tails and share their space after a particularly enjoyable session.

The first conductor in the steam room was … Esa-Pekka Salonen. Who’s next?