David Presly plays oboe in the Royal Opera House orchestra.

It’s a dark and arduous job, with few whiffs of fresh air.

So when school is out, David gets on his bike and just rides. One summer he cycled from Britain to Iran.

This month, he’s pedalling from San Francisco to New York, kipping down in motels and tents.

At the time of writing, he expected in New York City next Monday or Tuesday.

Maybe the woodwinds of the Met orchestra could turn out to serenade a plucky colleague?

Report here.

David is on the left in the back row

A survey by Help Musicians UK finds a high level of mental illness and substance abuse in the professional community.

Of the 552 musicians who responded, more than half worked in classical music. Half of those who sought help from the National Health Service were disappointed by the outcome.

Among the respondents, 45 percent reported an alcohol problem.

Summary here. Full report here.

Meet Allyson Goodman, 25, principal viola of the Kennnedy Center opera orchestra. She’s a recent winner of the Young Texas Artists Music Competition.

h/t: Viola, Viola

Our social affairs correspondent brings news of a first child for Seiji and Vera Ozawa’s daughter, Seira.

Seira’s first thank-you note (below) is to the Saito Kinen Orchestra and Festival.

Our congrtulations to the whole family.

He’s been dining in Vienna with Bianca Jagger.

Do we know who she is?

Does he?

In a quick counterbalance to its myopic puff-profile of Peter Gelb, the Journal has let Terry Teachout loose on the Met’s union agreements. Alone among US commentators, Teachout calls the capitulation by its proper name and cuts the manager down to size.

He adds: ‘Everything that Mr. Gelb said prior to sitting down to negotiate left the widespread impression that he would do whatever was necessary, up to and including a lockout, to drag the Met back from the brink of financial apocalypse. If he says it all again in four years, nobody will believe him—nor should they.’

Read the full commentary here.

Sandy Wilson who wrote the 1953 musical that made Julie Andrews a stage star, has died in Taunton on the English south coast.

He never equalled the triumph of The Boy Friend, while Andrews went on to much greater things.

Two high guys made the final cut.

Here’s the full list for tomorrow’s final, conducted by Placido Domingo:

Mario Chang (tenor, Guatemala, 24)
Anaïs Constans (soprano, France, 26)
Carol Garcia (mezzo-soprano, Spain 30)
Joshua Guerrero (tenor, USA/Mexico, 31)
John Holiday (countertenor, USA, 29)
Alisa Kolosova (mezzo-soprano, Russia, 27)
Abdellah Lasri (tenor, Morocco, 32)
Yi Li (tenor, China, 30)
Andrey Nemzer (countertenor, Russia, 31)
Christina Poulitsi (soprano, Greece, 31)
Mariangela Sicilia (soprano, Italy, 28)
Rachel Willis-Sørenson (soprano, USA, 30)
Amanda Woodbury (soprano, USA, 26)

And here’s video of Placido coaching countertenor John Holiday, already a winner in Dallas.