The sad tale of Sol Adler is told in New York magazine. Click here.

 

sol adler

Katharina Wagner has appointed Uwe Eric Laufenberg, the overspending former intendant of Cologne, to direct Parsifal in 2016.

She had previously fired Jonathan Meese, over alleged budgetary concerns.

It’s a fantasy world, Bayreuth.

jonathan meese

A list of 31 contestants has been announced for the Boris Goldstein Competition, founded in memory of his own teacher by the eminent violin teacher, Zachar Bron. Professor Bron will be president of the jury.

We understand that 13 of the participants admitted are Professor Bron’s students.

We wish the best of luck to the rest.

boris goldstein

The list:

Benjamin Baker (UK)
Marie Bégin (Canada)
Vlada Berazhnaya (Belarus)
Yejin Byun (S. Korea)
Mizuki Chiba (Japan)
Soo Jin Hannah Cho (S. Korea)
Maxime Gulikers (Netherlands)
Victoria Gusachenko (Ukraine)
Mone Hattori (Japan)
Ryan Howland (Canada)
Alexander Kuznetsov (Russia)
Joanna Lee (USA/S. Korea)
Furong Li (China)
Sean Yongjoo Lim (USA)
Petya Lundstrem (Russia)
Sofija Nikoska (Macedonia)
Kana Ohashi (Japan)
Ami Oike (Japan)
Marek Pavelec (Czech Republic)
Alexander Read (Canada)
Siena Sanchez-O’Brien (USA)
Arsenis Selalmazidis (Greece/Russia)
Aleksey Semenenko (Ukraine)
Dmitry Serebrennikov (Russia)
Stefan Tarara (Germany)
Hannah Tarley (USA)
Shiori Terauchi (Japan)
Yuna Toki (Japan)
Xin Wen (China)
Takuya Yamamoto (Japan)
Arata Yumi (Japan)

Aylen Pritchin, 27, from St Petersburg was announced last night as winner of the Thibaud round of the Long Thibaud Crespin competition.

He receives 25,000 Euros.

aylen pritchin

 

Second was Naoka Aoki, 22 (Japan)
Third: Frederike Starkloff, 24 (Germany)
Fourth: Kyung Ji Min, 19 (South Korea)
Fifth: Hildegarde Fesneau, 19 (France)

The jury was chaired by the distinguished Italian soloist, Salvatore Accardo. Pritchin’s teacher, Eduard Grach, was a member of the jury, as was one of his ex-pupils.

Change is coming fast at the San Diego Symphony with the arrival of CEO Martha Gilmer from Chicago.

Jahja Ling, 63, music director since 2004, has announced he’s stepping down.

He told the orchestra: ‘After the 2016-17 season, I look forward to pursuing more international guest conducting, passing on the great musical traditions to the next generation through teaching and continuing with my volunteer work in the Christian mission.’

Jahja-Ling-300x270

According to his wikipedia entry, Jahja Ling has been volunteering for the Reformed Evangelical ministry in Jakarta, Indonesia, since 2008. He is also a Vice President of the Stephen Tong Evangelistic Ministries International.

Andrew Patner has sent us ultimate audio of the announcer test set by Mike Nichols more than 60 years ago and still in use at WFMT Chicago.

You are allowed to make one mistake. After that, it’s next candidate please….

Ready? Click here for two versions.

mike nichols

La Sonnambula opens on November 30.

Tina Lanik’s second child was not due until December.

But new babies wait for no-one.

Happily, when Tina went into labour her husband was on hand. He is the stage and costume designer for Sonnambula, Stefan Hagenier.

Bellini’s all round. We hear the new baby’s middle name is Amina, after the opera’s heroine.

tina lanik2

 

 

Peter Gelb has owned up to another bad year – a $22 million loss, the worst in history.

The deficit is 7% of total budget. Once before, in 1984, it was 10%. But in cash terms this year’s results are awful beyond precedent.

Ticket sales are down, donations are weak.

Gelb has not published the financial statement. He has leaked it to the New York Times.

Two questions need to be asked: has Gelb failed? Does he have what it takes to turn the Met around?

 

metropolitan-opera exterior

 

Meantime, Gelb is looking for someone to blame. He can’t blame the musicians or stage unions, since he agrred to their deal.

He could blame the public for not coming and the donors for not giving.

Who’s left to blame?

(Hint: President Obama).