Vatican Radio has announced the death of one of the best known musicians in the English Church. Nick Gale, 39, Master of Music at the Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of St George’s Southwark, died yesterday morning in a collision in Kensington between his motorbike and a cement lorry.  See here.

nick gale

 

Staff at the yellow label are being told this morning that label chief Mark Wilkinson is being moved to anotther role within the parent company, Universal Music, as Vice President International Strategy & Artist Development.

That leaves DG headless once more. Wilko has been in charge since the dismissal of Michael Lang in 2012. He has broguht two major pinaists to the label – Daniil Trifonov and Grigory Sokolov – but there were complaonts that DG was continuing to lose its core identity.

A search is now on for a new chief – almost certainly Austro-German – who will raise the label’s heartland profile at a time of great change in German music, with both Berlin and Munich appointing new conductors. Press release below.

 

 

beczala+wilkp

LONDON, 11 MARCH 2015 – Dickon Stainer, Universal Music’s President of Global Classics, has today appointed Mark Wilkinson to the new role of Vice President International Strategy & Artist Development. Wilkinson will continue to serve as President of Deutsche Grammophon, reporting jointly to Stainer and to Frank Briegmann, Universal Music’s President of Central Europe, until a successor is appointed in due course.

 

This new role follows Stainer’s appointment as President of Global Classics last November. Based out of Universal Music’s Global Classics headquarters in London and reporting to Stainer, as VP International Strategy & Artist Development Wilkinson will spearhead the commercial development of new partners to extend the global reach and success of classical artists and classical music. He will work on projects with UMG’s roster of classical superstars and new artists as well as driving opportunities to expose people around the world to the rich and historic catalogues of Universal Music’s Deutsche Grammophon and Decca labels.

 

Wilkinson has been President of Deutsche Grammophon since 2012 and he will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations of the company in Berlin until a successor is appointed by Frank Briegmann and Dickon Stainer.

 

Dickon Stainer said: “I’m delighted that Mark is taking up this new role which sits right at the very heart of our new global strategy for classical music. Mark is one of the most experienced classical executives in the world with a record of developing and nurturing artists of the highest calibre and in this new role he will be a huge asset in strengthening our global footprint for classical music.

 

“Together with Frank Briegmann we will find the best possible next leader for Deutsche Grammophon, someone who knows and understands the unique culture of this most legendary of labels.”

 

Frank Briegmann said: “I want to thank Mark for the great work he has done for Deutsche Grammophon over the past few years. He has strengthened our core repertoire, brought new crossover ideas and successfully integrated the teams at Deutsche Grammophon and Universal Music Classics Germany. Together we have made a number of strategic changes which the label will benefit from going forward such as innovative digital distribution channels and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with him in the future. I want to congratulate Mark on his new appointment and wish him the best of luck and success and I have no doubt that he will continue to play an important role for Deutsche Grammophon and its fantastic artists.”

 

Mark Wilkinson (pictured with Piotr Beczala, above) said: “I’d like to thank Dickon for asking me to join his global team in this new role.  It’s a genuine honour to have been part of Frank’s team at Deutsche Grammophon and I look forward to continuing to work with Universal Music’s distinguished roster of artists and committed executives around the world.”

 

Remember the scion of a ruling family who caused a Korea Air jet to turn back because she didn’t like the nuts she was served?

A similar saga is now playing out at the Seoul Philharmonic.

The orchestra’s offices were raided by police today on the orders of the former CEO, a member of another of the ruling dynasties who was forced to resign after being accused of  sexual harrassment and bullying. Ms Park swore she would not go quietly.

First, she mobilised media connections to broadcast a TV hatchet-job ‘documentary’ on the orchestra and its music director, Myung Whun Chung.

Now she has used government friends to send police into the orchestra’s offices in search of documents that might in some way incriminate her accusers.

Ms Park will not desist until the orchestra is brought to its knees.

Over the past few years, the Seoul Philharmonic has earned world rank, a DG recording contract and widespread admiration. Ms Park wants to destroy these national gains in pursuit of personal vengeance. Large sections of Korea’s family-owned media are cheering her on.

She may well succeed.

myun whun chung

 

The miraculously resurrected San Diego Opera has named David Bennett as its chief executive. Bennett, 50, has made his name at Gotham Chamber Opera, a Manhattan outift that does offbeat shows in non-trad venues. Good call.

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Bennett will earn $200,000 – less than half the salary of his predecessor, Ian Campbell.

A candidate for both major US podium vacancies in DC and New York, Semyon Bychkov  was forced to cancel last summer’s engagements with a damaged hip.   He has now cancelled a US spring tour after undergoing hip surgery.

Doctors say it’s too soon for long-distance travel. San Francisco and St Louis are the orchestras affected. He’s still hoping to make Chicago in late April.

We wish Semyon a speedy bounce-back.

bychkov

Just in from a Seoul eyewitness:

The police just came to the Seoul Phil office and confiscated the phones and computers of employees who signed the complaint against the former CEO, Park Hyun-jun. She is suing them. She seems determined to destroy this organisation. There will be more bad news later today …

 

UPDATE:  There must have been 10 cops here this morning – and they talk about the orchestra being a waste of the taxpayer’s money.

park seoul

UPDATE here.