Victor Salvi, harpist of the NBC Symphony under Toscanini, has died at the great age of 95.
Chicago born, he opened a harp workshop on W54th Street in New York before migrating in 1955 to Italy, where he became one of the foremost harp makers. In 1987, he bought out his main US competitor.
Ever an advocate for the harp, he sponsored many recordings, concerts and competitions.
The angels are unlikely to permit him much rest.
Classical MPR has the inside track on how the Minnesota Orchestra will relays its concert back home when there are no radio links between the US and Cuba. Here’s how:
“If we were to do a broadcast here in the states, we would do what most any organization would do,” said Rob Byers, technical coordinator, broadcast and media operations for MPR. “We’d call up the telephone company and order ISDN lines or Internet service of some kind, and we just did not have that ability in Cuba to do that sort of thing.”Indeed, when Byers and his team sat down and examined the map of undersea cables in the Caribbean, they found almost no connectivity to the rest of the world, save for two connections to Venezuela. But because both MPR’s sibling company American Public Media and Cuban state radio (ICRT) are associate members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), it was possible to make a satellite connection from Cuban radio in Havana to a downlink in Geneva, Switzerland, and from there to a site in London that could connect to MPR in St. Paul.
They found a better way. A direct satellite uplink from Havana to St. Paul, using a downlink at the Fitzgerald Theater and a backup site at Twin Cities Public Television.
Seven MPR employees are heading to Cuba to pull the broadcast off.
Manchester International Festival has named John McGrath as its CEO and artistic director, starting September. McGrath is presently artistic director and chief executive of National Theatre Wales.
He takes over from Mif’s founding chief, Alex Poots, who is moving to New York to run the Culture Shed.
John McGrath founded National Theatre Wales in November 2009, swiftly earning international repute.
The violinist Jennifer Kim is being subjected to a storm of social media protest after tweeting about her violin in the aftermath of the Amtrak train crash.
‘Thanks a lot for derailing my train,’ she tweeted at Amtrak through her account @vinoviolin. ‘Can I please get my violin back from the 2nd car of the train?’
A host of hostile tweets followed, attacking her insensitivity when fellow-passengers lay dead and injured. She swiftly took down her social media accounts.
Do be careful out there.
James Frederick Weaver, who made recordings with American Bach Soloists on Koch International, Smithsonian, Channel Classics and other labels, has died at 57.
He was director of music and director of the Chancel and Youth choirs at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church.
The Orquesta de Extremadura, which has been fighting a tooth-and-nail struggle for survival, has lost all of its instruments when a false fire alarm triggered an hour’s blast of water jets at the Palacio de Congresos de Badajoz.
The orchestra, which serves the impoverished border region between Spain and Portugal, has cancelled this week’s concerts and does not know where to turn.
There is a contact address on its website. Please get in touch if you can help. This is a genuine human and musical emergency.
h/t: Dianne Winsor
In a further surrender of autonomy to the BBC’s mass-market networks, the Proms announced this morning that the Jackson Five have been booked for Proms in the Park.
The Jacksons said: ‘We’re looking forward to coming to London, to Hyde Park, and when we get there we’re going to be singing all the greats, and we’re going to have a really big party. We always bring great weather over from California!’
Also on the menu: Russell Watson and an X-Factor winner.
Judgement, balance and brand-awareness have gone phut. Classic FM would never lose the plot like this.
State-sponsored violence has struck at the heart of the music project.
Carlos Hernandez, 13, was killed by a criminal gang in the town of Cantaura, Anzoátegui state, while Jimbert Hernandez, 15, was caught in a shootout in the parish of La Vega.
Both played in El Sistema youth orchestras. Details here.
How long before he speaks out?
A correspondent adds: Very often, after 10-12 hrs rehearsing until late at night, El Sistema players return home without any protection. Most often on the very dangerous public transport. Months ago, a key ES musician, told us that MANY of them had been kidnapped, but it was kept quiet. ES paid the ransoms.
Lisa Philip has made a fine, short documentary for the Chronicle of Higher Education, eliciting some sharp analysis from Peabody dean Fred Bronstein. You can watch it here.
Close shave.
This is a first picture from the Salzburg Whistun Festival, with Cecilia in the title role of Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride and Christopher Maltman as the unfortunate Oreste.
photo: SF / Monika Rittershaus
The Purcell School, which has been in turmoil for the past three years over a high turnover of department heads and intimations of bullying and abuse, has announced a new headmaster.
He is Stephen Yeo, head of Head of Exeter Cathedral School for the past four years.
A staff member tells Slipped Disc: ‘We are rather concerned that Mr Yeo’s limited experience working primarily in the prep school sector… does not seemingly equip him to deal with historical and current issues of verbal sexual abuse, bullying and seriously flawed employment procedures that the Governors continually choose to ignore.’
Here is his c.v.:
Stephen Yeo, a Bristolian by birth, began his musical education as a cathedral chorister at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, progressing to King’s College, Taunton. After graduating with a B.Mus degree from the University of Sheffield he spent five years in Dublin where he sang, played the organ, and taught at St Columba’s College and the music department of the Dublin Institute of Technology. He was then Director of Music at St Elphin’s School, Matlock, followed by eight years as Head of Music and Performing Arts at King Edward VI Handsworth School in Birmingham. Stephen then joined the leadership team at Bedales School, and subsequently became Head of Lyndhurst School in Camberley. For the last four years he has been Head of Exeter Cathedral School. In addition to his music degree Stephen holds a music education diploma from Trinity College, London and his National Professional Qualification for Headship (Secondary). He is also a Boarding and Team Inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate and an Examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
There’s a meeting scheduled today at the Met. The general manager will bring a set of bad numbers.
Nothing will happen. The board have to unite around Peter Gelb, regardless of the sinking credit rating. But the wobbles are starting to show. Money has to come in from somewhere. Gelb is looking lonelier.
