Terrence Wilson, who lost his most valued possessions in a Montclair, NJ, fire at the weekend has posted this message in response to a global wave of support:
I want to express my immense gratitude to every one of you who have reached out to check on my well-being during this crisis. Family, friends, reporters, colleagues, acquaintances, and even non-acquaintances named and anonymous have left consoling messages, offers to help, and have made donations. I am at a loss of words to express my humbling thanks to everyone.
It will take me some time to get back to everyone of you individually as I grapple with immediate must-dos, but in the meantime, I need you all collectively to know how much your support has helped to get me through this. I also need you to know that despite being in a dumbfounding shock over this current predicament, I am OKAY.
On a last note, but certainly not least – I’d also like to thank every one of the emergency response personnel at the scene last Saturday – especially the courageous and heroic firefighters who kept the fire from causing even more damage.
And, as you think of me, please also give a thought to my neighbors who are also suddenly thrust into this most difficult crisis. We all need to be in this together.
Sincerely,
Terrence
We reported the dismissal of Awadagin Pratt as artistic director of the Cincinnati World Piano Competition on July 8.
Guess what? He was reinstated today.
The managing director who sacked him has quietly ‘resigned’.
Janelle Gelfand has the full story here. At least, the visible parts of it.
The E. J. Thomas Hall at the University of Akron, Ohio, hosts many classical performers, particularly soloists who draw audiences from the Cleveland-Columbus corridor.
Yesterday, its director and staff were made redundant and the hall was mothballed.
The University of Akron is no longer a place of culture.
Read here.
UPDATE From Jack Harel, oboe professor, University of Akron:
The School of Music is still in great shape. There are two other halls on campus that we use for performances, and the School of Music hasn’t used Thomas Hall as our main venue for several years. I really appreciate your efforts to draw attention to the status of EJ Thomas, but would like to avoid the implication that the School of Music has been lumped in with the hall.
The reclusive Radu Lupu, never an easy hire, has been enticed by the Cleveland Orchestra into joining its European tour and Vienna residency. Details below.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Thursday, October 15, 2015, at 8:00pm
Palais des Beaux-Arts
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Joela Jones, piano
MESSIAEN L’Ascension: 4 méditations symphoniques
MESSIAEN Couleurs de la cité céleste
STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra
LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG
Friday, October 16, 2015, at 8:00pm
Philharmonie
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
MESSIAEN Chronochromie
STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony
MILAN, ITALY
Teatro alla Scala
Sunday, October 18, 2015, at 9:00pm
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Radu Lupu, piano
MESSIAEN Hymne
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra
PARIS, FRANCE
Philharmonie de Paris
Monday, October 19, 2015, at 8:30pm
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Jennifer Johnston, mezzo-soprano
Women of the Choir of the Orchestre de Paris
Maîtrise de Paris, children’s chorus
MAHLER Symphony No. 3
COLOGNE, GERMANY
Philharmonie
Tuesday, October 20, 2015, at 8:00pm
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Joela Jones, piano
MESSIAEN Hymne
MESSIAEN Couleurs de la cité céleste
STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony
DORTMUND, GERMANY
Thursday, October 22, 2015, at 8:00pm
Konzerthaus Dortmund
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
MESSIAEN Chronochromie
STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony
REGENSBURG, GERMANY
Saturday, October 24, 2015, at 8:00pm
Audimax, University of Regensburg
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
MOZART Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”)
STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony
MUNICH, GERMANY
Sunday, October 25, 2015, at 8:05pm
Philharmonie am Gasteig
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Radu Lupu, piano
MESSIAEN Hymne
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Tuesday, October 27, 2015, at 7:30pm
Musikverein
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Joela Jones, piano
MESSIAEN L’Ascension: 4 méditations symphoniques
MESSIAEN Couleurs de la cité céleste
STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Wednesday, October 28, 2015, at 7:30pm
Musikverein
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
MESSIAEN Chronochromie
STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Thursday, October 29, 2015, at 7:30pm
Musikverein
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Elisabeth Kulman, mezzo-soprano
Women of the Vienna Singverein
Vienna Boys Choir
MAHLER Symphony No. 3
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Saturday, October 31, 2015, at 7:30pm
Musikverein
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Genia Kühmeier, soprano
Vienna Singverein
MOZART Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”)
STRAUSS Four Last Songs
VERDI Four Sacred Pieces
The masonry keeps falling off the fraudster’s failing agency.
Agent after agent, artist after artist, the big fish are finding their way to the IMG fire escape.
Today, IMG lost one of its biggest international earners, the French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
Press release below.
Effective October 1, 2015, HarrisonParrott will take on the worldwide representation of internationally acclaimed pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Thibaudet’s artistic depth and natural charisma have made him one of the most sought-after pianists today. He has performed around the world for more than 30 years and recorded more than 50 albums, including three popular film scores. The New York Times recently wrote of his playing, “Every note he fashions is a pearl…the joy, brilliance and musicality of his performance could not be missed.” In 2010 the Hollywood Bowl honored Thibaudet for his musical achievements by inducting him into its Hall of Fame. Previously a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Thibaudet was awarded the title Officier by the French Ministry of Culture in 2012. This season, he tackles three artist-in-residencies: at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, and the Colburn School of Music.
Thibaudet comes to HarrisonParrott – to be represented by Joint Managing Director Lydia Connolly – after a tremendous 30 years of professional growth and collaboration with Mastroianni Associates and IMG Artists. He writes, “I leave my colleagues with nothing but fond feelings. I am blessed to have had a multi-decade career, and I look forward to the decades to come! I am thrilled about this new and fruitful partnership with Lydia Connolly and HarrisonParrott as I look to the future.”
Until October 1, all inquiries should continue to be directed to Kristin Schuster at IMG Artists.
The troubles of Simon Keenlyside continue.
Ordered last December to observe ‘complete vocal rest’, he had hoped to return in the new season. Today, however, he pulled out of Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in October and November. George Gagnidze and Željko Lučić will share the title role.
We wish Simon a speedy return.
Robert Black, a member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars, loaded his double-bass onto a flight from Fortaleza, Brazil, to New York. That was a week ago. Since then there has been no sign of the instrument and no help from the airline, TAM, which is the largest in Brazil.
Here’s the story in Robert’s own words:
The unthinkable seems to be happening. I returned to NY from Brazil on TAM airlines on Tuesday morning (7/22) – but my double bass had not been put on my flight. I filed a lost baggage claim with TAM. It is now 3 1/2 days later and the airline has no idea where the instrument is. I’m trying to stay optimistic, but also starting to fear the worst.
To all of the students and teachers at the Festival Eleazar de Carvalho in Fortaleza – as the festival concludes and you start to travel home through various airports, be on the lookout for my bass and let me know if you see it. The case looks like this.
Now 5 days after losing my double bass, TAM Airlines still cannot find it. After countless calls and email messages, they cannot provide me with any information.
Time to go to some agencies outside of TAM.
The bass is one of Patrick Charton’s B-21 models he made for me in 2009 (No. 13). It is a very unique and distinctive instrument. There are only about 30 of these instruments in the world. It easily stands out and cannot be confused for any other bass. There is a unique dedication inscribed inside. In the following photos, especially notice the neck block, scroll, and f-holes.
Along with the instrument, there were two German bows – one made by Robert Dow and the was carbon fiber.
What makes this situation even more unbelievable is that on my TAM flight from NY to Sao Paulo, the bass wasn’t delivered until the next day. On my TAM flight from Sao Paulo to Fortaleza a few day later, the bass wasn’t delivered until the next day. And now my TAM flight from Fortaleza to NY – 5 days and no bass. This is not the typical overweight-oversize bass case – it is 48 x 30 x 12 inches and weighs 50 pounds. There is room on the planes for it.
*
Message for TAM: Get that bass back to Mr Black or face the concerted wrath of musicians.
h/t: Daniel Wolf
We hear that Sarah Billinghurst, former artistic manager of the Metropolitan Opera, has resigned from the board of disintegrating English National Opera.
Sarah was brought in by John Berry to support his vision of international co-productions and superior casting. She has a Rolodex of contacts unequalled in the opera world. She also has a very wide reach into wealthy American society and she was working on creating an endowment base for ENO to pursue its ambitions.
With John Berry gone, however, there was nothing to keep Sarah at the Coli.
Her loss is entirely calculable. It costs ENO an indispensable artistic resource and a potential line of financing.
Disaster is too moderate a word to describe it.
Jean-Jacques Rapin, former conductor of the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra and head ot the town conservatoire, has died at 82.
He founded the Ernest Ansermet Society and wrote books about music and, surprisingly, national defence.
The film composer and conductor has pulled out of the festival with back pain. JW is 83. We wish him better.
Keith Lockhart takes over the evening.
Last year, Williams pulled a crowd of 18,000.
