No question where the next stream of opera voices is coming from.
Judges last night whittled down the Neue Stimmen candidates from 19 to 11. Three S. Africans still standing.
Miriam Albano – Mezzo soprano – Italy
Mario Bochmanova – Soprano – Russia
Chen Dashuai – Tenor – China
Elsa Dreisig – Soprano – France
Jung Rae Kim – Baritone – Korea
Lukhanyo Moyake – Tenor – South Africa
Bongiwe Nakani – Mezzo Soprano – South Africa
Darren Pati – Tenor – New Zealand
Luthando Qave – Baritone – South Africa
Anatoli Sivko -Bass – Belarus
Camila Titinger – Soprano – Brazil
The final is Saturday night, streamed exclusively here.
For the fifth year running, the box-office of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra broke all records, it was announced last night. Nevertheless, the orchestra ran into deficit.
The stats:
Ticket Sales and Earned Revenue for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2015
Ticket sales totaled $22.7 million for 233 CSOA-presented events, a slight increase over the previous year’s $22.4 million, marking the fifth consecutive year of record-setting sales.
Nearly 369,000 tickets were sold for 233 ticketed concerts*. Average paid capacity also increased in FY15 to 82%, up from 79% in FY14.
In addition to ticket revenue, other revenue of $9 million was earned from tour fees, merchandise sales, space rentals, royalties, recording fees and miscellaneous activities.
Approximately 483,000 people attended CSOA performances and presentations at Symphony Center and in other venues in greater Chicago last season, including 235 free events such as concerts by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and small ensembles with Civic players, the CSO’s All-Access chamber music programs, education programs and open rehearsals for students and community groups, as well as the CSO’s free performance at Millennium Park.
The subscription renewal campaign undertaken during FY15 for the current season remains at 89%, one of the highest rates for a major U.S. orchestra.
* Figures exclude CSO concerts at Ravinia Festival or on tour anywhere outside the Chicago area.
Contributed Revenues for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2015
During the 2014/15 season, overall contributed revenue totaled approximately $36 million.
General operating support to the CSO was $27 million. This total included more than $18 million in gifts from individuals, $5.2 million from corporate sponsorships and partnerships, and $3.4 million in grants from foundations and government agencies.
<Financial Information for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2015
Operating revenues totaled $71.4 million.
Operating expenses totaled $72.7 million, resulting in an operating deficit of $1.3 million, or 1.8% of operations.
Another court hearing in New York has yielded no progress in the Stefan Arzberger case.
Seven months ago Stefan, leader of the Leipzig String Quartet, was arrested after a naked rampage in a boutique hotel and charged with the attempted murder of a fellow-guest. His defence is that he was drugged by a person he met in a bar.
Since then, Stefan has been barred from leaving New York and the quartet is touring without him. The latest hearing prolonged his bail. His next hearing is end-November. Friends have raised €43,882 towards his living and legal expenses on Fundraiser. In his latest post, Stefan writes:
Liebe Freunde und Unterstuetzer,
leider kann ich Euch keine guten Nachrichten überbringen.
Das heutige Hearing hat nur ergeben, dass es ein weiteres Hearing am 25.11.15 geben wird und ein Ende noch lange nicht in Sicht ist. Mir wird weiterhin das Recht – obwohl gegen Kaution auf freiem Fuss und noch nicht verurteilt – verwehrt, mit meiner Familie sein, reisen und arbeiten zu können. Dem Umstand, seit bereits 7 Monaten hier in den USA zu weilen und auszuharren, wird keinerlei Tribut gezollt. Es geht – wie es offensichtlich scheint – nicht mehr um den Fall selbst oder um mich – vielmehr um juristisches Geplänkel und Verzögerungstaktik. Es fällt zusehends schwerer, dafür weiterhin Verständnis aufzubringen. Ich bin mir sicher, Ihr alle wisst das für Euch zu werten.
Ich danke für das Vertrauen in mich und für Eure Unterstützung!
Herzlichst – Euer Stefan
