We have received news of the death today of the Hanoi-born French composer Nguyen Thien Dao, a favourite pupil of Olivier Messiaen’s,
He was 75.
Arriving in France as a boy of 15, Dao won first prize in composition in 1967 at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse in Paris, followed by the Olivier Messiaen prize in 1974.
His works include an opera My Châu-Trong Thuy and an opera-oratorio, Les enfants d’Izieu.
photo source: Jeff von der Schmidt
Instagram message from the band’s drummer, Julian Dorio:
November 13, 2015. I, along with my bandmates @eodmofficial, had the privilege to play to one of the most energetic crowds of our tour when, nearly half way through the show, the unimaginable occurred. Absolute and unnecessary evil turned our world on its head. I am beyond grateful that I was able to find a way out of the venue, but I am mourning those who did not, including our mate, Nick Alexander. My thoughts are with their families. I’m home safe. And now I have a new family abroad. To Arthur, who ran for his life right beside me and selflessly put us in a taxi before himself, thank you. To Fabrice, a fan who lent me his phone later that night so I could call @emilydorio and attempt to put her at ease, thank you. To everyone who, in the face of unrelenting evil, went toe to toe using courage, compassion, and love as their weapons. You all are my heroes. Last but certainly not least, the outreach and support back home is appreciated more than you’ll ever know. I will never forget it. I am forever changed but hold fast to the love around us. I’m counting down the days until I get to finish that concert. Peace & love.✌?️❤️?? #prayforparis #bataclan #eodm
Ee hear Eliot Heaton has won the Detroit Opera hot seat.
He is presently He is the concertmaster of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra and the Indiana University Conductor’s Orchestra.
The detail of the Chancellor’s statement has filtered through to the end users.
The ACE says: ‘We understand that this results in a small increase in cash terms of approximately £10m per annum for the four years up to 2019/20.
This settlement represents a better than average result for arts and culture compared to other Government departments. Arts and culture is one of the Government’s unprotected areas of spend.’
More here.
Medal of Freedom ceremony yesterday
Every week or so we receive notice of a new orchestra forming in New York or London, where there are far too many orchestras already for the market to bear.
But it’s rare the we hear of an orchestra being born where no orchestra existed before.
It’s happening this weekend in the English seaport of Southampton.
Why and how? We put those questions to artistic director Robin Browning:
• I’ve long felt the desire to create a new ensemble – away from London (where new bands pop up every 5 minutes).
• Southampton, where I live and therefore know, is ideal: the local economy is thriving, a state-of-the-art Arts complex opens next year and Turner Sims, where we launch, attracts some of the foremost artists.
• Sunday is heading for a sell-out. For a new-start, our marketing is good, our style is slick and professional, and I know – given the players we’ve booked – the quality will be high. Our audience will stay, and will grow
Players
• come from across the region – over 2/3rds are from Hampshire or adjacent counties, the remainder from London, Cambridge, or Kent. Fixing the band has shown how many quality players there are in Hampshire alone. Some Bournemouth SO players, yes – also some from ECO, OAE, LMP – as well as some young pro’s who have been members of Southbank Sinfonia.
• Victoria Sayles is our leader, Andrew Knights principal oboe (ex-BSO), Richard Berry 1st horn (ECO), Lionel Handy principal Cello – all based within 25 miles or so.
Who’s paying for it
• Initially, we break even – and we’ve a little sponsorship. Going forward: our “Founding Partner” scheme, a corporate sponsorship package, is already triggering plenty of interest. Our second gig (April 2016) features John Suchet and Beethoven’s Eroica – proving highly attractive to potential sponsors. Also talking to the Arts Council, trusts and other funding bodies. Charitable status is the first item on agenda the day after our launch.
• Essentially – I’m not going to sweat blood creating this outfit to see it die within the first 24 months. We’ve a small but committed team of business people behind us, and will recruit professional fundraisers from January. I want the highest standards, musically, but also need us to be afloat in the years to come.
Artistic Plans
• We want són to be a little different, but realise we need to develop a strong audience-base before being too eclectic with our programming. We want to break down some of the traditional barriers in classical concerts – our opening “Unwrapped” series does exactly that. But NOT dumbing down: we build bridges with the audience, hopefully enlighten and engage – but no sanitising, abridging or extracting – pure music, as it comes.
• Education is pivotal – we’re working with music hubs, and an artist to develop presentations and schools workshops combining music with art, and in due course drama & dance. The experience for kids is incredibly rich – a double whammy of potential ways into great music. We’ve already generated a lot of interest from Hubs, schools and other organisations. Early days, true, but we want to combine all our concerts with education projects if there’s scope.
• Aurora is a model, as are Britten Sinfonia and ViVa. If we manage són right – with serious business acumen when it comes to the finance, and imagination coupled with quality when programming – then there’s no reason we can’t build a strong audience here, inspire the next generation of musicians, and spread our style and message further afield in due course.
Website here.
From my Album of the Week on sinfinimusic.com:
When thoughts turn darkly to Paris, a dose of Debussy and Dutilleux can settle the nerves. Claude Debussy died in March 1918 against the backdrop of a German bombardment; Henri Dutilleux was born in January 1916 and died in May 2013. Together, the two composers represent a century and a half of Parisian experience.
Read the full review here.
This is recent video of the Russian president playing at being a musician.
You can’t see his hands so there’s no way of knowing who’s producing the notes.
(Denis Matsuev, maybe?)
Here’s an older, more credible video of presidential pianism.
The Polish tenor has posted a pic of himself at lunch with Sean Connery, 85 and looking good.
‘A dream come true,’ says Piotr Beczala.
International conductors have spoken out against cost-saving measures at the Royal Orchestra in Copenhagen that have led to job losses and cancelled auditions. The Danish Government is trying to claw back its investment in a vanity-project theatre (below) that many think should never have been built.
The French conductor Bertrand de Billy said that, after the Paris terrorist attacks, this was not the time to cut art. ‘The most valuable thing Europe has is its cultural diversity, and the Royal Orchestra is one of the greatest treasures that Denmark has to offer in this area,’ he said.
German conductor Hartmut Haenchen said that trimming the orchestra would start a vicious circle that would only lead to further cuts.
Mikhail Jurowski, former chief conductor of Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, said the sound of the orchestra, ‘one of the best in the world’, would be diminished.
More here.
The Gewandhaus orchestra and Thomanerchor Leipzig will give four performances in Israel next month of J S Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
Details here.
This ought to annoy all the right people: the BDS, the Israeli Right, the atheists, the anti-semites, the period performance movement, John Eliot Gardiner, Benjamin Netanyahu, the chief rabbis….
The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced increased funding for Arts Council England, continued free entrance to national museums and galleries and a 20 percent cut to Culture Department administration.
What’s not to like?
UPDATE: The ACE chairman Peter Bazalgette has just called the statement ‘astonishing’. Meaning that nobody in his hapless organisation had a clue it was coming, or was in any way responsible for influencing the Chancellor.
2nd UPDATE: How much it is worth? Click here.
