We share this info with fingers clamped firmly around nostrils.
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant has been set by Pathé for a saturation release across the UK on 6 May 2016.
The comedy drama directed by Stephen Frears (Philomena, The Queen) tells the inspirational true story of the eponymous New York heiress who obsessively pursued her dream of becoming a great singer. The film celebrates the human spirit, the power of music and the passion of amateurs everywhere.
The voice Florence (Streep) heard in her head was divine, but to the rest of the world it was hilariously awful. At private recitals, her devoted husband and manager, St Clair Bayfield (Grant), managed to protect Florence from the truth. But when Florence decided to give her first public concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, St Clair realised he had perhaps bitten off more than he could chew.
The film’s supporting cast members include Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) as Florence’s long suffering piano accompanist, Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) and Nina Arianda (Midnight in Paris).
The film is produced by Michael Kuhn (The Duchess) and by Tracey Seaward (Philomena, The Queen). It is executive produced byPathé’s Cameron McCracken, BBC Films’ Christine Langan and Qwerty’s Malcolm Ritchie. Nicholas Martin wrote the screenplay and the creative team includes Director of Photography Danny Cohen (The King’s Speech, Les Miserables), Production Designer Alan Macdonald (Philomena, The Queen), Costume Designer Consolata Boyle (Philomena, The Queen), Composer Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Philomena) and Editor Valerio Bonelli (Philomena).
.
The former chief executive of the Suisse Romande orchestra, finding the exit a week ago, has got himself a new job in less time that it takes to find a competent head-hunter.
Henk Swinnen, 46, was announced tonight as artistic director of the Royal Flanders Philharmonic in Antwerp. He starts on May 1.
His first task will be to find a successor to Edo de Waart as music director. And this time he should remember to get a signature on the maestro’s contract.
Violette Verdy, principal dancer for the New York City Ballet for two decades and then artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet, 1977-80, died yesterday in Bloomington, Indiana.
A formidable instructor she joined the Jacobs School of Music in 1996 and was teaching up to the week of her death.
In rehearsal with Balanchine
Peter Oundjian has let it be known he won’t be staying as music director of the Toronto Symphony beyond 2018. He has two and a half seasons left. He is also music director of the Royal Scottish National Orch.
The search starts now. Toronto is not an easy orchestra to lead, either from the podium or the management office.
From the League of American Orchestras:
February 8, 2016
Today brings important policy news for orchestras that engage artists from across the globe to partner with U.S. musicians in concerts, education programs, and the development of new artistic works. Legislation to make the artist visa process more reliable and affordable was introduced in the U.S. Senate today by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) Act, S. 2510, would improve opportunities for international cultural activity by ensuring that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processes artist visas on time.
Orchestras and other nonprofit performing arts organizations must apply for an O or P visawhen engaging international artists for performances. While USCIS pledged in 2010 to process these visas within the timeframe required under current law, applications for artists undergo long delays and extreme inconsistency by USCIS, often forcing nonprofit U.S. arts organizations to pay for unaffordable expedited processing, or risk cancelling scheduled performers. Under the ARTS Act, USCIS would be required to provide expedited processing free-of-charge if a visa petition filed by, or on behalf of, a U.S. nonprofit arts organization is not processed on time.
We are grateful for the continued support and leadership of Sens. Hatch and Leahy, who said the following upon the bill’s introduction:
“All Americans benefit from greater access to the world’s best performers and artists. However, because of unreliable visa processing delays, many of our nonprofit arts organizations risk financial harm if they are unable to present artists as planned,” said Senator Hatch. “This bill is a commonsense effort to simplify that process and I hope that it will move quickly to the President’s desk.”
“Organizations such as the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Vermont Performance Lab, and Burlington City Arts enrich our state’s dynamic culture, are integral to our economy, and ensure that all communities benefit from the remarkable power of the arts,” Senator Leahy said. “The ARTS Act acknowledges the unique challenges that nonprofit arts organizations confront with our visa system and would assist them in their effort to bring international arts and culture to our communities.”
The League is a lead partner with the Performing Arts Alliance, American Federation of Musicians, The Recording Academy, and an array of other national organizations calling on USCIS to take immediate action to improve the artist visa process. You can make a difference by asking your Senator to sign up to co-sponsor the ARTS Act!
Learn more and ask your Senator to co-sponsor the ARTS Act
Three Berlin orchestras – the Philharmoniker, the Konzerthausorchester and the Staatskapelle – and giving a joint invitation concert for refugees on March 1 with chief conductors Simon Rattle, Iván Fischer and Daniel Barenboim.
They will play works by Mozart, Prokofiev and Beethoven.
Three orchs, three maestros – how often do they get together? It’s a missed opportunity for Gruppen.
Sonderkonzert für Flüchtlinge und Helfende am 1. März 2016 in der Philharmonie
Willkommen in unserer Mitte
Die Berliner Philharmoniker, das Konzerthausorchester Berlin und die Staatskapelle Berlin geben in der Philharmonie unter der Leitung von Sir Simon Rattle, Iván Fischer und Daniel Barenboim ein Konzert für Flüchtlinge und Helfende.
Am Dienstag, dem 1. März 2016 um 18 Uhr laden die Berliner Philharmoniker, das Konzerthausorchester Berlin und die Staatskapelle Berlin Flüchtlinge, ihre Familien sowie Helferinnen und Helfer zu einem Konzert in die Philharmonie ein. Die drei Orchester, ihre Chefdirigenten Daniel Barenboim, Iván Fischer und Sir Simon Rattle und die Intendanten möchten mit dem Konzert Menschen, die aus ihrer Heimat geflohen sind, willkommen heißen und zugleich den vielen Helferinnen und Helfern für ihr haupt- und ehrenamtliches Engagement danken.
Daniel Barenboim, Iván Fischer und Sir Simon Rattle: „Musik ist unsere internationale Sprache, die die Menschen überall erreicht und berührt. Als Musiker fühlen wir uns auf der ganzen Welt willkommen. Wir wünschen uns, dass dies auch für Menschen gilt, die vom Schicksal schwer getroffen sind und die durch Krieg, Hunger oder Verfolgung gezwungen wurden, ihre Heimat zu verlassen. Mit unserem gemeinsamen Konzert möchten wir den geflüchteten Familien ein Zeichen des Willkommens geben sowie ihren Helferinnen und Helfern gegenüber unseren Dank und unsere Anerkennung zum Ausdruck bringen.“
The Long Island Philharmonic is no more.
It shut Monday after the bank refused to renegotiate a loan.
The orchestra, founded in 1979 by the folksinger Harry Chapin and conductor Christopher Keene, has notified regular players it can no longer afford to pay them.
David Stewart Wiley has been music director for the past 15 years. Marin Alsop was a previous m.d.
We have been informed that the former director of music at Chetham’s walked free this week after serving three years of a six-year sentence for indecent assault of a girl pupil.
The complainant, Frances Andrade, died during his trial.
Brewer, 70, has never admitted the offence nor expressed regret.
The Hollywood director Sofia Coppola has signed up for La Traviata in Rome.
The deal was announced by Rome Opera chief Carlo Fuortes, who has also got Valentino Garavani to design the costumes. The role of Violetta will be shared by Francesca Dotto and Maria Grazia Schiavo.
Production opens May 24.
Coppola, 44, won an Oscar for Lost in Translation in 2003.
