The Finnish conductor was formerly music director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris.

She received the award today in Helsinki from the French Ambassador.

Nielsen Soundscan figures are in, not quite as bad as usual.

Anna Netrebko sold more than 900 copies of her new DG album in the US last week.

The next-best contender were the Norcia monks, with 160.

The violinist is choosing who should share the $2 million Genesis prize he was given in Israel:

The violinist announced Monday that he would donate NIS 3.2 million (approx. $850,000) to organizations in Israel that connect people with disabilities with the classical arts. The biggest donation — NIS 940,000 (approx. $250,000) — will go to the Perlman Music Program at the Tel Aviv Conservatory to support young, talented musicians.

More here in Times of Israel*.

Good man.

*Readers point out that this should read: the Tel Aviv Conservatory for a new Perlman-Genesis String Project.

Searching for something else online, I stumbled across an interview I conducted with Solti 19 years ago, the last one of his life. It was the happiest I had ever seen him, the day of his daughter’s engagement, and we spent the whole morning in reckless mood, sharing unbuttoned intimacies.

Sample:

At a recent record industry party, he recalled being lobbied by an American executive who was defending three-minute shellacs against Decca’s long-playing record. Solti heard the man out, then said: “Tell me, what do you prefer – coitus interruptus, or coitus? Myself, I like coitus.”

Read the full, fond interview here.

I cannot believe it’s almost two decades since he has been gone.

portrait (c) Robin Del Mar/Lebrecht, 1995

Brett Mitchell, Associate Conductor at the Cleveland Orchestra, has been named music director of the Colorado Symphony from next season.

Brett, 37, has also been in charge of Cleveland’s youth orchestra.

Colorado has bounced back from har times with its first budget surplus.

Detailed press release follows.

Meantime, many congrats to Brett and his radio presenter wife, Angela Mitchell.

September 12, 2016 – Denver, CO – For the first time since its inception in 1990, the Colorado Symphony is reporting its strongest financial health as it opens its 2016/17 Concert Season on September 16, 2016. The Symphony eliminated its decades-old deficit with a $1.5 million matching challenge grant, issued in February 2016 with a short, five-month runway to be met. Upon the close of its fiscal year on June 30, 2016, the Colorado Symphony was able to meet the challenge and report a significant surplus, with cash in excess of $1.7 million, versus $7,000 on June 30, 2015.

“This is a momentous time for the Colorado Symphony,” said Symphony CEO and Board Co-Chair Jerry Kern. “We’re in our best fiscal position to-date with an unprecedented budget surplus, and the staff, donors, musicians, and board are more unified than ever in reaching our artistic and financial goals.” 

Founded 26 years ago in the wake of the Denver Symphony Orchestra’s mid-season bankruptcy, the Colorado Symphony has struggled for solvency since its beginning. Only five years ago, on the heels of the recession, it was facing yet another collapse.

It was around that time in 2011 Jerry Kern, and his wife, Mary Rossick Kern—a long-time Symphony advocate and its former Director of Development—renewed their roles as co-chairs of the Colorado Symphony’s Board of Trustees. By February 2013, Kern stepped in as CEO for a $2 annual salary.

The Kerns attribute this historic financial turn-around to the matching challenge grant, and to making significant revisions to the orchestra business model to suit Colorado audiences.

“Our classical repertoire and level of performance is the best in the region, and the loyalty of our subscribers makes this evident,” said Kern. “But we have to recognize that Denver is a changing city, with younger audiences to engage. We need to stay current, and we’re seeing great success through our collaborations with artists including the Flaming Lips, Elephant Revival, and Gregory Alan Isakov.”

The Symphony is also enacting a significant change within the artistic leadership: as of July 1, 2017, Brett Mitchell, currently the Cleveland Orchestra’s Associate Conductor and Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, will take on the role of Music Director for the 2017/18 Season and the succeeding three seasons. Mitchell will act as Music Director Designate for the 2016/17 Season.

The 2015/16 Season was Andrew Litton’s last as Music Director, and he will serve as Principal Guest Conductor for the 2016/17 and 2017/18 Seasons. Litton joined the Colorado Symphony as Music Director in 2012, and is credited with expanding the orchestra’s breadth of recordings and upholding an unwavering commitment to the highest performance standards during his tenure.

Mitchell was unanimously selected by musicians and artistic leadership alike—a rare occurrence in the orchestra world when making such a momentous change. Yet Mitchell’s energetic talent on the podium, enthusiastic vision for classical and popular symphonic repertoires, and winning charm made him the clear choice for the role.

“Brett’s skill, character, and creativity won us all over, and he’s completely on board with our mission for innovative artistry and financial success. We are beyond excited to work with him to develop our programs, and can’t believe how lucky we are to have found such a great fit for the Colorado Symphony—especially in a relatively short amount of time,” said Chief Artistic Officer Anthony Pierce, referring to the sometimes years-long process a Music Director search can require.

“From the first downbeat of our first rehearsal together, it was clear that the Colorado Symphony and I had that special chemistry vital to any great artistic partnership,” said Mitchell. “I was hugely impressed by the musicians, and am so pleased to make great music together in the coming seasons. My wife Angela and I are thrilled to be coming to Denver, and we look forward to getting to know the people and places that make the Mile-High City one of the greatest in the world.”

On September 25 there will be concerts across the US in support of an end to gun violence. A classical section is being rallied by Musicians Against Gun Violence in America with classical musicians sounding off at the following locations.

Go support them if you can.

Cleveland, Ohio: At U.S. Bank Plaza in Playhouse Square, 12:30pm. Performers include musicians from the Cleveland Orchestra, from the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, from the Cleveland Institute of Music, from Classical Revolution Cleveland, and from Quire Cleveland. (Below is a fuller list of performers.) The program features a mix of classical and popular numbers, many of which will be on the themes of  peace and remembrance. The concert is hosted by Jeff Kurkjian, host of “The Jeff Show” on Q104, and Angela Mitchell, assistant producer for WCLV Classical 104.9. Both hosts also perform on the program. Mitchell is a board member of the Ohio Coalition  Against Gun Violence and is organizing the event.

York, PA: hosted by Zion Lutheran Church and its Director of Music Ministries, Mark Mummert. Performers are 15 local professional vocalists (including 6 sopranos) and instrumentalists playing works by J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Puccini, Copland, Bernstein, and Miranda’s Broadway musical “Hamilton”, among others. An offering will benefit Everytown for Gun Safety.

Ann Arbor, Michigan (details still tba): featuring Louis Nagel, piano, and a performance of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony conducted by Kevin Fitzgerald, who led Mozart’s Requiem at the Requiem for Orlando.

UPDATE: We have been asked to clarify that Musicians Against Gun Violence in America  is one of dozens of organizations banding together under the banner of the Concert Across America to End Gun Violence. 

The Berlin-based pianist Tamara Stefanovich is starting a cutting-edge festival of Boulez and Kurtag in a part of the US not previously associated with the European avant-garde.

Four days in November: looks good.

Tamara has just toured the Boulez piano works with her partner, Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

The new director of the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, Oliver Mears, has held one previous job, in Northern Ireland.

The director of English National Opera, Daniel Kramer, has held none.

Neither has run a major enterprise before.

Neither has much by way of international credits or contacts.

Both are answerable to boards of uncertainty. Covent Garden has a new chairman, Ian Taylor. ENO’s board has presided over one calamity after the next.

Both houses are investing their energies in building renovation.

These are testing times for opera in London.

There was widespread discontent when the Orchestre de Paris sacked Didier de Cottignies ahead of the arrival of its new music director, Daniel Harding.

No-one in the music world has a bigger contacts book than Didier and few know more about music.

However, Didier went and Daniel was said to be considering an English mate for the job. Apparently, that was greeted by the French like a Brexit-burger with HP sauce.

So the French establishment chose one of its own.

The new Délégué Artistique at the OdP is Edouard Fouré Caul-Futy, a producer at France-Musique. His experience is entirely with baroque music. He has a lot to learn.

He also happens to be the son-in-law of Martine Aubry, former presidential candidate and still a power-broker in the Socialist Party.

Aubry’s daughter, Clémentine, is Administrator of the auditorium at the Musée du Louvre.

press release:

The Royal Opera House announced today that Oliver Mears will join the Royal Opera House at the beginning of March 2017 to succeed Kasper Holten as Director of Opera, who leaves on 11 March 2017. 

Mears has been artistic director of Northern Ireland Opera since its foundation in 2010.

He has also directed at other British companies but his international experience is limited to brief stints at Dutch Touring Opera and Bergen, in Norway.

He is practically unknown on the world stage.

Mears has withheld all personal details, including his age, from the official announcement and his agency c.v.

Tell us what else you know about him…

COMMENT: Inexperience rules at London’s opera houses.

For almost 30 years, Dene Olding has occupied the front seat of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australia’s premier ensemble.

That makes him the country’s foremost violinist, and certainly its busiest. Dene is also leader of the widely-toured Goldner String Quartet, and of the Australia Ensemble, as well as an allround nice guy.

Now, at 59, Dene has decided to give up his seat in the Sydney Symphony next month to spend more time with family and private pursuits.

‘I’ve been one of the busiest musicians in Australia for the last 30 or 40 years, and hopefully that will continue as much as I would like it to. But it’s also important I have time for myself and for my family,’ he says.

Sydney will be looking for a very big character to fill his vacant space.

There are three new players in the elite Amsterdam orchestra, all announced very discreetly.

Miroslav Petkov, the new principal trumpet, is 27 and Bulgarian.

Kyeong Ham, 2nd oboe, is South Korean and 23.

José Luís Sogorb Jover, 37, was principal horn at the Orquestra Sinfónica de Galicia in La Coruña.