Gyehee Kim, 23, a South Korean student of the late Joseph Silverstein at Curtis, has won the violin section of the Enescu Competition in Bucharest.

Unusually, none of her teachers, past or present, were on the jury, which was chaired by Pierre Amoyal.

We congratulate her and the competition organisers.

From a passionate article by a current Jacobs student:

I’ve been hit with “Is music even a job or is it just something you do in your free time?” and “We didn’t even have a music teacher at our school, so there probably won’t be jobs for you when you graduate.” Regardless of the answers I give, there always seem to be more questions. It’s hard enough working toward my major academically, but no one prepared me for the amount of work it takes to defend my major’s importance.

Music education differs from studying performance in that, while we are required to take many of the same classes — such as music theory and history, musical skills, and the fundamentals of piano — we also learn how to play every instrument offered in schools’ music programs, including string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. If you think that’s a walk in the park, we have ensemble rehearsal for two hours a day at least three days a week, individual lessons on our primary instrument, and field observations of music education in local schools. Add on a casual 20-credit-hour course load — as opposed to virtually everyone else at IU with an average of 15 credits per semester — and you’ve got a concoction for one of the most stressful majors on IU’s campus.

Read Miller Susens’ full article here.

photo: Ben Meraz

We have been notified of the passing of Rainer Schottstädt, one of Germany’s best-known bassoon players, principal of the Gurzenich orchestra of Cologne for 40 years.

Rainer, who retired last year from the orchestra, was 65.

He was a member of the Syrinx quintet and set up his own publishing house for his many bassoon arrangements of classical scores.

The Cologne conductor Franz-Xavier Roth writes: Extremely sad and chocked to hear the sudden death of the great Rainer Schottstaedt who was the legendary principal bassoon of the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne. Rainer retired from his orchestra position a few months ago. It was an honor to play with him and to know him. All my thoughts go to his whole family and colleagues.

Viktor Grishin was principal percussion of the Bolshoi orchestra since 1973.

He was also founder if its percussion ensemble and a widely published composer.

source: classicalmusicnews.ru

A 15 year-old American, Elli Choi, came first in the World Monaco Music Masters competition. Elli, who won 30,000 Euros, is a student of Zakhar Bron in Switzerland. Her career is managed by the Zakhar Bron Akademie.

The ubiquitous Zakhar Bron was on the very small jury of the Monaco competition. It was chaired by Maxim Vengerov, his friend and former pupil.

This racket must stop.

And they must be praying this will continue throughout the season.

The Baltimore Symphony scored heavily with the black-tie crowd thanks to a rare appearance by Itzhak Perlman in the Mendelssohn concerto.

Seattle made $920,000+ thanks to having Bill Gates in the audience and Joyce DiDonato on stage.

Third best were Houston, at $730,000, with Sir Ben Kingsley narrating Peter and the Wolf. The last-named was kept well away from the door.

The Queensland Symphony is in mourning for one of its own. Stephen Philips, born and reared in Brisbane, was killed in a car crash while on a family holiday in New Zealand.

His two stepsons, aged 14 and 12, also died. His wife, Belinda, and daughter are injured in hospital.

Stephen, 54, was a member of the first violins of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and an occasional soloist. He was also a church singer and organist. Belinda played viola as a freelance in the orchestra. The music community of Brisbane is bereft.