There’s one in London, another in Birmingham.

Now Exeter is coming out with a new ensemble. Some 30 LGBT players have signed up.

First rehearsal October 7.

See here.

The conductor is Tim Pithers, a former British Airways crew member.

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The tenor Burkhard Fritz, who kindly stepped in for a late-cancelling Jonas Kaufmann as Walther von Stolzing in Munich’s upcoming Meistersinger, has fallen sick.

He will be replaced by the Austrian tenor Robert Künzli, making his Bavarian State Opera debut.

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Künzli recently sang his first Tristan with Netherlands Touring Opera.

The death is reported tonight of Andrea Tacchi, concertmaster of the Orchestra della Toscana from its formation in 1980 and a close collaborative partner of the composer Luciano Berio.

Andrea fell victim to a rapid, malignant disease.

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Message from the great Russian baritone:

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My dear friends: I am disappointed to have to withdraw from Simon Boccanegra at the Wiener Staatsoper following my doctors’ orders that I undergo another round of chemotherapy. I am optimistic about these treatments and look forward to my upcoming concerts in Germany and beyond. In the meantime, I thank you all for your continued well-wishes, good vibes, and love.

 

 

 

Ilker Arcayürek, a BBC New Generation Artist who is Turkish-Austrian, took first prize today in Stuttgart in the 10th International Art Song Competition of the Hugo Wolf Akademie.

It is one of the biggest Lieder prizes – €15,000 to be shared with his accompanist Fiona Pollak.

The judges were Graham Johnson, Ann Murray, Wolfram Rieger, Birgid Steinberger, Robert Holl and Wolfram Rieger.

Results:

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1st Prize: Ilker Arcayürek (Tenor) Piano: Fiona Pollak
2nd Prize: Stuart Jackson (Tenor) Piano: Jocelyn Freeman
3rd Prize: Samuel Hasselhorn (Baritone) Piano: Renata Rohlfing

Best Pianist Prize: Renata Rohlfing

Throughout the horrendous lockout from 2012 to 2014, Marilyn Carlson Nelson tried to broker a new deal for the musicians but her hardline board colleagues were having none of it.

Marilyn had been on the board since 1973. She and her late husband, Glen, funded the orchestra’s icebreak visit to Cuba last year.

It was announced today that she will become chairman of the board in December.

That means the organisation and the musicians will continue playing off the same sheet.

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After just ten months as Vice-President and Artist Director of the music publisher G. Schirmer, Kathy Schuman has packed it in and gone to run artistic content at the Caramoor festival.

Friends say it was an offer she couldn’t refuse.

But there may be a trend developing with Elizabeth Sobol now heading Saratoga after quitting Universal.

Maybe the music biz is not what it woz.

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Before joining Schirmer, Kathy was head creative honcho for 14 years at Carnegie Hall.

There has been a savage public accounts report on the Philharmonie de Paris, accusing practically everyone involved of gross negligence in the management of public finds.

The hall, budgeted at 173.1 million Euros in 2006, came out at a final cost of 534.7 million.

Since this is France, no-one gets fired.

Report here.

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While Clinton and Trump face each other down in a TV debate, the Met will be opening with Tristan und Isolde and Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla will be making her New York debut with the Juilliard Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall.

We’re wondering which will get more of your votes…

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The Enigma-breaking genius wrote Programmers’ Handbook for Manchester Electronic Computer Mark II at the University of Manchester in 1951.

Christopher Strachey, a schoolteacher, asked Turing if he could borrow the computer for a night in order to write a programme that would produce music. Next morning, Strachey played back God Save the King, and more.

Two New Zealand researchers, Professor Jack Copeland and composer Jason Long, have now managed to restore those Eureka moments. The tapes were released today.

Listen to history being made here (it’s worth hearing just for the cut-glass accent reactions).

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And bless the memory of Alan Turing.

No Swiss maestro has matched the world conquests of Charles Dutoit.

He was music director of the Montreal Symphony from 1977 to 2002 and at various other times of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, the Pacific Music Festival, the NHK Symphony in Tokyo, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London.

Dutoit will turn 80 on October 7.

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