Rub your eyes, gals and guys. Some lucky Germans will go to Vegas. Some serious Vegans will wind up in Cottbus.

Read this:

Through a generous gift by German philanthropist Dorothee Hennings-Holtmann, the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Brandenburg State Theater Orchestra, Cottbus are pleased to announce the American German Cultural Exchange Fellowship (AGCEF). This new and unique fellowship partners the Las Vegas Philharmonic with the Cottbus State Theater Orchestra in Cottbus, Germany and will give both organizations the opportunity to exchange guest artists with their respective orchestras.

The first two recipients of the AGCEF are German violinist, Tobias Feldmann, and American violinist, Alexi Kenney. Feldmann will perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major with the Las Vegas Philharmonic on November 5, 2016 at The Smith Center and Kenney will perform Barber’s Violin Concerto November 18 – 20, 2016 with the Brandenburg State Theater Orchestra, Cottbus.

Mehr hier, as they say in Cottbus.

Melanie Wise is asking us to look out for her early 19th century German violin, which was stolen from a van parked near Mare Street in Hackney.

She was working at the time with the band Primal Scream.

Here’s what Melanie writes:

I HAVE HAD MY BELOVED VIOLIN AND ENTIRE MUSICAL SETUP STOLEN @ 3PM TODAY FROM THE BACK OF DARK BLUE MERCEDES SPRINTER VAN PARKED ON RETREAT PLACE IN HACKNEY. THEY DRILLED THE LOCK AND ESCAPED WITHIN 6 MINUTES.

There was panic last night at the Gesellschaft für Musiktheater when a well-known soprano called in sick with the audience already making its way to the venue.

Step up Kurt Equiluz, one of those Viennese indestructables who looks after his voice long after retirement.

Kurt, now 87, started out as an alto soloist of the Vienna Boys Choir. In 1950 he became member of the Vienna State Opera Choir upgrading to a soloist’s contract in 1957. He sang in 1,700 performances over the next 26 years.

He was especially well known for Bach oratorios, which he recorded with Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He retired in 2000 with a performance of Schubert’s Winterreise at the Vienna Musikvereinsaal.

Last night he sang a full programme of works by Randhartinger, Liszt, Marx, Wolf and Salmhofer.

Here’s proof.

A critical sign of our times.

The administration  of the Pittsburgh Symphony, which is refusing to resume talks with the striking musicians, has cancelled  all concerts down to November 18.

“This is a decision made by Management, and Management alone,” said Micah Howard, PSO bassist and Chair of the Musicians’ Orchestra Committee.  “We are ready to negotiate an end to this dispute so the Musicians can be back on stage at Heinz Hall.  But Management has repeatedly declared that they are unwilling to compromise – that they won’t even meet with us unless we accept the ‘last, best, and final’ contract demands they made a month ago.

The Hungarian conductor will step down as music director of Berlin’s Konzerthaus orchestra in 2018, when he’s 65.

Says he wants to conducts less.

He has raised the orchestra’s profile to the extent that he was ranked with Rattle and Barenboim at state events.