An orchestra titled Symphony Musicians of Fort Worth are playing in the pit this week for Texas Ballet Theater’s production of Carmen.
That’s unusual. What happened is that the Fort Worth Symphony and the musicians discreetly agreed to allow third-party hires during the wage strike. Special dispensation was also given in to keep Miguel Harth-Bedoya on the ballet podium. Texas Ballet Theater plans to increase its budget by 50%. Who knows, maybe the enlarged ballet will offer the musicians a better deal.
FWSO musicians at ballet (c) slippedisc.com
Less happily, the striking musicians found that Bass Hall has padlocked their lockers and scraped off their names.
Just mean.
The St Paul Chamber Orchestra has filled 22 out of 28 permanent posts with the recruitment of Curtis grad Eunice Kim, a lifer who has been playing professionally since her debut aged seven with the Korean broadcast orchestra.
Last week, St Paul signed Francisco Fullana with the title of principal violin.
Onward and upward.
Dutch National Opera has kicked off a video campaign, You Don’t Know Opera, aimed at persuading young people that opera should be part of their lives and that opera people are, really, quite normal.
The first release introduces Frank Engel, professional tenor and amateur boxer.
Book your ringside seat here:
One year into his contract, the NHK symphony orchestra have asked Paavo Järvi to extend it by three years, to 2021.
Paavo says: ‘I have enjoyed my first season with the NHK Symphony Orchestra immensely and am delighted to extend the contract knowing that I will have the opportunity to work with these fine musicians over an extended period of time. We have much to look forward to in the upcoming year including both our first European tour in Spring 2017 and our first CD release with a focus on the orchestra works of Richard Strauss. This season is especially important as the orchestra celebrates its 90th birthday and tonight we celebrate an additional birthday by having the honour to perform as a part of Suntory Hall’s 30th anniversary celebrations here in Tokyo.’
The family have announced the death of Neil Kristof Ertz, the Edinburgh violin maker. He was 50 years old.
It is with profound sadness that we must share the news of Neil’s passing today, Wednesday 5th October. Neil suffered from a ruptured aneurysm on Monday and had been in hospital on life support since then. He left us today peacefully, surrounded by his family.
Joseph W. Polisi has decided to step down in June 2018. He will have been president of the school for 34 years.
The New York Times calls him ‘transformative’ and tributes are flowing in from all corners of the music establishment. Detractors see Juilliard as soulless and efficient, a well-run factory for career musicians.
Here’s the Juilliard announcement:
NEW YORK, October 5 — Joseph W. Polisi, Juilliard’s sixth and longest-serving president, announced today that he will step down at the end of June 2018. Polisi will have been in office for 34 years, presiding over one of the most dynamic and successful eras in the school’s history, one that is marked by steady expansion of Juilliard’s activities within the school, into the broader community, and, especially in recent years, internationally. Juilliard’s board of trustees has appointed a committee led by Board Chair Bruce Kovner to conduct the search for Polisi’s successor.
During his tenure, Polisi has brought formidable gifts as public speaker, writer, and musician, as well as educator and administrator, to the execution of his duties as Juilliard’s president, transforming nearly every aspect of the school. His concept of “the artist as citizen” — the title of his 2005 collection of speeches exhorting performing artists to become informed, articulate, and involved arts advocates in the world community — has had ripple effects in arts education not only at Juilliard, but around the country and the world.
“It has been an immense honor to help lead this distinguished institution in partnership with a motivated and generous board, a brilliant faculty, a dedicated administrative staff, and extraordinary classes of highly talented student artists,” said Polisi. “Juilliard is a place that gives back to our global society by educating new generations of artists who enhance the enduring traditions embodied in the art forms of music, dance, and drama. I know that this important mission will flourish in the time ahead.”
“Joseph has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to artistic and educational integrity while fostering a spirit of community and humanity at the school,” noted Kovner. “For more than three decades, he has embodied and enhanced Juilliard values, elevating educational standards to include an emphasis on entrepreneurship and social responsibility. Joseph’s contribution to the field of arts education is unparalleled.”
Highlights of the remarkable number and diversity of initiatives overseen by Polisi include:
Creation of Historical Performance and Jazz Studies programs, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Drama
Construction of Juilliard’s first dormitory, the Meredith Willson Residence Hall
A major renovation and expansion of the Juilliard building, adding nearly 40,000 square feet of additional space to the Irene Diamond Building at Lincoln Center, supported by major gifts from the Irene Diamond Fund, the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, and Juilliard Board Chair Bruce Kovner
Development of The Tianjin Juilliard School in China, for which he serves as board chair, and which will offer a U.S.-accredited master’s degree – a first for any performing arts institution in China
Formation of the Juilliard-Nord Anglia Performing Arts Program, a multifaceted collaboration involving an innovative arts education curriculum for students in grades K-12
Digital educational initiatives including the development of Juilliard Open Studios apps, online courses, and other products for the consumer education market
National and international touring programs for Juilliard’s Dance, Drama, and Music Divisions, and the commissioning of hundreds of new music, dance, and drama works
The Juilliard Manuscript Collection created through the donation of rare and invaluable items collected by Bruce Kovner, with digital images of materials freely available to all through the Juilliard Manuscript Collection website
Creation of the Alan D. Marks Center for Career Services and Entrepreneurship
Establishment of the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts
Extensive community engagement programs including the Morse and Gluck Fellowships and the Music Advancement Program
Numerous and extensive scholarship programs including the Kovner Fellowship Program, which covers the full cost of attendance, and the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship program, the first to offer full-tuition scholarships across all divisions
Polisi, 68, became the school’s president in September 1984, having previously served as dean of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (1983–84). Prior to that he had been dean of faculty at the Manhattan School of Music (1980–83) and executive officer of the Yale University School of Music (1976–80). A native New Yorker, he studied bassoon with his father, William Polisi, who served on the Juilliard faculty (from 1951 to 1982) and was principal bassoonist of the New York Philharmonic (from 1943 to 1958). Joseph Polisi holds two master’s degrees and a doctorate from the Yale School of Music, and has continued to perform as a soloist and chamber musician throughout his career. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Arts in international relations from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from Yale University and eight other institutions, as well as Musical America’s “Educator of the Year” award for 2005.
Chorus member Pablo B. Strong takes his video camera in to work at English National Opera.
Here’s his latest opus on the general rehearsal, newly posted, beautifully done.
They are selling the cello bow once used by Jacqueline du Pre.
Price estimate: £20-30,000.
Barry Stees of the Cleveland Orchestra informs us of the death on Monday of K. David Van Hoesen, long-serving principal bassoon of the Rochester Philharmonic and an Eastman teacher whose students sit in every major US orchestra and teach at most leading conservatories. He knew all there was to know about bassoon.
Just listen to his splendid solos in this William Schuman piece:
Van Hoesen was professor of bassoon at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (1950-54) and at Cleveland Institute of Music (1952-54) before joining Eastman in 1954. He was Cleveland’s second bassoon before joining Rochester.
He also played 64 years in the Lake Placid Sinfonietta, the longest known tenure of any bassoonist.
The first musical consequence of the Russian Revolution was the formation of Persimfans, an orchestra of equals that functioned without a conductor. It played for a decade, from 1922 until Stalin’s first purge.
Now Persimfans has risen again.
The pianist Peter Aydou has formed the orchestra with 112 Moscow friends and put on a first concert this week in the Big Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire.
Here’s how the Parsifal overture sounds without a maestro.
And here’s Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet overture.
Slipped Disc readers are the first to see these unofficial videos. Any thoughts?
Raphael Wallfisch and Jakob Kullberg have joined London’s Royal College of Music as professors of cello.
