We hear that Philipp Bernhard is leaving the Quator Modigliani, one of the go-to quartets of the moment.

He’ll be replaced by Amaury Coeytaux, formerly with l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

modigliano-quartet

Tough truths from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra accounts, posted today.

1 Ticket sales reached $22.2 million for 218 CSO concerts. The CSO Main series netted $15.4 million. Single-ticket sales hit $6 million. All these figures are all-time records. But…

2 The CSO had a $1.1 million operating deficit. Income was $71.9 million, expenses, $73 million.

Go figure.

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The French mezzo-soprano Sophie Koch has walked out of the Chicago Lyric production of Berlioz’s Les Troyens for unspecified personal reasons. Rehearsals start today.

She has been replaced by local favourite Susan Graham.

Press release follows:

sophie koch dominique meyer
Sophie Koch receives Vienna award 

 

CHICAGO (10/26/16) — Anthony Freud, Lyric’s general director, president & CEO, announced today that French mezzo-soprano Sophie Koch has withdrawn from the company premiere of Berlioz’s Les Troyens for personal reasons. Stepping into the role of Dido will be American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, world-renowned as an interpreter of French repertoire, in general, with a special emphasis on the music of Berlioz. “Susan is a longtime favorite of Lyric audiences,” said Freud. “She has sung the role of Dido around the globe to incredible acclaim, and we are absolutely delighted that she has agreed, on such short notice, to return to the company in one of her signature roles.” Graham will begin rehearsals at Lyric on Thursday.

“It is my great pleasure to return to Lyric,” shared Graham. “I adore Chicago and Chicago audiences. The role of Dido is a role I cherish and I’m delighted that my schedule has allowed me to join the amazing cast of the Lyric’s Les Troyens.”

Richard Ortner, president of the Boston Conservatory who merged his institution with Berklee College of Music, has announced his retirement in June 2017.

Presumably, there’s no job left for him to do.

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This is one of those tales of misery that arise from time to time in the lower reaches of the competition industry. We have received this complaint from a scandalised Korean contestant, Jehi Bahk and post his account verbatim. It should serve as a warning to young hopefuls never to attend an unonwon competition, no matter how famous a name it bears.

Please be aware that this is a conducting competition, not the esteemed Busoni Piano Competition.

Here’s Jehi’s tale:

About two weeks ago I travelled to Italy to participate in  the“International Conducting Competition SilVer 2016 – Ferruccio Busoni”, organised by the “Associazione Culturale Silver”.

I got invited on October 16th by e-mail and had to transfer the participation fee of 270 EUR (additional to the application fee of 50EUR) to the personal account of Alessio Cioni, via Western Union or Moneygram.

On October 18th the participants got an e-mail with the exact location – first announced as the Teatro di Vinci it was changed to a small church – and the names of the jury:

GIUSEPPE LANZETTA, director Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina
ALESSIO CIONI, pianist and president of Cultural Association Silver
SABRINA BESSI, pianist, opera singer and artistic director Cultural Association Silver (Alessio’s wife)

DAMIANO TOGNETTI, first violin Chamber Orchestra of Florence

After the first round, most of the better conductors were eliminated, a significant part of the participants who advanced to the second round were those who attended Lanzetta’s masterclass this summer, which I found out later.

During the competition, the repertoire was changed (Shostakovich concerto was cancelled, Busoni Piano concert was no longer compulsory). In the semifinal, Lanzetta wanted every contestant to sightread. He handed out music and every contestant had to conduct about 2 minutes from, as we knew later, Suk Serenade and Nielsen Suite. Totally out of the regulations.

But what happened next was the real scandal. Four prizes were announced:
JOOST SMEETS, 3rd prize ex aequo (400 EUR), one concert with the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina
ALEXEI OSETROV  3rd prize ex aequo (400 EUR), one concert with the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina
BIAGIO ILACQUA Busoni Special prize (500 EUR)
LUCIE LEGUAY No prize, finalist diploma, one concert with the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina

1st prize (had been 3.000EUR, reduced to 2.500 EUR) and 2nd prize (1.500 EUR) were not assigned.

Now the culmination of the scandal:

The location of the competition was in a small church in Empoli (Chiesa di Santo Stefano degli Agostiniani, Via dei Neri, Empoli). After the final concert, on the way to the toilet (you have to go through the side room of the church to get to the toilet) I saw a note lying openly on the table, which shocked me so much, that I had to take a picture to have a proof of it:

busoni-note

It clearly says:1° Premio  Cioni (the president of Cultural Association Silver)
2° Premio  Tognetti (first violin Chamber Orchestra of Florence)
3° Premio Jost / A Ostetrov

Joost Smeets, one of the 3rd prize winners, who also saw the note and also took a picture of it, (and got very angry about it – he throw away the small cup, which he got as a prize, into the trash container outside the church) got a message from Lanzetta which led to following exchange of messages (Lanzetta during the communication admitted that he wrote the note as “as a joke”): (see 6 screenshots with messages)

See also following 4 (somewhat comical) videos:
2016-10-23, Busoni Conducting Competition – Announcement of the prize winners
La Copa (1)
Alessio Cioni writes a check (you guessed right, the man with the heavy accent is Mr. Cioni)
La Copa (2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz60RpO0iFk

Next day Joost got following e-mail:
Good morning,

after your misconduct and unprofessionalism towards the Organization and serious offenses against the President of the Commission at the end of the Competition, the Artistic Director together with the President of the Association and with M ° Lanzetta are deciding to cancel prizes and concerts.By the time the check of the prize has been blocked from the bank.

We will keep you informed.

Associazione Culturale SilVer

Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina
Lawyer Avv. Diego Cremona

Two hours before Sunday’s concert with the Maggio Musicale orchestra, conductor Xu Zhong called in sick.

Concertmaster Domenico Pierini arrived at the theatre with an hour to go and no conductor to be found. He was asked if he could conduct Debussy’s Nocturnes and La Mer.

Pierini said he hadn’t brought a baton.

They gave him one that belongs Zubin Mehta, the Maggio’s longstanding music director. Pierini was thrilled.

The concert was, by all accounts, successful.

 

pierangelo-conte

Trey Devey has stunned Cincinnati by stepping down as president of one of the biggest US orchestras to take over a camp where his kids spent the summer.

Trey, 45, is to be president of Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.

He has been notably successful in Cincy, balancing the orchestra’s budgets for eight successive years, resolving its pension hole and expanding into untapped parts of the community. The CSO plays on $61 million a year, with an endowment of $143 million. Trey is also prez of the Cincinnati May Festival.

In a management field low on fresh talent, Trey Devey has been heading the headhunters’ list for a number of prospective vacancies. That he should choose a summer camp ahead of a big-city orchestra is a rebuff to the sector’s established pecking order. We wish him well at Interlochen.

Report here.

trey-devey

Sunday’s LA Philharmonic matinee concert was dedicated by Gustavo Dudamel to the memory of Barry Socher, a violinist in the orchestra for 35 years and a life-force in the area. Barry had died the day before, at 68, of cancer.

barry-socher1

In a busy career, he also served as concertmaster for the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra, Pasadena Pops Orchestra, Fresno Philharmonic, the Ojai Festival and Oregon Bach Festival orchestras.

He was a founder of the Armadillo Quartet and a lover of the great outdoors.

barry-socher

There’s a lovely tribute on violinist.com:

I joined the LA Phil when I was 19, in 2007. The first image seared into my memory of Barry onstage at the Hollywood Bowl was that of a guy who looked like Brahms – very serious – but with a stuffed, plush armadillo peeking out from under his seat.

It will be strictly virtual, but they’ll capture a whole generation once again.

Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad broke up in 1982 and have never sung together since.

The new project, involving the Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, will be a ‘groundbreaking venture that will utilise the very latest in digital and virtual reality technology’.

Sad, for more reasons than we can enumerate.

abba

Frida Lyngstad: ‘Our fans around the world are always asking us to reform and so I hope this new ABBA creation will excite them as much as it excites me!’

Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group: ‘Having the privilege of working closely with the band for over two decades, I can comfortably say there are few recording artists who like ABBA bring together their mastery of craft, a high level of professionalism and enormous commercial success. I’m thrilled to be involved in this innovative new project that will introduce the band who are responsible for some of the greatest songs and melodies in pop music to a new generation of fans.’

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto says he’s staying in touch with both sides in an effort to end the lockout.

Peduto said the PSO, more than a century old, survived the city’s “darkest days” when industry collapsed and shouldn’t be forced to close now that the city is growing. He said the city must do everything possible to keep the doors open and preserve a valuable cultural asset.

Read more here.

pittsburgh heinz hall

The change of Kennedy Center personnel under Deborah Rutter continues apace.

It has been announced th Rita Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) since 2002, will step down in two months’ time. That’s unusually short notice for  a senior position.

But she has held the fort capably through the Slatkin and Eschenbach years and can probably use some fresh air.

Press release follows.

 

 

(WASHINGTON)—Rita Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) since 2002, today announced she will step down from the leadership position effective December 30, 2016.

 

During Shapiro’s 15-year tenure with the internationally acclaimed NSO, she has forged productive collaborations with music directors Leonard Slatkin and Christoph Eschenbach, Principal Conductor Iván Fischer, and Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke. She oversaw the launch of ongoing community engagement projects and partnerships, expanded audiences through cross-genre projects with major artists, fostered explorations of new digital media frontiers, and raised the profile of the orchestra with new musician hires and five international tours. Most recently, Shapiro successfully led the orchestra’s search for its next music director, resulting in the appointment of acclaimed Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda, who begins his directorship in September 2017.

 

Throughout her tenure, Shapiro, a highly regarded leader in the American orchestra field, has grown both the artistic portfolio and reputation of the NSO, as well the orchestra’s social impact in the community through programs like NSO In Your Neighborhood and NSO SoundHealth. She also strengthened the artistic affiliation of the 96-member orchestra with its long-time home, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, yielding more interdisciplinary programming, presenting NSO musicians and ensembles on its Millennium Stage, and expanding the breadth and reach of the NSO’s education initiatives. In addition, she led the selection process, acquisition, and installation of the $2 million Rubenstein Family Organ in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

 

In her 15 years at the helm of the NSO, Shapiro has helped to promote and further the national and international reputation of the NSO through extensive touring, including residencies in nine U.S. states; a U.S. national tour; and five international tours to Asia, Trinidad and the Americas, Oman, and Europe. The NSO continues to be one of the most visible orchestras in the country, with annually televised appearances on the National Mall on Memorial Day and July 4, and local monthly radio broadcasts on WETA 90.9 FM.

“These last 15 years have been enormously fulfilling for me,” said Shapiro. “I’ve been so fortunate to work in a field about which I care so deeply. I am grateful to the talented musicians of the NSO, my administrative colleagues, especially the incredibly dedicated NSO team, our Board of Directors and volunteers, and innumerable distinguished artists for giving me countless musical memories that will stay with me for years to come. I’m proud of what we’ve all accomplished together during my time here.”

“Rita Shapiro has worked with dedication and devotion to the National Symphony Orchestra,” said Jeanne Ruesch, Chairman of the NSO Board of Directors. “She has led the search process for two music directors, supported the recruitment of numerous talented musicians, and provided the guidance for the orchestra to perform on five international tours. Her love of symphonic music and her aspirations for the NSO have been a source of inspiration for the Board and all of those around her. The Board of Directors and I are extremely grateful for her leadership during these important times in the Orchestra’s history.”

“Rita and I have become close colleagues during my time here, and I value her partnership and her leadership,” said NSO Music Director Christoph Eschenbach. “I admire what she has done for and with the Orchestra, always approaching any challenge in a positive way. We will certainly miss her knowledge, her appreciation for all forms of culture, and her dedication to the NSO.”

“I’ve had the honor of working with Rita for a number of years as a colleague in the orchestra field,” said Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter. “In my time here at the Center, she has proven to be a positively fearless partner—always in service to the music, always seeking innovative ways to engage with audiences, and thoughtfully guiding the Orchestra in both its artistic profile and its social impact. She leaves the NSO strong, energized, and poised for new levels of excellence in the years to come.”

Shapiro has demonstrated a firm commitment to reaching the broadest possible audience for live symphonic performance by identifying and experimenting with new concert formats and times. The NSO’s DECLASSIFIED series launched in 2015 and includes interactive pre- and post-concert activities themed to enhance the concert experience. Programs have previously featured collaborations with the NSO by Ben Folds, Mason Bates, and Storm Large, and this season’s series begins with a night of music by Bryce Dessner. She also initiated a midday series of Coffee Concerts on selected Fridays at 11:30 a.m. Spurred by successes in serving new and diverse audiences, Shapiro led the Orchestra’s efforts to experiment and collaborate with non-traditional artists ranging from Hip Hop to other popular music genres. The NSO was the first among American orchestras to perform with rappers Nas and Kendrick Lamar; Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain; and Seth MacFarlane, among others.

 She conceived of three major and ongoing community engagement projects, and created a new staff position, manager of community relations, to lead and support these efforts, including: the 2012 launch of NSO In Your Neighborhood which each year brings 50+ performances and events into schools, community centers, homeless shelters, libraries, and other location across Washington, D.C. neighborhoods; the NSO SoundHealth program, with multiple annual performances at the National Institutes of Health and in six area hospitals; and the December 2016 launch of NSO Salutes the Military, a series of initiatives that provide free performances to active military members and their families in partnership with the USO, as well as performances to honor veterans.

rita_shapiro

In a passionate call for observance of Christian traditions – ‘we are the party with a C in its name – the German chancellor called on people to sing traditional songs and dust off their recorders during the festive season.

‘If we don’t do this,’ she warned, ‘we will lose a piece of our Heimat.’

Watch video here.

 

merkel-sings