The Symphony Orchestra of Galicia is in mourning for the death of David Ethève, one of its founder members and former director of its youth orchestra. David, who turned 50 in September, was suffering from brain cancer.

He was also cellist of the Kapelle Piano Trio.

Originally from Neuilly-sur-Seine in France, he made an immense contribution to the musical life of Spain.

A correspondent reports:

Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, has been at the heart of American choral music for 90 years. Our choirs sang on Disney’s “Fantasia”, and with virtually every major conductor and orchestra. It appears regularly with the New York Phil and Philly Orchestra, and many touring orchestras such as Berliner Philharmoniker, Vienna Phil &c.

The school was purchased by Rider University (in nearby Lawrenceville) in the 1990’s after falling on hard times. Rider promised to always allow us to keep our individual identity, our own campus, and our mission of furthering choral music, sacred music, music education, vocal/organ/piano performance in the USA and beyond.

Unfortunately, the new president of Rider, Gregory Dell’omo, is now proposing to sell the Princeton campus, absorbing Westminster onto the main Lawrenceville campus. This would likely be a death sentence for the school. Our identity is based upon us operating as a independent institution. Moving us to the other campus would make enrolment take a dive, upset many donors that continue to fund the school, and reduce the education quality.

The most upsetting part of this is that Westminster is very healthy in both enrolment and fundraising. We have been meeting and exceeding both goals in recent years. Rider University, however, is in such horrible financial shape that it needs a massive injection of cash, or will face bankruptcy in 2018 or 2019.

A Save Westminster petition has opened here.  Spread the word.

Memphis police have held two men over the death of a musician, Christopher Waters, who was found shot in his home on Friday. Waters, 30, had recently moved into the property. He was a teacher at Amro Music and a busy string player and conductor.

David Caines Burnett adds:

This is absolutely heartbreaking! Christopher Waters (30 years old) was a wonderful violist and good teacher. A few years ago, while in New York, he heard I was a contractor, contacted and played for me. He wasn’t just a talented violist, he was a very good teacher. We spoke about various techniques to motivate students and what repertoire to teach them.

Christopher Waters was shot during a home invasion in Memphis on Friday, December 9th. He had just recently purchased his home. The 2 individuals (both 22 years old), were caught riding around in his car.

The monthly magazine Record Geijutsu, Japan’s equivalent of Gramophone, has sacked its four long-serving foreign critics: Peter Cossé, Michel Parouty, Theodore Libby Jnr (a contributor since 1986) and Graeme Kay.

They received this sweet note from Editor-in-Chief Toshiyuki Nakazawa:

Thank you very much for your continued support for “The Record Geijutsu”. We are very grateful to you for your contributions to each issue. Much as it pains me to make this announcement, we will be updating the magazine effective the January 2017 issue. Pursuant to that change, the Critics’ Reports section will be concluding with the December 2016 issue. We are deeply grateful to you for your long-term contributions to Critics’ Reports. We would appreciate your understanding of this matter and of our plans to change. Once again, many thanks for your many years of support of “The Record Geijutsu”.

A further sign of spreading isolationism?

By the artist, Norman Perryman:

A few weeks ago, with over two thousand others, I was shuffling towards the exit of Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, slightly dazed, the sounds of Mahler 1 still going through my whole being. Mirga Gražinyté-Tyla had just conducted the CBSO in another fabulous concert. They brought the roof down!

We pass by my painting The Mahler Experience – Symphony Hall. “Look”, a woman in front of me says to her group, “I think that may be Mahler 2, with Simon Rattle”. “That’s right”, I mutter. “Are you sure?” “Yeah, I painted it”. The crowd comes to a standstill. “You painted it! Hey, he painted it!” Handshakes all round. I find this reaction rather amusing, but it happens every time I’m in Birmingham. A group of teenagers is hanging around. I try not to feel prejudiced about their demeanour. One of them eventually approaches me and says: “Sir, I just have to tell you: that painting changed my life. I now love classical music”. A novelist wants to include the painting as the sublime emotional experience of her main character. Could we do a photo in front of the painting? And so on….

Read on, and see more images, here.

Ars longa, vita brevis.

We have received the following request from the violinist Svetlana Makarova:

The Gianbatista Guadagnini of my husband, Pavel Vernikov, was stolen almost from his hands on Thursday at 17.30 in a train in Geneva. If you could help spreading this information we would be very appreciated.

The violin, a 1747 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini made at Piacenza, was stolen in the railway station of Geneva.

Vernikov is Professor at Vienna University and HEMu de Lausanne, Artistic Director of Sion Music Festival.

Please contact Svetlana or Pavel via Facebook if you have information.

UPDATE: New details are emerging of the incident. Pavel Vernikov was preparing to change trains at Geneva. The train was crowded, with many passengers entering and leaving. As Pavel got up to retrieve his violin case, he was blocked by a very large man. While he tried to reach around him, a wallet and documents were stolen from his pocket. By the time the man moved, the violin was gone.

In addition to the precious Guadagnini, Pavel lost four bows.