The German diva poses for her next Warner album in haute couture fake fur.

In Jürgen Frank’s photographs for the cover of Grand Opera, Damrau champions New York fashion house Pelush, makers of luxury faux fur. According to Pelush founder, Milan-born designer Anna Tagliabue, these creations are “ecologically sensitive and cruelty-free…a wonderful alternative for the modern woman”.

“Pelush’s stunning faux fur made me feel like Cinderella at the ball,” said Diana Damrau.

Oh – and she’s singing Meyerbeer, the ultimate imitator.

Andris Nelsons will lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra in November on his first tour of Japan, its eighth.

Andris says: ‘It is an extraordinary honor for me to bring the Boston Symphony Orchestra to Japan for our first tour together in this amazing country where the BSO has such an important history of concerts under BSO Conductor Laureate Seiji Ozawa.’

Seiji says: ‘My dear BSO friends and Andris Nelsons, welcome back to Japan! I’m so happy to hear that you are coming to Japan to share the joy of BSO music with the Japanese audience. How exciting to hear that this will be Andris’s first visit to Japan with BSO. I’m sure that Japanese audience will enjoy it as much as I look forward to hearing it again and seeing my dear BSO family. I can’t wait to see you all here!’

(These guys are heading on to Turkey)

From the CBSO:

We are sorry to announce that Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla has had to withdraw from this week’s concerts on 6 and 8 April due to a severe ear infection. She is very disappointed and looks forward to her next concerts with the CBSO in June. We are grateful to Andrew Gourlay for stepping in at very short notice to conduct this week’s concerts.

 

A member of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus collapsed and died on stage during a break in the choir’s Friday night performance.

Ryan Nunez, 39, lost consciousness while standing in one of the choir’s upper ranks.

Chorus members who are medical personnel attempted for an hour to resuscitate him.

Ryan was the choir’s administrative coordinator.

An appeal has been posted for his funeral expenses, raising $21,000 so far.

Tim Seelig the chorus’s artistic director, writes:

One of our singers, Ryan Nunez, collapsed on the risers during intermission of our concert last night and, after an hour of CPR, administered mostly by chorus brothers, was pronounced dead by paramedics. They had been unable to move him from the stage, so he died on the spot where he had sung the first half. The singers waited backstage and the audience waited in their seats with me keeping them occupied with life stories getting periodic updates to “stretch.” When we got the final word, we let the audience go, with our apologies for not being able to continue.

At that point, the singers gathered in a small room and began the grieving process. I have not experienced such shock or soul-shattering grief as that. Ever. The process will continue today as we sing two more concerts – all about paradise – on the very spot where Ryan left us. A task that right now seems completely impossible to do. We are all grasping for solace.

Ryan was not only a singer, but was the Administrative Coordinator on the SFGMC staff. He was our voice to the world. Filled with humor and huge hugs for all – he just took care of everyone – first.

Press Release, April 4, 2017

Steven Isserlis is the Recipient of the 2017  »Glashütte Original MusicFestivalAward«

Music is essential for childhood development – thus the conviction of the British cellist Steven Isserlis. In addition to his performances as a celebrated concert soloist with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, composing and playing for children are important focal points of his work. Furthermore, he has published three books for children recounting the lives of famous composers in an anecdotal and informative manner, and he gives master classes all over the world. Doubtlessly, this makes Steven Isserlis one of the »torch-bearers« of the international classical music scene. In recognition of his special achievements in music education and his support for young professional musicians, he will receive the 2017  »Glashütte Original MusicFestivalAward« during the 40th Dresden Music Festival. The award will be presented to Isserlis on May 23, 2017 as part of his concert with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs under Vladimir Jurowski’s baton at Dresden’s Kulturpalast.

»Steven Isserlis is not only one of the most interesting and expressive cellists of our times, he is also a musician who has gotten involved in multiple creative ways in the events of our times: he writes children’s books, comments philosophically on music and society, and keeps presenting new works. I am delighted that for the first time in the award’s history, a fellow cellist will be honored with the ›Glashütte Original MusicFestivalAward‹,« says Jan Vogler, Intendant of the Dresden Music Festival.

Bearing a cash value of 25,000 Euros, the »Glashütte Original MusicFestivalAward« will be donated by the watchmaking company Glashütte Original for the 14th time in 2017 and presented in ccoperation with the Dresden Music Festival. As in past years, the award constructed by two students at the company’s own watchmaking school »Alfred Helwig«. Previous prize winners include such artist personalities as Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, Hélène Grimaud, Hilary Hahn, the fado singer Mariza and Andris Nelsons.

 

Or so the versatile singer, 76, tells the San Francisco Chronicle.

Not sure if I believe it. At least, I hope it’s not so.

I once asked her about Handel oratorios, which she knew extensively from singing them in church as a girl.

I was all set to fix a meeting with classical record executives when … something else cropped up.

She’s a wonderful singer and I hope she soon repents of retirement talk.

Coincidence, or perfect timing?

It slipped out at the weekend that Martha Argerich was giving a discreet masterclass in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, a Canadian port village.

Hours before her arrival, the Nova Scotia government awarded a million dollars to the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance for the restoration of its antiquated building.

Magic.

There’s a new curriculum coming in the fall, dumbed down to order.

Students will no longer have to study theory or to read music.

From October,  you can apparently major in music at Harvard without taking a single course in theory or music history.

Details here.

Spanish media are reporting that the composer and conductor Oscar Colomina Bosch has been appointed director of music at the Menuhin School.

He is presently professor of orchestration at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

He succeeds Malcolm Singer, his sometime teacher.

The letter that the Guardian has been reluctant to publish – a rebuttal by musicians of a stupid article on ‘elitist’ teaching of children to read music – has gained some extra names and newsworthiness.

We hear that around 400 musicians have now signed, including Sir Simon Rattle, Sir James MacMillan, Colin Matthews and Sarah Connolly.

No word yet from the Guardian about publication. They are not coming out of this well.

Read the full letter here.

 

Franz Welser-Möst today named Vinay Parameswaran, 29, as his assistant conductor, as well as music director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra.

A Curtis grad from San Francisco, Vinay is presently associate conductor with the Nashville Symphony. He starts work in August, succeeding Brett Mitchell, who is moving up to be music director of the Colorado Symphony.

photo: Sally Bebawy

The orchestra has announced the death of concertmaster Thomas Brandis, a member of the orchestra throughout the Karajan glory years, from 1962 to 1983. He was recrruited from Hamburg at the age of 26.

Thomas, who died on March 30, was 81.

He was last seen at the Philharmonie at the opening concert of the orchestra’s incoming music director, Kirill Petrenko. Among other teaching posts, he was visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

He founded and led the Brandis Quartet for 25 years.