The Romanian ballerina Alina Cojocaru has cancelled all engagements due to pregnancy.
She had been the centrepiece of English National Ballet’s summer tour of Japan.
Cojocaru with husband John Kobborg
Amid the general gloom, this is our third baby report of the week.
Richard Rodzinski was given a lifetime achievement award today by the World Federation of International Music Competitions, a body not altogether above suspicion.
Richard, however, is.
He built up the Van Cliburn competition over 24 years int an international powerhouse and then transformed Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Competition into a model of transparency.
His first prize is well deserved.
The pianist has posted an exercise video during the course of a long lay-off from playing.
The Guardian newspaper has published its annual list of best places to study music.
Oxford comes top.
Then, unexpectedly, the University of Surrey – perhaps because it offers seven different music courses, including one paired with mathematics and another with acting.
The national conservatoires then follow, but not all of them.
Scotland is shockingly ranked 50th.
Read here.
The Rio newspaper O Globo reports that rare and unknown works for guitar by the Brazilian composer Francisco Mignone – second in importance to Heitor Villa Lobos – were found in a rubbish dump in Buenos Aires in 2009.
They have just come to light as a result of being cited in a doctoral dissertation.
This appears to be a world premiere performance.
We reported a while back that the presidential candidate was taking lessons with the baritone Jean-Philippe Lafont.
Apparently, it’s now acknowledged in political circles that the artists helped him tone down the rants and sound more presidential.
Maybe he’ll get an overseas call from M. Corbyn.
Latest madcap video from one half of Igudesman-and-Joo:
Events at Fort Worth, where concert hall staff this week threw out the music director for carrying a musical instrument, should prompt a review of front-of-house customer care at every music facility on earth.
Fort Worth, having kicked out the maestro, just keeps on kicking.
Here’s a statement overnight from Dione Kennedy, president and CEO of Performing Arts Fort Worth: ‘Mr. Harth-Bedoya is aware of our security procedures, including the bag admittance program that went into effect January 17. All four resident companies — Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera and the Cliburn — were made aware of the security enhancements well in advance of implementation and given the opportunity to share with staff, artists and patrons.’
The customer in Fort Worth’s Bass Hall is always in the wrong and musicians are admitted at their own risk.
So how’s it in your hall?
Frigid as Fort Worth?
From an interview with Berlin’s principal oboe, Jonathan Kelly:
‘The Berlin Philharmonic is actually the easiest orchestra in the world to play in, because you are surrounded by such active and committed musicians. You feel constantly carried along by a wave of communication and activity.’
Full interview here.
The incoming president of the New York Philharmonic told it as it is to the new crop of emerging musicians:
‘Orchestras can no longer rely on old-fashioned subscription models. Music education is not guaranteed in public schools, and in a positive sense the entire history of classical music can all be streamed online for free. So the world I knew, and have worked in, and will continue to work in will not be the one you move through in your careers.’
Read more here from Peter Dobrin.
