Word is racing round the flute world that Chelsea Knox has won the coveted vacancy at the Met.

Chelsea is assistant principal flute of the Baltimore Symphony.

The Met has yet to confirm.

Rhythmically, it’s one of those tricky scores that needs a clear beat.

So can the LA-based Kaleidoscope Symphony Orchestra bring it off without a baton?

Just watch.

An a capella group popped up at the film composer’s doctoral award ceremony.

How many film themes can you name in this medley?

The students, who were meant to be flying to Salzburg, spent an extra day in London as a result of British Airways shutting down all flights from Heathrow and Gatwick for 24 hours. The closure was blamed on an IT failure.

Report here.

The orchestra is not due to play in Salzburg until Monday.

The unbelievably troubled School of Music at the Australian National university in Canberra has been hit by an allegation of ‘multiple instances of alleged negligence, maladministration and misuse of public funds, corruption, and abuse of position by senior management at the ANU’.

The charges comes in a letter to the Ombudsman by Dr Peter Tregear, head of the School from 2012 to 2015.

 

The ANU has responded that the allegations are false and defamatory. ‘The allegations contain material that is deeply defamatory towards multiple staff and have no basis in fact.’

The Ombudsman says: ‘I am reasonably satisfied that the information provided tends to show instances of ­disclosable conduct, namely conduct that constitutes ­maladministration and conduct which, if proved, would be grounds for disciplinary action or conduct which is in breach of a law.’

From the Ahn Trio:

After spending 3k on flights for the trio plus cello to Bucharest, Romania to play at the Peleș Castle, we are denied flight because cello ticket was under the name Cello Ahn & Lufthansa said they cannot correct the reservation name for the cello.

After spending three hours on the phone with Lufthansa plus Expedia agents standing the entire time at John F. Kennedy International Airport with no place to sit anywhere by the check in desk…spent the entire day trying to go. #ahntriocrying Agent #ahntrio talked to said, yes, the cello should be booked under cello…which is what we did… also disturbing is neither #expedia nor #lufthansa willing to refund our tickets!?!!!

Can anyone help?

 

 

Michelle Reed Baker is retiring after 18 years as second horn of the Metropolitan Orchestra.

 

She was asked which singers inspire her:

Dmitri Hvorostovsky is someone who comes to mind for his singing as well as the fact that he breathes very loudly, which gave me the OK to breathe loudly and take in as much air as possible. Debbie Voigt phrases beautifully. René Pape’s tone quality and smoothness is amazing, especially in his recent Met Parsifal. Also, I love Peter Mattei and the way he adds character to certain notes – he adds a little shimmer on important notes that makes his phrasing interesting and beautiful.

More revelations here.