Two years ago, the Minnesota Orchestra introduced a new principal oboe. It was a homecoming for Joseph Peters, who first played with the orchestra at 18 and was mentored by its associate principal oboe, John Snow.
Suddenly we learn that Peters is gone and Snow has replaced him as principal.
What happened?
Clearly, it did not work out for Joseph Peters. He has moved down to the North Carolina Symphony.
Fiona Maddocks of the Observer sat across the aisle from me, two rows back. We saw the same concert, heard the same notes, formed different opinions.
Fiona’s here:
Loud applause greeted Rattle at the start, a standing ovation at the end. He encouraged no gimmicks. A modest bow, a broad grin, then he raised his baton and got on with it. An all-British programme of quixotic and trepidatious variety launched This Is Rattle, an 11-day festival of 31 events celebrating his arrival. These include concerts programmed by composers to whom he has a particular loyalty….
This was a rigorous, uplifting kick-off for the LSO’s Rattle years, with all to play for.
Mine here.
Tonight’s SLSO Harry Potter concert has been cancelled.
The website says: This concert has been cancelled. We are actively working to reschedule this date. Ticket holders should hold on to their tickets, and our patron services team will reach out next week with additional information.
They add: We appreciate your patience as we continue to monitor events in St. Louis this weekend.
There were protests in the city Friday night after a white police officer was acquitted of killing a citizen.
U2 have also cancelled their Saturday concert in the tense city.
The cutbacks will apply every day for the next six weeks.
More than a quarter of a million passengers are affected.
Many have been forced to cancel engagements and vacations. We hope you are not among them.
As ever, the eff-you airline offers no apology.
Details here.
The oboe world is in shock at the death of Denisa Bílá, principal oboe of the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Denisa was on her way home from rehearsal on Friday when she was hit by a car. She died on her way to hospital.
A former student at the Royal College of Music in London and at CNSMD in Lyon, Denisa was a member of the Czech Philharmonic academy and toured with the Kremerata Baltica before winning the principal seat in Ostrava in 2015. She was highly regarded wherever she played.
Our sympathies to her husband, Simon, her family, colleagues and friends.
The couple had been married for six years.
Message from the German tenor:
Dear Friends,
I am so sorry that I was obliged to cancel my appearance at the prestigious George Enescu Festival due to a bad cold, and I deeply regret that any of you feel left down. I can very well understand that all those who have gone to great expense for traveling and tickets are very disappointed. Please do know that I am extremely disappointed as well to have to forego the pleasure and privilege to sing for you. We will do everything we can to find a new date for a recital at the Festival in 2019.
Jonas Kaufmann
UPDATE: We hear from a disappointed party of German visitors that Kaufmann cancelled too late for a replacement to be inserted. The festival has offered money back for their tickets, but not for their air fares and hotels.
After a week of high performance, and hotly tipped after the semi-final, Ben Glassberg has just been named winner of the Besancon Conducting Competition.
You read it here first.
The jury was chaired by Leonard Slatkin.
The previous winner, Jonathon Heyward, is now assistant conductor at the Halle Orchestra in Manchester and a Dudamel Fellow in Los Angeles.
UPDATE: Ben also won the audience prize and the orchestra award, a clean sweep.
Lisa Ford, a horn player in the Gothenburg Symphony, has produced a film of the orchestra’s chief conductor, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, with running commentary from the brass section. ‘His energy never stops,’ she says.
Lovely film. You see it here first.
A documentary about Fabio Biondi and his dream instrument.
The Baltimore conductor gets her kicks at the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at Snape Maltngs.
Watch how and why.
A new entrant for our exclusive list of longest serving orchestral players.
Tommy Zongker joined the double-bass section of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra when he was 16.
He’s still pulling the bow at 81.
Read here.
My album of the week is a composite review of four releases involving Jewish women in music.
Four releases, arriving in timely fashion for the upcoming New Year, explore the shushed-up sounds of creative Jewish femininity….
Read on here.
And here.
And here.
