The Deutsche Oper am Rhein has announced the death of Bruce Rankin, an ensemble member for almost 20 years.

Bruce, who died on Monday of an unidentified cause, was 65.

He is described as ‘an outstanding character tenor.’

‘The sudden death of Bruce Rankin strikes us deep in the heart,’ said Generalintendant Christoph Meyer.

Nataliya Kovalova (Sylva Varescu), Bruce Rankin (Edwin Ronald); at Düsseldorf Airport.

photo (c) Hans Jörg Michel

Alison Balsom is to be Artistic Director of Cheltenham Music Festival from next summer.

The trumpeter, who is married to the film director Sam Mendes, withdrew from concerts earlier this year to have a baby.

This is her bounce-back moment.

Czech Radio has announced a new Chief Conductor and Artistic Director to succeed the veteran Ondrej Lenard.

It’s Alexander Liebreich, head of the Richard Strauss Festival at Garmisch. He starts in September 2018.

A youngish Czech, Marek Sedivy, 30, was named Principal Guest Conductor.

press release:

BE PHIL Orchestra at the Open House in the Philharmonie on 21 May 2018 – a large amateur orchestra plays Brahms’ First Symphony, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle

The Education Programme of the Berliner Philharmoniker calls on all interested amateur musicians to apply for the BE PHIL Orchestra, which will perform during the Open House in the Philharmonie on 21 May 2018. Johannes Brahms’ First Symphony will be presented together with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Karajan Academy under the baton of chief conductor Sir Simon Rattle. Stanley Dodds and other members of the Berliner Philharmoniker will conduct the rehearsals.

We are looking for 100 amateur musicians from all over the world to participate in this event. Applications must be submitted by video from 3 to 10 January 2018 on the project website. A jury made up of musicians from the Berliner Philharmoniker will select the members of the BE PHIL Orchestra from the first 1,000 entries. The successful applicants will be announced on 1 February 2018.

The rehearsals and concert will take place in the Berlin Philharmonie from 17 to 21 May 2018. The concert will be broadcast live in the Digital Concert Hall. Complete information is available on the project website: www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/bephil

A music professor and conductor named in the Boston Globe allegations of sexual misconduct at music colleges has lost his positions at three schools.

Eric Hewitt has left the Boston Conservatory and Boston College High School and is on leave from Phillips Exeter Academy.

According to the Globe, four former Boston Conservatory students accused Hewitt of sending them unwanted text messages, making rude phone calls, bullying them and sexually assaulting one of them.

More here.

Hewitt is a protégé of the late composer Gunther Schuller.

Three international string quartets announced changes of personnel this week, always a massive disruption in any tight-knit group. 

It so happens that our diarist Anthea Kreston, violinist in a celebrated Berlin-based quartet has been furrowing her brow over these very issues as the winter break approaches. Here are her hard-earned survival tips:

How does one flourish in a string quartet? The obstacles are numerous – there are so many different levels of quartets, and each face innumerable stresses – from technical to financial to personal. When a group is very successful (as mine is), the pressure of stepping onto a stage at the top of our abilities, despite the rigors of the road and a bundle of repertoire that stresses even the strongest of arms, is great and never abates. But at the base of it all is the ability of four stubborn and opinionated people to come to agreements while maintaining cordiality.

The first step is to try to be as flexible as possible with both your technique and opinions. No one gets into a professional quartet without years of training, during which time your personality and opinions become more and more distinct and individual. Then, next step – try to play with three other people who have just as deep a feeling as you do about every detail – from the shape of your right-hand pinky to how audible your breath is. Not to mention the accent continuum and your deep thoughts of every composer and style of playing. Can of worms is the understatement of the century. Maybe vat of scorpions is more like it.
So – first – some quotes by former teachers, colleagues and friends that help keep it all in perspective. These are always cycling in my head.

1 – “In classical music, the slow notes are the melody” (truism)
2 – “Any bowing can sound like Shit” (anonymous- this by a curmudgeonly coach from a famous quartet after a protracted conversation on the merits of a particular up and down bow)
3 – “Those aren’t the 4 notes I am worried about being out of tune!” (Ida Kavafian – after one of those endless “let’s check our g and c string” sessions)
4 – “Honesty without tact is cruelty” (Nina Lee, Brentano Quartet)

5 – “Don’t lead, don’t follow, play with” (David Soyer, Guarneri Quartet)

And now some basic “how-to” advice. Before you say something, take a moment and double check this basic list. Is what you are about to say:

1 – the truth or an opinion
2 – necessary
3 – kind

Take a deep breath. Nothing is as important as it seems to you right at that heated moment.

The trustworthy Arthur Kapitanis reports that the Russian pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev has withdrawn from his role as artist in residence with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal.

The orchestra has not yet removed his programs from next month’s schedules. UPDATE: They have just replaced him with Yevgeny Sudbin.

Health reasons have been given for Pletnev’s cancellation. He suffered heart problems last month but appears to have performed in Russia since then.

The renowned American Berlioz scholar D Kern Holoman has been stripped of his titles by the University of California, Davis, after a university administrator came forward to accuse him of rape.

Danny Gray, director of academic employment and labor relations at UCD, alleges that Holoman molested and subsequently raped him while he was a student at the university in 1987. The abuse persisted for five years.

He maintains the matter was ‘badly mishandled’ by the university when he reported it at the time. At the time of the alleged assaults, Holoman was married and had children.

Holoman, in a statement sent by his lawyer to Gray, said: ‘Our memories of that time differ markedly, but the remorse is very real. I continue to treasure memories of our long friendship and its focus on the beauties of art, literature and history.’

Reports here and here. 

The case is unusual inasmuch as the accuser has been a colleague of the accused for quarter of a century.

Holoman, who is 70, retired from the university in 2013 with the title emeritus, which he has now relinquished. He was formerly Distinguished Professor of Music and Conductor of the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra.

One of the founders of the academic journal 19th-Century Music in 1977, Holoman compiled the complete catalogue of the works of Hector Berlioz and wrote a 687-page biography of the composer. He also edited the critical edition of Roméo et Juliette, published by Bärenreiter in 1990. He is also the biographer of the conductor Charles Munch.

Here he offers advice on how to be a musicologist and conductor:

The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra has issued a statement to local media dissociating itself from James Levine, its music director from 1999 to 2004.

The statement calls for a full investigation to be conducted into the several allegations against Levine and asserts that sexual abuse will not be tolerated by the orchestra.

Levine has no further engagements or connection with the orchestra, the statement concludes.

Must be seasonal.

After the Fine Arts Quartet changed their viola this week and the Enso announced their closure, the distinguished Quatuor Zaide has received the resignation of its founding first violin, Charlotte Juillard.

She will be replaced by Charlotte Maclet.

At least, they can keep calling the leader by the same name.

UPDATE: Charlotte #1 writes:

‘I’ve been doing this for eight years and I thank my three colleagues for everything they’ve taught me. I have funny stories and others even more funny to tell for a good time if I think about everything that happened to us. It was great to finish at the Paris Chamber Music Center in this hall I love. And thank you again to all those who invited us to play, I couldn’t have been more fun than browsing over and over all these masterpieces. I wish us all a lot of music to all five, to follow!