Richard Dallessio, who died on May 1, was associate principal oboe and English horn with New York City Ballet Orchestra.

He also played in the Met Opera orchestra and taught at Juilliard and Mannes.

 

From Bayerische Staatsoper:

Liebe Besucher,

wir möchten Sie darauf hinweisen, dass Constantinos Carydis statt Zubin Mehta die musikalische Leitung der Akademiekonzerte am 21., 24. und 25. September 2018 übernehmen wird.

Maestro Mehta muss dem Rat seiner Ärzte folgend schon jetzt Pausen in seinem Kalender einplanen: „Ich bedauere sehr, dass dies auch die Akademiekonzerte mit meinem geliebten Staatsorchester betrifft“, so der ehemalige Generalmusikdirektor.

Mehta’s doctor has told him to put longer gaps in his diary. The stand-in is definitely worth hearing.

 

The League of American Orchestras has given $15,000 each to composers Stacy Garrop, Robin Holcomb, and Andrea Reinkemeyer.

Reinkemeyer’s work will be premiered by the Louisiana Philharmonic, Garrop’s by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Holcomb’s by the Portland Symphony Orchestra of Maine.

 

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields has received a one million US dollar donation from Maria Cardamone and her husband Paul.

From the press release:

Ms Cardamone says: ‘I’m honoured to be the President of the American Friends of the Academy, which helps to enable this fantastic orchestra to bring its unique performances to audiences around the globe. As the Academy approaches its 60th anniversary, my husband and I are delighted to make this gift to help secure the Academy’s future. I very much hope that this donation will encourage others to support the Academy so that it can build on its amazing legacy and continue to flourish.’

Music Director Joshua Bell says: ‘Maria and Paul have always been such valued members of the Academy family and we are all so moved by the incredible donation to the orchestra. I am so excited about the opportunities and collaborations that this extraordinarily generous gift will offer us.’

 

 

Christopher Warren-Green speaks in Charlotte, North Carolina:

“This is actually my third royal wedding, so I was really surprised to get the call and delighted,” Warren-Green said. “I’m very excited about it. 

He conducted the orchestra at Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton, the now Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles’s wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall. Warren-Green said as far the music goes, timing is everything. “I think most people would agree that weddings can be problematic and a Royal wedding is complicated – it’s complex,” Warren-Green said. 

Read on here.

It’s…

press release:

(Philadelphia, May 2, 2018)—Soprano Jennifer Rowley has graciously agreed to appear in the title role of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s upcoming performances of Tosca. The performances will take place as scheduled on May 12, 16, and 19. 

Sonya Yoncheva, originally scheduled to perform in the role, has regrettably withdrawn due to a double ear infection. She must continue medical treatment in Europe and is not permitted to travel by plane for the next weeks on her doctor’s orders.

From CBC Toronto:

A Toronto fashion designer who has dressed international classical music and opera stars owes tens of thousands of dollars to former friends, business partners and employees, a CBC Toronto investigation has found.

Rosemarie Umetsu… and her husband, Wayne, operate a high-end fashion boutique and workshop in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood. Off the stage, the Umetsus are socialites known for hosting sophisticated parties where they rub shoulders with Toronto artists and celebrities. The extensive client list of Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu includes Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman and Toronto Symphony Orchestra music director Peter Oundjian….

More here.

photo: atelierrosemarieumetsu.com

Here’s what a reader tells us happened on Tuesday night at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, when Sir Simon Rattle conducted the LSO in Mahler’s 9th:

‘During the first movement, an older lady appeared to drop a bottle of water, which made enough noise to be distracting. Annoying, but I’ve seen far worse. This was followed by a much more distracting ‘hush’ by a man on the same row (top circle, third row).

‘All was well until the end of the movement, when the same gentleman tried calling something over to the lady. Not yet satisfied, at the beginning of the second movement, he stood up, squeezed past about ten seats and began to shout at this lady. He told her to ‘take the fucking bottle of water out the hall’ and claimed he’d ‘stop the whole concert if she didn’t go’, all during the music.

‘Although short, this gentleman was rather large, leaned in towards the sitting lady with real aggression, spitting in her face and leaving her visibly upset and shaken. He then tried to call over a steward to remove the lady, but was unsuccessful.

‘The lady appeared close to leaving, but thankfully stayed. Other audience members were as shocked as I was and some made this clear to the man after the concert. It’s unclear why the man was so aggressive or why he thought he had the power to stop the concert’.

Another angle on musicians’ wages.

Svetlana Jones is a Russian-trained musician on the north island of New Zealand.

This week, she gets a rare chance to play the Elgar cello concerto.

Most days, she works at the grocery till.

Read here.

 

The well-known soloist Richard Harwood has taken the #1 cello seat in the beleaguered RPO.

He has been playing professional dates since he was 10 years old.

A survey of 285 musicians in seven orchestras across the UK has found that 44 percent struggle to pay their bills.

The Musicians Union says average wages have stagnated at around £30,000 a year and musicians are having to take extra jobs in order to pay for their instruments, insurance and other working costs, quite aside from their living costs.

Here’s a BBC report.

As a point of reference, here’s what musicians earn in German orchestras.

The Orchester Jakobsplatz of Munich has a new name.

From next season it will be known as the Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich.

Its leader Daniel Grossmann explains: ‘Our action is intended clearly, aggressively and with obvious ease to communicate our Jewish content.’

The ensemble, founded in 2005, is made up of Jewish and non-Jewish musicians.