We were shocked when a group member was unable to join our Tunisia tour last week after being felled by one of those pestilential scooters that make the Paris sidewalks a threat to life and limb.
Today we read in Le Parisien that the pianist Isabelle Albertin has suffered a double fracture on one arm after being hit by a speeding scooter while crossing the Nelson-Mandela garden near Les Halles.
Isabelle has been a rehearsal pianist at the Opera Garnier for 32 years. She may never play again.
Paris is one of the most dangerous pedestrian cities in Europe.
Read here.
The jazz musician, who has just released a new Decca album with Nicola Benedetti, has put his composing career in the hands of the agency that represents her, Primo Artists in New York.
Primo’s Charlotte Lee said: ‘I have had the joy of collaborating with Wynton Marsalis since 2012, when we first discussed the creation of a violin concerto for Nicola Benedetti. This project has culminated in performances around the world and a forthcoming album release, and we have many new projects planned for the future. It is an immense privilege to move forward in this capacity.’
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has appointed Jeremías Sergiani-Velázquez as a member of the second violin.
A tango enthusiast, Sergiani-Velázquez regularly performs with the Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet, winners of the 2018 Latin Grammy for Best Tango Album, and with the JP Jofre Tango Quintet in venues in New York and throughout the US as well as Puerto Rico.
A press conference has been called for tomorrow morning – at less than 24 hours’ notice – to announce’the future of the Staatskapelle Berlin and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden’.
That will be Barenboim’s future.
Watch this space.
Dear colleagues,
At short notice – but no less cordially – we hereby invite you to
the press conference on the future of the Staatskapelle Berlin and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden tomorrow , 4 June 2019, at 15.00
in the Apollosaal of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden ,
Unter den Linden 7, 10117 Berlin.
The Senator for Culture and Europe, Dr. Klaus Lederer, representatives of the orchestra board of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Susanne Schergaut and Volker Sprenger, the general music director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Daniel Barenboim, as well as the director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Matthias Schulz.
We would be glad about your appearance.
Contact: Daniel Bartsch –
Spokesman for the Senate Department for Culture and Europe
A new book about Dmitri Shostakovich and his love of football reveals that the great composer was so passionate about the beautiful game that he passed his exams to gain a National Football Referee qualification.
Apart from putting him on the referees’ list, it also gave him free entry to all stadia in the Soviet Union.
DSCH supported Dynamo Leningrad. His Golden Age ballet was initially titled Dinamidia.
It’s hard to imagine he would have awarded that second-minute penalty against Spurs, right?
Our first stage sighting of Gina Alice Redlinger, newly married to the Chinese brand king.
A ready-made jump-in next time he cancels.
Australia’s Music Viva circuit has named Paul Kildea as its incoming artistic direvtor.
Kildea was head of music at the Aldeburgh Festival 1999–2002, and artistic director of Wigmore Hall 2003–05. He has since written books on Britten and on Chopin’s piano.
At Musica Viva he replaces the composer Carl Vine, who has held the job for 20 years.
The CMIM finalists were announced overnight:
Elli Choi (United States)
Christine Lim (United States – South Korea)
Hao Zhou (United States)
Anna Lee (United States)
Fumika Mohri (Japan)
Johanna Pichlmair (Austria)
Pichlmair, the only European in the pack, has been a member of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra since September 2017.
