The pre-eminent Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström died early today of lung cancer.

He published more than 500 works, many of them large scale, and was a pivotal, popular figure in Swedish musical life.

Abroad, he taught for ten years at Bloomington, Indiana.

One of his last works – “Uppbrott” (Break-up) with lyrics by Werner Aspenström – will have its premiere on Saturday in Adolf Fredrik Church, Stockholm.

The US music director will step down in 2020, receiving an emeritus title.

Her successor is the Swiss conductor Thierry Fischer, who recently resigned as MD in Utah.

Russian agencies are reporting that Teodor Currentzis has resigned as music director in Perm and will not return.

They say he is focussed on landing jobs in other countries.

Nothing yet from the man himself.

The Partch Ensemble are about to release Sonata Dementia, their third volume of music by American maverick composer Harry Partch (Bridge Records 9525).

Three world premiere recordings are included, among them the title track, Sonata Dementia, with movements entitled, Abstraction and Delusion, Scherzo Schizophrenia, and Allegro Paranoia.