The veteran conductor Anton Coppola has died at a great age.

Antonio Francesco Coppola conducted for several US opera companies and on Broadway. He co-founded Opera Tampa in Florida and was director of both symphony and opera Departments at the Manhattan School of Music.

He was the uncle of the film director.

Larry Johnson reports in South Florida Classical Review that the New World Symphony ‘pulled conductor Cristian Măcelaru’ from this weekend’s concert because he had recently returned from Japan.

It said in a statement: ‘Out of an abundance of caution, the New World Symphony felt it was prudent for Cristian Măcelaru not to conduct the concert [Saturday] night after learning of his recent travels to Japan which is designated at level two re the coronavirus by the CDC.’

Măcelaru’s agenr Charlotte Lee said he is perfectly healthy and does not have coronavirus.

The French Culture Minister Franck Riester has announced he tested positive today for Covid-19.

He says he is ‘in good shape’, confined in quarantine to his Paris home.

Riester, 46, spent several days last week at the National Assembly, where several other cases have been identified.

 

GEMA, the German equivalent of PRS, has cancelled the Musikautorenpreis (German Composers Award) this Thursday, ‘based on the risk assessment by the Robert Koch Institute, the WHO and the Berlin health authorities’.

The Musikauturenpreis is one the leading awards for composers and music lyricists in Germany, recognising all genres and styles.

The daughter of Jennifer Rhys-Davies has reported her death this weekend. She was living in Risca, Wales, and had been unwell for some months.

Jennifer sang often at Covent Garden, Glyndebourne and Garsington, as well as in Geneva, Basel and Hanover, among other continental opera houses.

 

 

Message received:
Please note that, as of today, 9 March, the Slovak National Theatre is cancelling all performances in the SND new and historical buildings due to coronavirus COVID-19. This measure is made in compliance with the decision adopted by the SND Director General.

All visitors who have purchased their tickets for the next 14 days are kindly asked to request a refund by email.

 

The Philharmonie has cleared its schedules, following this morning’s Government ban on events for more than 1,000 people. The following concerts are cancelled:

Lundi 9 mars : SWR Symphonieorchester / Teodor Currentzis
Mardi 10 mars : Orchestre National d’Île-de-France / James Feddeck
Mercredi 11 et jeudi 12 mars : Orchestre de Paris / Alain Altinoglu
Samedi 14 et dimanche 15 mars : Orchestre et Chœur du Théâtre Bolchoï de Russie / Tugan Sokhiev
Lundi 16 mars : Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France / Mikko Franck
Mardi 17 mars : Yuja Wang
Mercredi 18 et jeudi 19 mars : Orchestre de Paris / Hannu Lintu
Vendredi 20 mars : City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla
Samedi 21 et dimanche 22 mars : The Cleveland Orchestra / Franz Welser-Möst

 

The Opéra de Paris has cancelled two performances of Manon and a Mahler concert.

The tenor has pulled out of Fidelio tonight at Covent Garden.

His sub is David Butt Philip.

 

Instant reaction from the Opéra de Paris:

More follows, as and when.

The German Health Minister Jens Spahn has said steps must be taken to slow down the spread of Coronavirus in his country.

He said that organisers of events with more than 1,000 people taking part should cancel them. He further advises the public to stay home as much as possible.

‘Consider also what in your daily life is so important that you can’t do without it for the next three months, whether that’s an evening clubbing, a family birthday or a club meeting,’ he sad.

Germany has 902 confirmed Coronavirus cases as of Sunday night, far fewer than Italy, three times as many as the UK.

UPDATE: We are awaiting responses from leading orchestras and opera houses.