The Bolshoi Theatre has shut until April 10 and sent all foreign artists home ‘in accordance with a directive of the Mayor ‘.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has banned all gatherings of more than 50 people.

Russia has reported a 47% increase yesterday in Coronavirus cases.

Bloomberg reports that Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal Music, has been hospitalized in Los Angeles after testing positive for Covid-19.

Grainge, 60, has been chairman and CEO of the world’s largest music group since 2011 and a keen supporter of its classical side.

There has been no confirmation from Universal.

We wish him a swift recovery.

Lucian Grainge signs Lang Lang

ABRSM, the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music which delivers 650,000 music exams every year in 93 countries, has issued the following statement:

Further to the Prime Minister’s statement yesterday evening, we have decided to suspend all music exams in the UK and Ireland from Wednesday 18 March until further notice.

This decision affects all Graded Music Exams, Diplomas, Choral Singing and Ensemble exams at all Public Venues and Private Visits.

Exams on 17 March will proceed as planned to minimise disruption for candidates while we phase in this decision.

We are all being tested.