In memoriam Fairport Convention’s Judy Dyble, who died this weekend at 71.

 

Images of the composer in his 30s, colourised by Hadi Karimi.

Nick Kenyon had just cracked open his gallery.

 

Press release:

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (July 13) that, in view of the latest situation of COVID-19, further measures have to be adopted to maintain social distancing. The leisure and cultural venues/facilities reopened earlier will be temporarily closed starting from July 15 (Wednesday) until further notice. The recreational, sports and cultural programmes to be held in July will also be cancelled….

All museums, performance venues and music centres of the Music Office will be temporarily closed. All major facilities of performance venues will not be opened before the end of July; all public programmes at museums will be suspended.

The artistic administrator of the Spokane Symphony in Washington state has resigned after a furore over her social media utterances.

Bethany Schoeff, who is married to the Symphony’s general manager, Daniel Cotter, described the Black Lives Matter movement as ‘a disease on this country’ and the killing of George Floyd as an election-year hoax.

Ms Schoeff, 41, had worked for the orchestra for 11 years and occasionally played oboe. Her husband is the second clarinet.

She told local media she had been suffering from depression.

 

 

This is Chelsea Knox, principal flute of the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, reminding New Yorkers tht there’s life after Covid.

The unstoppable Charles Dutoit conducted Beethoven’s 9th a few days ago in Lujbljana, capital of Slovenia, where Mahler got his first job.

 

The California flute instructor who personally inseminated flutes that were used by children has been sentenced to 18 years on six counts six counts of lewd acts against minors.

John Edward Zeretzke, 61, was founder of Flutes Across the World, which worked with children in many states.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has long been a champion for children and their safety,” said Patricia Armstrong, inspector-in-charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Los Angeles Division. “The sentencing brought today reflects the dedication of law enforcement to stop the exploitation of defenseless victims.”

More here.

 

Lisa Marie Presley has made known the tragic death of her son, Benjamin Keough.

The cause is reported to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

 

Eleanor Sokoloff died yesterday, aged 106.

She was loved by everyone, and had contact with every pianist in the building, from nine yearolds to Lang Lang.

Dear Curtis Community,

I am writing today with very sad news. Our beloved Eleanor Sokoloff passed away earlier today at age 106. Renowned for her perceptive teaching, her irrepressible enthusiasm, and her remarkable hats, Mrs. Sokoloff guided generations of piano students as the longest-serving member of our faculty.

Mrs. Sokoloff, then Eleanor Blum, entered Curtis as a student of David Saperton in 1931, and began teaching here in 1936—even before her graduation in 1938. She formed a piano duo with her husband, Vladimir Sokoloff, who taught at Curtis until 1994 (he passed away in 1997). In more than 83 years of active teaching, she guided so many students that she lost count—but the total included 75 students who played with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She was honored at Commencement in May 2014 with a lifetime achievement award to mark her 100th birthday and her immense contributions to the school over more than three-quarters of a century.

Mrs. Sokoloff continued to teach students at her Rittenhouse Square apartment through the 2019–20 school year. Adored by her students past and present, she was a repository of Curtis history and a fixture behind the samovar at Wednesday-afternoon tea. She was quick to share tales from her storied past with remarkable detail and affection. And yet she was also remarkably forward-looking, welcoming new developments at Curtis and in the broader musical world.

Peter Dobrin, a longtime friend of Mrs. Sokoloff, penned an obituary for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Mrs. Sokoloff gave herself fully to her students, to Curtis, and to music. We are forever indebted to her and will miss her deeply. We extend our deepest condolences to her daughters, Laurie (Flute ‘66) and Katharine, and to all her family, friends, and students.

We are working with our faculty and staff on events to honor Mrs. Sokoloff’s memory, both online and at Curtis when we are able to gather in-person once again. Additional information will follow as soon as it is available.

Sincerely,
 

Roberto Diaz.

Earlier article by Peter Dobrin here.