Felx Mendelssohn was 16 when he composed the unsurpassable Octet in October 1825.
Maria João Pires is advertising for pupils.
The annual Valery Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam, a throwback to the conductor’s involvement with the city in the 1990s before he became a rubberstamp Putin puppet (pictured), has been defunded by the city council.
A petition has been put up to have it reinstated.
So far, only 25 have signed.
The Philharmonia, which has cancelled all its concerts until the end of 2020, is advertising a vacancy:
Artist in Residence
The Philharmonia seeks a socially engaged artist or collective to collaborate with the Orchestra. The Artist in Residence will create new artistic experiences across our 2020-2021 programme of activity. They will take an inclusive and critical approach to our work and provide perspectives not already seen within our season, which will be reflected in the art presented, the identities of the artist(s), and the communities and audiences they intend to reach.
The Romanian conductor Camil Marinescu, principal guest of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, died yesterday after a three-week struggle with Covid-19, according to a message from his brother. He was 55 years old.
Marinescu was active with the National Radio Orchestra and Bucharest National Opera in Romania. Abroad, he conducted the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Minneapolis Opera, Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln, Komische Oper Berlin, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk in Leipzig and many more.
Our sympathies to Camil’s family.
Several London ensembles received an email last month from the celebrated church in Trafalgar Square saying that outside promoters would no longer be permitted to give concerts in the venue.
That leaves tourists and city workers without music at lunchtime, ending a tradition that goes back to the mists of time.
What would Neville Marriner have made of it?
A list of the expelled ensembles can be found on this petition.
Chris Grist, artistic director of London Concertante, tells us: ‘I was so disheartened to hear of the news from St Martin-in-the-Fields; the arts industry needs to be opening doors right now rather than closing them. The arts industry and musicians have been incredibly creative in reaching out to their audiences digitally and I too want to give culture-lovers that vital opportunity to experience the live performances that they have craved throughout this period of lockdown. Therefore, I have decided to, very literally, open our doors at my home and London Concertante’s head office, as we invite smaller socially distanced audiences to enjoy a summer series from my garden.’
London Concertante were due to perform at St Martin-in-the-Fields on August 1; the Secret Garden Concerts series will start on August 2.
The cast of Aida in Naples have given up any pretence of distancing.
Professor Yang Hongnian, founder of the Beijing Philharmonic Choir in 1983, has died in Beijing, aged 86.
The Austrian music director, who turns 60 next month, has been talking about his future, ahead of the publication of an autoiography.
He has some acerbic comments about certain opera managers and is bleakly realistic about the post-Covid future.
His one firm intention is to remain at the head of the Cleveland Orchestra until 2027, when he will be 67.
After that, who knows?
