English Sinfonia musicians will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending with two performances at St John’s Smith Square on 15 December 2020, 100 years to the day since the work’s first public performance on 15 December 1920. The original 1920 performance featured British violinist Marie Hall, accompanied on the piano by Geoffrey Mendham (the work was later orchestrated by Vaughan Williams). In this 100th anniversary performance, English Sinfonia’s leader and Artistic Director Janice Graham will be accompanied on the piano by Chris Hopkins, the ensemble’s newly-appointed Principal Conductor.
The piece has a particular personal connection to Graham, through the celebrated violinist Frederick Grinke, who taught Graham and also both of her parents. Grinke was one of the early exponents of The Lark Ascending and had a close and enduring relationship with Vaughan Williams, including being the dedicatee of Vaughan Williams’ Violin Sonata in A minor. Grinke was born in Winnipeg, as was Graham’s father who was invited to study with Grinke at the Royal Academy of Music. Graham recalls her time studying with Grinke and the emphasis he placed on creating a ‘special magical Janice Graham sound’. Graham comments, “I still have a copy of Grinke’s score of the Lark, including his note of Vaughan Williams’ instruction at the top of the page – that ‘It mustn’t sound like a nightingale’”.
Kaarina Meyer, one of the leading managers for orchestra and artist tours, has died of pancreatic cancer.
Multilingual, with a German father and Finnish mother, Kaarina grew up in Venezuela and the US. After almost 30 years at Harrison Parrott she went freelance as a tour manager, working with Intermusica, Maestro Arts and others until her retirement.
Scherzo reports the early death of Diego Martínez, former director of the Granada Festival and latterly of the Úbeda Music and Dance Festival. He had been quarantined at home for several days with Coid-19.
photo: Granada Fest
The German-based Israeli conductor Bar Avni has been selected as the recipient of the second scholarship in memory of Kurt Masur.
She gets to spend a year at the opera in Halle.
uDiscover Classical presents the 100 best-selling living classical artists from around the world, and now they want to hear from you! Vote for your favourite artist and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win vouchers for the uDiscover Music Store. Vote now (link to landing page – http://vote.udiscovermusic.com/classical100) to have your say in The uDiscover Classical 100.
The chart will be revealed in February 2021!
The Royal Over-Seas League Gold Medal has been won by Eleanor Corr, together with a £20,000 first prize.
Eleanor has been principal second violinist with several Norwegian orchestra.
She competed in an online finl against Sirius Chau flute, Siân Dicker soprano and Dominic Doutney piano in an event intended to showcase talents from across the Commonwealth.
Universal Music is offering vouchers for voters in its UDiscover Classical 100.
press release: November 23, 2020 (London, UK) – A brand new global poll is launching to find today’s best-loved classical musician. The uDiscover Classical 100 is the first of its kind – a major international initiative, offering fans worldwide the chance to vote for their favourite living artist via a newly-created online portal: vote.udiscovermusic.com/classical100<https://vote.udiscovermusic.com/classical100>
Based on global sales data, The uDiscover Classical 100 offers a shortlist of 100 of the best-selling living classical artists to vote for. Among the contenders are superstar pianists Lang Lang and Yuja Wang, cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Sheku Kanneh-Mason, composers John Williams and Max Richter, as well as singers Andrea Bocelli and Renée Fleming.
The uDiscover Classical 100 aims to shine a light on today’s leading musicians, from established conductors like Sir Simon Rattle and Gustavo Dudamel to ground-breaking young artists like Nicola Benedetti and Víkingur Ólafsson. Their recordings and performances have been acclaimed worldwide, but never before have they been celebrated in this way.
Sam Jackson, Executive Vice President of Global Classics and Jazz, Universal Music Group, comments: “Charts that focus on repertoire or composers are well established in the classical music world, but this is the first time a global poll has been created to confirm the world’s favourite classical artist. The uDiscover Classical 100 offers a chance to set this right, as we invite thousands of music fans across the globe to vote for the performers whose recordings and artistry they admire the most.”
Patrick Dexter from Country Mayo has been playing one song a day through the Covid second wave from his spectacular backyard.
He’s getting tens of thousands of views on social media.
Dienstag, 24. November 2020, 19.00 Uhr Piotr. I. Tschaikowski SCHWANENSEE(Vorstellung vom 16. März 2014)
Choreographie: Rudolf Nurejew
Musikalische Leitung: Alexander Ingram
Mit u.a.: Olga Esina, Vladimir Shishov, Eno Peci
Mittwoch, 25. November 2020, 19.00 Uhr Richard Strauss / Hugo von Hofmannsthal DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN (Vorstellung vom 10. Juni 2019)
Musikalische Leitung: Christian Thielemann
Inszenierung: Vincent Huguet
Mit u.a. Camilla Nylund, Evelyn Herlitzius, Nina Stemme, Stephen Gould, Wolfgang Koch
Donnerstag, 26. November 2020, 19.00 Uhr Richard Strauss / Hugo von Hofmannsthal ARABELLA (Vorstellung vom 1. Februar 2016)
Lyrische Komödie in drei Akten
Musikalische Leitung: Cornelius Meister
Inszenierung: Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Mit u.a. Anja Harteros, Tomasz Konieczny, Ileana Tonca, Herbert Lippert, Hila Fahima
Freitag, 27. November 2020, 19.00 Uhr Edvard Grieg PEER GYNT (Vorstellung vom 4. Dezember 2018)
Musikalische Leitung: Simon Hewett
Choreographie: Edward Clug
Mit u.a. Jakob Feyferlik, Alice Firenze, Eno Peci, Zsolt Török
Samstag, 28. November 2020, 19.00 Uhr Giuseppe Verdi DON CARLOS (Vorstellung vom 4. Oktober 2020)
Grand opéra in fünf Akten
Musikalische Leitung: Bertrand de Billy
Inszenierung: Peter Konwitschny
Mit u.a. Malin Byström, Jonas Kaufmann, Eve-Maud Hubeaux, Igor Golovantenko, Michele Pertusi, Virginie Verrez
Sonntag, 29. November 2020, 19.00 Uhr Giacomo Puccini LA BOHÈME (Vorstellung vom 29. November 2018)
Oper in vier Akten
Musikalische Leitung: Speranza Scappucci
Inszenierung: Franco Zeffirelli
Mit u.a. Benjamin Bernheim, Marina Rebeka, Samuel Hasselhorn, Mariam Battistelli
Montag, 30. November 2020, 19.00 Uhr Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL (Vorstellung vom 12. Oktober 2020)
Deutsches Singspiel in drei Aufzügen
Musikalische Leitung: Antonello Manacorda
Inszenierung: Hans Neuenfels
Es singen Lisette Oropesa, Daniel Behle, Regula Mühlemann, Michael Laurenz, Goran Juric
The Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho has become ambassador for child rights organisation in Albania.
One in ten Albanian chuldren is believed to be a victim of sex abuse.
In a passionate video, Jaho says:
‘Violators are stealing the innocence and brittleness of our children but they will never succeed in silencing them. Children and young people all over the world are suffering because of sexual exploitation online and offline. Let’s become the voice of those who do not have one!’
Less than two months after his arrival at Switzerland’s Argovia Philharmonic, the Spanish manager Xoan Castineira is gone.
Nobody’s saying exactly why but the word is he took a close look at the finances and saw nothing but a big black hole.
His hastily named successor is a violinist, Simon Müller, 35.
Xoan Castineira, 37, is a former marketing flak at Deutsche Grammophon.
The chief conductor ar Argovia is a Norwegian, Rune Bergmann.
Details have leaked – inevitably – of a video call in which the Met’s general manager told 500 employees that he would resume paying them a reduced monthly paycheck if they agreed to a 30 percent wage cut after the pandemic.
In plain English: hit them when they’re down.
Musicians in the Met orchestra have not received a cent since April. Many have left town or quit the country altogether. One orchestral star has joined the LA Phil, which stays active while the Met is shut.
‘For the Met to get back on its feet, we’re all going to have to make financial concessions and sacrifices,’ said Gelb, not specifying what cuts he’s planning in a bloated administration or inflated diva demands. The Met will not reopen before September 2021.
These are bad times and Gelb is playing a bad hand.
uDiscover Classical presents the 100 best-selling living classical artists from around the world, and now they want to hear from you! Vote for your favourite artist and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win vouchers for the uDiscover Music Store. Vote now (link to landing page – 
