The Fundación Orquesta y Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid has appointed Marzena Diakun as artistic director next season.
She succeeds the popular Victor Pablo Perez.
Marzena, 39, is Polish. She has previously worked with French orchestras.
The family have announced the death of Fraser Graham, a talented pianist and teacher at Loughborough University and Cheltenham Music College.
No cause is presently known.
He is described as ‘ a wonderful, kind presence’.
I’m not sure about this: Annie Lennox sings Dido Lament with a Covid-isolated chorus.
She says: ‘I feel a tremendous sense of empathy and concern for everyone who has lost a dearly beloved friend or family member this year and hope this recording can offer a moment of shared collective mourning for those whose lives have been taken.’
Here’s the real thing:
The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France has named Lucie Leguay as joint assistant conductor to music director Mikko Franck, starting next month. She will share conducting duties with Emilia Hoving.
Last year, she assisted at the Ensemble Intercontemporain with Matthias Pintscher, Orchestre National d’île de France with Case Scaglione, Orchestre National de Lille with Alexandre Bloch and Orchestre de Picardie (Amiens) with Arie Van Beek.
Candidate selection for the first International Conducting Competition Rotterdam, which should have been held this week, has been postponed to next summer. Never would be better.
Here’s the press release.
The selection rounds of the very first International Conducting Competition Rotterdam should have taken place this week. Unfortunately these are unprecedented times that we are living in. As a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, and the (travel)restrictions intiated by the Dutch government, the selection rounds will be postponed until 1 to 3 June 2021.
We not only want to make sure that this large international event can be hosted in a safe way, but even more importantly, do not want to make any concessions to the quality and impact of what we are offering the 24 selected conductors. That is why it has been decided to also postpone the actual competition. It will now take place from 27 May to 5 June 2022*. We want to thank our partner The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and De Doelen for the efforts to accommodate this change. We will be sharing the exact details of the new competition period, with as little changes as possible, soon.
The forthcoming weeks and months will no doubt be difficult for everyone. We wish you happy holidays, despite these challenging times. We are looking forward to 2021, and we hope to see you soon in Rotterdam!
The Spectator’s headline: ‘Hear the greatest Parsifal of our time sing like a Muppet: Jonas Kaufmann’s Christmas album reviewed’
Richard Bratby writes: Everyone knew that Kaufmann was planning a Christmas album, and allowances had already been made for a certain level of kitsch. Opera singers have been releasing Christmas albums for decades, all of them projecting, to one degree or another, the aura of a Ferrero Rocher advert. But the early buzz on social media suggested that Jonas was in another class. ‘Astonishing’ was at the milder end, and a shocked consensus swiftly emerged. This wasn’t just embarrassing, this was the operatic equivalent of the boss photocopying his arse at the office Christmas party….
Read on here.
The Opéra de Paris Opera intends to go ahead next month with its Young Artist programme, the Académie de l’Opéra National de Paris.
There will be face-to-face auditions three weeks from now for applicants who passed the initial video round.
However, candidates from abroad, especially the US, are unable to enter the EU for the indefinite future.
The Opéra says it will issue official letters for the artists to present at Passport Control.
Does anyone imagine this magic piece of paper will open all the doors? Young artists have been left confused and depressed. There has been no further clarification from the Opéra.
Any suggestions, M. Neef?
The wildly popular Twoset Violin – 2 million subscribers and rising – have called an indefinite break after Brett Yang was hospitalised with an unspecified but not life-threatening condition.
‘It is just uncertain at this point how long it will take for us to return,’ said his partner Eddy Chen.
An Italian tenor with the most evocative name, del Bianco made his New York debut in 1965 in Rossini’s Stabat Mater by Rossini conducted by Thomas Schippers.
He was a notable Otello all over the world and often appeared in Wagnerian roles and in Lieder recitals.
He retired in 1982 and was 88 at his death on December 8, in his native town of Trieste.
In an interview with the Times newspaper, ostensibly to discuss his lost 1970 Beethoven films, the Berlin conductor has this to say:
‘… in the United States the situation is horrific. Look at the Metropolitan Opera’s wonderful orchestra. It hasn’t been paid since March. How can all the rich people who put so much money into new productions not support the musicians who have given so much pleasure over so many years.’
Say what you like about Brenboim, he knows what’s going on and tells it as it is.