The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has erased the names of board members from its website, along with all contact details, as an unnamed external investigator goes to work examining the organisation’s handling of a pro-Palestine pianist.

Don’t try to ring the switchboard. They are not taking calls.

The orchestra is in a state of siege, with the musicians declaring no-confidence in the management and the rest of Australian music looking on appalled.

The Europäischen Komponistenpreis 2024 has been awarded to a young Turk, Ege Gür. He is 26.

Berlin’s Culture Secretary Sarah Wedl-Wilson presented the 5,000 euros award to the composer on Monday in the Berlin Konzerthaus.

Gür’s latest orchestral work ‘the image of the invisible’ commemorates victims of last year’s Turkey and Syria earthquakes.

The San Francisco Symphony and outgoing music director Esa-Pekka Salonen have recruited the following new musicians for the coming season:

Anne Richardson, associate principal cello; Davis You fourth chair cello; Bowen Ha fourth chair bass; Orion Miller section bass, and Jeein Kim section first violin.

Also signing up are bass trombonist Christopher Basset and second clarinet Yuhsin Galaxy Su.

Robert Peter Munves, a record executive who made millions out of old classics, died this week at the age of 97.

Munves walked around with the Columbia and RCA catalogues in his head. He reinvented them as Mozart’s Greatest Hits and Switched-On Bach, using flashy covers and bargain-basement prices. ‘You can call me the P.T. Barnum of the classics,’ he liked to say. He signed letters with all three initials: RPM. ‘They are on every phonograph record,’ he said.

We are shocked to learn of the death from sepsis of Chris Pollard, former publisher of Gramophone magazine and an all-round enthusiast for everything to do with classical music and opera.

Chris, who had been ill for some time, was admitted to hospital last night and failed to pull through.

He is survived by his wife, Ann, and their three daughters.

I shall miss his impish wit and his friendly banter.

The Ensemble Intercontemporain has announced the death of Maryvonne Le Dizès, a violinist in the group for more than two decades and soloist in several concerts conducted by Pierre Boulez.

The fist woman to win the Paganini Competition, she performed the UK premiere of Luciano Berio’s Corale in a 1985 BBC Prom under Boulez’s leadership.

Spanish cellist Salvador Bolón has begun playing this month on tour with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Also joining the LSO this season is flute player Imogen Royce.

The death has been announced of John Dean, long-serving principal viola of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in his birthplace, Perth.

During his studies in the UK he played in the London Mozart Players, the English Sinfonia and the Philharmonia.

Dean played in WASO for 33 years. He was also a leader of the Australian Strings Association.

 

The actors union Equity today began balloting its members at Welsh National Opera to approve industrial action.

Chorus pay is being cut by at least 15% and numbers will be reduced, with a real threat of compulsory redundancy.

Equity says: ‘WNO Management seem intent on pushing through these changes at speed under the misguided impression that this will, in some way, allow our members the opportunity to maximise the possibility of other employment.’

Uncertainty at English National Opera is affecting long-term casting plans. The company says:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Innocent Masuku and Nmon Ford have withdrawn from playing the roles of Nemorino and Belcore respectively in Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love at the London Coliseum in November 2024.

The replacements are New Zealand tenor Thomas Atkins and Irish-UK baritone Dan D’Souza.

 

 

Message from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra:

The Vienna Philharmonic and the Musikverein Wien regret to announce that the concerts on 7 and 8 December 2024 with John Williams have to be cancelled.

Due to a recent health issue from which he is expected to make a full recovery, John Williams regrets that he is unable to perform his concerts this December with Thomas Adès and the Vienna Philharmonic.  Maestro Williams greatly looks forward to rescheduling his concerts in Vienna at the soonest opportunity.