The 23 year-old Russian Maria Zaytseva took first prize at the important ARD competition in Munich.
Second was Krzysztof Michalski from Poland, third the Dutchman Alexander Warenberg.
Other category winners were the Korean baritone Samueol Park and the Russian oboist Leonid Surkov.
After a childhood in Soviet Estonia, Viljar Puu Weimann won a place at the Cleveland Institute of Music and went on to play violin and, eventually, to become a conductor.
In 2014, Weimann founded Orchestra Sul Ponticello in the city of Decatur, Alabama.
He said: ‘”As humans, we live lives we are accustomed to. You go hunting because your dad took you hunting. You go fishing and to football games for the same reason. You like certain foods because you grew up eating them. The same is true with music. People will listen to what they are familiar with. Sadly, not many people are familiar with classical music, but we are going to change that.’
Weimann died this weekend, aged 63.
US astronaut Sarah Gillis took her violin into outer space, beyond the pull of gravity.
So how does she play weightless?
Report here:
He sat down for his first ‘exclusive’ interview since quitting the San Francisco Symphony and made no reference to its board and CEO with whom he has terminally fallen out.
He said nothing about his frustrations, his future plans, his regrets.
There’s an art in that and he has perfected it.
Sample quote of E-P Salonen saying nothing:
There are giant trees that are pillars of what we do, that have been able to survive all the storms and earthquakes and all that. There are the younger trees, budding trees. And there are things that are not trees but all this other kind of vegetation. It’s constantly changing and growing. But it’s still a forest. When you go to a beautiful forest, it makes you a better human being. We all know this. The smells and the sounds, besides just giving you pleasure, somehow make you connect with something that we sometimes forget we have. The best-case scenario when people come to concerts is they connect with something they feel is bigger than any one individual.
The best music connects us with things and people who have existed before us and also people and ideas that don’t exist yet. Because the history of this kind of art music is one of continuity. It’s an unbroken chain of works being created on the shoulders of other previous works. So what we’re witnessing and experiencing when we go through a season is that some very old ideas that keep coming back in different ways and forms, and new material built upon those old ideas takes them further, and finally comes to our time and music that is still being written. This is what I meant by the forest analogy. I see myself more as a gardener than a bookkeeper.
Chauncy Gardner?
This message has been posted by the Komische Oper Berlin, some of whose musicians are freelance school teachers:
As one of the most important cultural institutions in Berlin, the Komische Oper Berlin has been committed to promoting culture and musical education for children and young people for many years through a very extensive education program that has now become an essential part of our repertoire. In particular, through our educational offerings in the area of children’s operas and children’s concerts for schools, we also reach children who would be denied access to cultural education and integration for various reasons if it were not for the support of such projects and institutions in Berlin. These children are our future, not only as guests in our house and in other cultural institutions, but also as potential new talent for our wonderful profession.
We all know that education is the key to a peaceful future, that music can connect cultures without any barriers and overcome borders. Our entire society and the survival of all cultures depends on these being lived and practiced, that children must have the opportunity, even if they come from poorer families, to learn instruments themselves and thus become part of those who continue to live and pass on our colorful culture.
As an essential part of education, our lecturers and freelance staff at music schools and music colleges lay the foundation for this. There are now also many intercultural offerings that reflect our society, build bridges and create a connection between the most diverse cultures. The impending loss of freelance staff in the musical and artistic fields would deprive many children, young people and adults of affordable lessons and targeted support. The consequences for our society would be unforeseeable. It is a significant investment in the future of our families, our children, our culture, society and democratic participation and a sign against exclusion.
We reject the idea that artistic education should be made dependent on the financial situation of the parents and thus become a privilege for the “higher earners”. Of course, we are in favor of permanent employment of the current freelancers in order to provide them with social security and better pay. However, if it becomes apparent that this cannot be financed to the extent necessary, a way must be found to retain the freelancers anyway.
We therefore urgently ask all decision-makers to find a solution to maintain the offerings at the music schools.
The Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin.
The Labour Government has green-lighted a ready-made scheme giving disadvantaged children access to music in schools. Tory ministers had dithered for two years over giving it priority. Labour has, naturally, taken full credit for the implementation.
Here’s the Whitehall statement:
Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds or with SEND (special educational need and disabilities) will get targeted support to unlock their musical potential, thanks to a new scheme designed to break down the barriers to opportunity and advance their talents.
The government’s Music Opportunities Pilot will expand on Young Sounds UK’s existing programme – Young Sounds Connect – which offers pupils across primary and secondary schools the opportunity to learn to play an instrument of their choice or how to sing to a high standard by providing free lessons and supporting young people to progress, including taking music exams.
Backed by £5.8million, co-funded by the government and partners including Young Sounds UK, Arts Council England and Youth Music, the programme aims to inspire the next generation of British musicians across 12 areas including Sunderland, Bury, Bradford and Stoke on Trent to help ensure the arts remain a cornerstone of the nation’s identity.
School Standards Minister, Catherine McKinnell said:
The arts are one of the most important ways to help children and young people to develop creativity and find their voice. Music opportunities should be available to all pupils – no matter their background or circumstance.
Following a summer filled with vibrant festivals and creative acts that filled the streets with energy, it’s clear the role music plays in enriching lives. By investing in our young people we not only nurture individual talent, but also secure the future of the UK’s rich music scene by fostering a deep appreciation for music from an early age.
Alongside our Curriculum and Assessment Review, the Music Opportunities pilot will help break down the barriers to opportunity by widening access to the arts for more young people across the country.
Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:
Music should never be the preserve of a privileged few. I want everyone to have a chance to realise their talent regardless of their background.
This support will help to make sure that every child has access to high-quality creative education, with the opportunity to learn musical skills that may become the foundation of a lifelong passion or a future star of the UK arts scene.
Supporting young people to become musicians is invaluable in various creative and other industries. It fuels innovation and excellence in the broader creative landscape, contributing to the UK’s world class reputation as a global hub for the arts.
The pilot scheme will run over 4 years and is jointly funded by a £2 million investment from the Department for Education and £3.85 million funding from Young Sounds UK and its partners. Young Sounds UK will work in collaboration with local Music Hub partners that support and enable access to music education for children and young people in England in order to deliver the programme.
We have received this appeal from Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli, international performer and doublebass teacher at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance:
On August 28, 2024, I was on Flight FR585 from Pisa to Stansted with my double bass. As a frequent flyer with Ryanair, I’ve generally been satisfied with the service, but what happened at Pisa that day was deeply troubling. Despite Ryanair’s stated commitment to supporting passengers with neurodivergence (of which I am one) and recognizing the Sunflower Card, my experience was far from supportive:
I was forced to pay €32 for Priority Boarding, even though my bow could easily fit in the overhead locker. Initially, I was incorrectly told I needed to buy an additional seat for it. I have never paid for priority boarding for my bow case (which is very small) and have always been assisted with priority boarding due to my Sunflower Card without being charged extra. I felt extremely upset when the staff shouted at me without respect, and my boyfriend had to step in. Is this really how Ryanair’s Sunflower Card policy is implemented? It seems no one, neurotypical or otherwise, should be treated this way.
Additionally, I was informed that my double bass—which I had already paid €50 for as per Ryanair’s website—required an additional seat. It’s obvious that a flight case for a double bass won’t fit on an extra seat. The staff member at the counter then asked me to place the double bass on the regular luggage belt, where it didn’t fit. I suggested weighing it on the oversize belt (which I’ve used many times at Pisa), but she lied and told me there was no scale. Later, a colleague of hers said there was a scale, but it was broken. Eventually, they allowed me to weigh the double bass on a faulty scale, charging me €11 per kilo, for a total of €132. This was an unexpected and unfair cost, especially since I’ve flown with Ryanair before and never encountered this issue. If a bicycle can be up to 30kg, why should a musical instrument be treated differently?
Policy Discrepancies: Ryanair’s policies on musical instruments are confusing and inconsistent. While the weight limit for musical instruments is 20kg, bikes are allowed up to 30kg. My double bass, including its case, weighs around 30kg, making it impractical for many musicians to travel with such an allowance.
These issues highlight a broader problem with the current policy and how it is applied. Musical instruments are essential tools for musicians, and traveling with them should be managed with the same respect as other types of equipment.
Gianluca Marcianò happened to be at Pisa airport and witnessed the entire situation. He courageously stood up to defend my rights, for which I am deeply grateful.
As part of the musician community and as someone who is neurodivergent, I urge Ryanair to review and revise its policies to ensure fair treatment for musicians. Increasing the weight limit for musical instruments and applying the rules more consistently would significantly reduce the stress musicians face while traveling.
Swiss media are reporting that the International Menuhin Music Academy, founded by Yehudi Menuhin in 1977, is running a deficit of two million francs after its main philnathropist Aline Foriel-Destezet walked away.
Its board president resigned in June and its artistic director Renaud Capucon appears to have departed. Le Temps alleges he was paid 200,000 francs a year.
Hofesh Schecter is an Israeli choreographer, dancer and composer based in London whose modern dance works are performed all over the world.
He is one of those artists who can be described but not classified. First a talented pianist, switching to dance studies early, he has been a soloist in a ballet company, played drums in a rock group, served as a soldier, made dances and composed music for films and stage musicals – he was nominated for a Tony for his choreography for the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof– and formed his own modern dance company. His works set out to change minds and ask questions of the audience. Clowns is shocking, a dance film directed, choreographed and composed by Hofesh Shechter as a bold and sarcastic commentary on society’s ever-growing indifference to violence. It features ten world-class dancers from 8 different countries playing out a macabre comedy of murder and desire, asking: how far will we go in the name of entertainment? The 30 minute piece combines Shechter’s bold, exhilarating and tribal choreography with his own percussive, cinematic score, and the camera gets up close to the exceptionally talented ensemble of dancers.
It was commissioned by the BBC and captured live at Battersea Arts Centre in 2018.
… My pick of the week may appear esoteric. It comes from Ludwigshafen in western Germany and is performed by the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz with its British chief conductor Michael Francis.
The composer is an Irishwoman who lived in Paris in the second half of the 19th century and is all but forgotten in both of her patrimonies….
Alan Gilbert bet the house in Hamburg, performing Gurrelider to open the Elbphilharmonie season.
The violinist Vineta Sareika, who resigned this week as concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, has been awarded an honorary professorship by the Latvian Academy of Music in her home country.
She says: ‘Extremely honored and thankful to become the honorary professor of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music!’
It is not clear whether or not this will represent a time commitment on her part.
