Latest news
Avan Yu wins the 2012 Sydney International Piano Competition
Avan Yu, the 24 year old Hong Kong born Canadian entrant has won the 2012 Sydney International Piano Competition. Yu has earned a sweep of prizes which include recording contracts with ABC Classics and Naxos, a major return tour in Australia, the opportunity to perform at the Klavier-Festival Ruhr in 2013, the Bochum Festival in 2014 and…
The 2012 Sydney Eisteddfod
Keep up with all the results from the 2012 Sydney Eisteddfod: http://www.sydneyeisteddfod.com.au/Results_2012.htm
Classical music in cinema – Gramophone’s top 10
Gramophone magazine nominates its top 10 classical music moments in cinema: http://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/focus/top-10-classical-music-moments-in-cinema Do you have favourites that aren’t on this list? We think that playing the opening bars of the Kyrie from Mozart’s Requiem at the end of Shekar Kapur’s Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett, is pretty potent.
News from the US: Philadelphia and Seattle
…… in news from the US, the Philadelphia Orchestra which shocked the music world by filing for bankruptcy last year aims to revive itself after court approval of its financial plans: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/bankruptcy-court-gives-blessing-to-philadelphia-orchestra-reorganization/ ……. on the flip side, the Seattle Opera is forced to slash its programme for 2012-2013: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/budget-woes-prompt-cuts-at-seattle-opera/
MSO appoints a new CEO
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has a new chief executive. Andre Gremillet comes to the MSO after serving as president as chief executive of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra since 2007. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/music/french-canadian-to-helm-mso/story-fn9d2mxu-1226428527010 http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/17/new-jersey-symphony-president-goes-down-under/?ref=music
The Barenboims: the second generation
Musical dynasties have made their mark in music from the days of the Scarlattis and the Bachs, through to the Shankars and the Lennons. Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim’s 26 year old violinist son Michael, has for 9 years, been the leader of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, (WEDO) created by Barenboim senior as an act of middle eastern reconciliation. The WEDO…
Latest reviews
Behzod Abduraimov
Read the SMH review of 21 year pianist Behzod Abduraimov’s City Recital Hall concert: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/past-master-can-draw-on-exuberance-of-youth-20120327-1vweb.html
La Traviata – the verdicts are rolling in
The highly anticipated production of La Traviata staged on Sydney harbour opened on Saturday night. This production has polarised opera lovers. Without doubt the performances are superlative and the concept of an open-air opera with the spectacle of Sydney harbour as a backdrop is irresistible. As to whether it is ‘opera’ – the verdicts on that proposition are rolling in. As pure entertainment…