Welcome David Zinman

  Acclaimed conductor David Zinman conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra during May this year in two programmes. Zinman is the Music Director of the Tonhalle in Zurich to which he was appointed in 1995. Renowned for his creative programming, he has also appeared as guest conductor with the major orchestras of the world – the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony,…

The Australian Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

Sydneysiders in New York this week could do worse than to spend the evening of April 30th (Monday) at the Carnegie’s Zankel Hall to hear the “badass classical band” (Time Out New York) The Australian Chamber Orchestra and Richard Tognetti perform with soprano Dawn Upshaw. They will perform the New York premiere of Winter Morning Walks, a cycle of 9…

The Met’s first Ring Cycle is completed

  The first of three complete ‘Ring’ cycles, directed by Robert Lepage and staged by The Met this spring, is over. The NY Times has its say: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/26/arts/music/robert-lepages-first-complete-ring-concludes-at-met.html?_r=1&ref=arts

Steve Reich on minimalism

Steve Reich is in Sydney! He talks to Matthew Westwood from The Australian: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/steve-reichs-sounds-dont-scratch-the-surface/story-e6frg8n6-1226337506454

The movements that make the music

This is an absolutely fascinating animation from the New York Times of the connection between a conductor’s gestures, the responses of the musicians and the sounds that are created. Alan Gilbert, the music director of the New York Philharmonic talks it through: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/04/06/arts/music/the-connection-between-gesture-and-music.html?ref=classicalmusic#

Don Giovanni re-invented…

Paris, London, Los Angeles, Berlin – all these cities will host productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in 2012. The London production, is at heaven nighclub and completely re-invents the character…… http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/apr/11/don-giovanni-hero-or-villain

Jonas Kauffman interviewed

  The impossibly perfect tenor Jonas Kauffman in a recent interview with The Guardian. In June he sings in a gala concert at the Royal Albert Hall with Anna Netrebko and ErwinSchrott, and also at Covent Garden in Les Troyens. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/apr/05/jonas-kaufmann-tenor-great-pretender

Halcyon and Vox Dream and Dance into the 21st century

 When the voices of Halcyon get together with the voices of Vox, you can expect a vision of the future. This weekend they collaborate in a programme called Dreams and Dances in which the focus is very definitely on the ‘here and now’ as well as on ‘what’s next’. Halcyon is Australia’s premiere new music vocal ensemble, created…

APRA/AMCOS Art Music Award winners 2012.

Last week APRA/AMCOS announced its annual Art Music Awards winners for 2012. The awards acknowledge achievement in the composition, performance, education and presentation of Australian music. There are ten national awards and several State Awards which include these categories as well as outstanding contributions by individuals and organisations in Australian music, music education and regional music. The Art Music Awards were…