Latest news
Marimba Concerto Fuses Latin and Classical styles
Daniel Rojas As the premiere of his Marimba Concerto draws near, composer Daniel Rojas reflects on the excitement of the occasion. He writes: “A world premiere of any orchestral work is a rare occasion. I often compare it to the launch of a new novel or the opening night of a new movie or…
Stradivari’s creations on display in Oxford
If you’re visiting the United Kingdom this northern summer and you’re an aficionado of the violin, a day trip out of London to Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum could just be your idea of heaven as it puts on display 21 instruments created by the master craftsman Antonio Stradivari (c.1644–1737). Stradivari didn’t only make violins – he made…
“No such thing as an ‘overnight success’ in opera” – Dame Kiri
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is refreshingly honest about the trend to fast-track singers to classical singing without the vital technical foundations. Click here to read The Guardian.
Stories in music as Jane Sheldon and Acacia Quartet launch ‘North+South’
In the intimate setting of the Sydney Philharmonia space at The Wharf, soprano Jane Sheldon and the Acacia Quartet launched their recent CD North+South, recorded with harpist Genevieve Lang, in an evening of stories in music as Acacia also performed two works for string quartet composed by Lyle Chan. Now based in the US, Jane Sheldon sang a selection of 10 folk songs from…
The curse on ‘The Ring’
It seems that this opera has a phantom that simply can’t be shaken. The Melbourne production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle scheduled for late 2013 is seeking a conductor at short notice after the designated conductor Richard Mills resigned. Productions of Wagner’s Ring are said to be jinxed – a phenomenon discussed in Stephen Fry’s excellent 2010 BBC…
More about Mills….
Today’s report from The Australian on Richard Mills’ resignation from the Melbourne ‘Ring’cycle.
Latest reviews
Review: ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year Award, Grand Final 2013
The Grand Final of the 2013 ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year Award held at the Melbourne Town Hall on October 12th 2013, was a fine exhibition of musical abilities. It was also an emotional event, due in large part to the evening’s proceedings being dedicated to the memory of John Hopkins, AM OBE,…
CD Review: Amy Dickson ‘Dusk & Dawn’
Dusk & Dawn Amy Dickson, Sony Classics 88725479572 Sydney born saxophonist Amy Dickson’s latest CD release Dusk & Dawn won for her the title of Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2013 Classical Brit Awards. This was the first Classical Brit Award for an Australian as well for the saxophone. Dusk & Dawn contains 12 familiar tracks arranged for saxophone and…