ENSEMBLE AND PERFORMER NEWSFor New York City Opera Season, Bernstein, Strauss and New WorksMarch 10, 2010 The struggling New York City Opera, operating with a slender financial cushion, announced plans on Tuesday for another stripped down, five-production season but said it would add a series of concert performances. Kronos Quartet: Shaking Things Up at Carnegie Hall March 11-14 March 09, 2010 The Kronos Quartet’s presents four major Carnegie Hall Perspectives concerts this month, with music from minimalist original Terry Riley, works by composers from the Arctic Circle, performances on newly-built instruments and more. In countdown year to its centenary, S.F. Symphony announces a season full of 'firsts' March 03, 2010 The San Francisco Symphony's 99th season starts Sept. 7 at Davies Symphony Hall with a gala opener: Soprano Jessye Norman is the star soloist, performing works by Aaron Copland and Duke Ellington. And then, almost 10 months of music takes off, with everything from Beethoven to John Adams to pop star Rufus Wainwright, who has composed a new Shakespeare-inspired orchestral work and will be his own singing soloist. Eschenbach Begins New Post with NSO and Kennedy Center March 11 February 28, 2010 Maestro Christoph Eschenbach makes his first public appearances on the podium as Music Director Designate of the National Symphony Orchestra in March 11-13 performances of Verdi’s Requiem. Garrick Ohlsson: The Chopin Guy February 25, 2010 Garrick Ohlsson is a big guy. I mean that both metaphorically and literally: If you want to hear Chopin (and, in his bicentennial year, a lot of people do), then Ohlsson is your man; he's a past winner of the International Chopin Competition. But he also looks like he could take a piano in a fair fight, as opposed to all those pianists who seem dwarfed by the instrument. Playing Favorites February 23, 2010 For the last three seasons, usually when the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra musicians are nearing their final June performances in the Opera Theatre of St. Louis pit, I send out an e-mail query: What concerts are you most looking forward to in the upcoming season, and why? Metropolitan Opera raising prices for next season February 22, 2010 The Metropolitan Opera is instituting an across-the-board ticket price increase for the first time in five years next season, when another traditional Franco Zeffirelli production will be jettisoned for a minimalist staging. Russian storm sweeping this way February 19, 2010 Big as an army, aggressive as a storm front, the Mariinsky Orchestra is descending on the United States in an ambitious tour that's audacious even by the company's own go-for-broke standards. Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra and Thirteenth Van Cliburn Finalist Come to Gainesville February 17, 2010 The Ukraine's Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra - led by American Maestro Hobart Earle and joined by Mariangela Vacatello, the Italian finalist in the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition - come to Gainesville's Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, March 3. S.A. Symphony selects a new music director February 16, 2010 The story of the San Antonio Symphony's new music director begins with a clandestine, three-day work session in a hotel room overlooking New York's Carnegie Hall. Indy Opera postpones 'Mikado' February 11, 2010 Citing financial concerns, the Indianapolis Opera won’t present two performances of “The Mikado” in March. Philadelphia Orchestra’s Ticket Sales Add to Woes February 10, 2010 The Philadelphia Orchestra suffered unexpectedly weak ticket sales in the fall, an orchestra member said, yet another blow in a spiraling financial crisis that has been coupled with a leadership vacuum at one of the world’s elite orchestras. Rotterdam Orchestra tours Canada with Nezet-Seguin February 09, 2010 The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, an historic orchestra now under the baton of Canadian conducting superstar Yannick Nezet-Seguin, begins its first tour of Canada later this month. Mr. Ayers -- recording artist February 04, 2010 With a little help from his friends, the Soloist cuts his first CD. A Milestone for the Philharmonic Archives February 03, 2010 As the New York Philharmonic Archives celebrates its 25th anniversary, it launches a forward-thinking project to preserve and make available its treasure trove — digitally. Erik Ryding uncovers the behind-the-scenes story of this ambitious endeavor. Geneva opera issues ratings warning for new production February 02, 2010 Geneva's opera house has taken the unusual step of issuing a warning to audiences about its new production of Alban Berg's harrowing opera "Lulu, saying it may be unsuitable for people aged less than 16. Daniel Barenboim: How the maestro made classical music the hottest ticket in town January 28, 2010 With the news that Daniel Barenboim is visiting London to play Beethoven, a few words come to mind: "tickets"; "gold dust"; "living legend". Pianist, conductor and possibly today's most articulate verbal communicator about matters affecting musical perception, Barenboim is surrounded by an aura that feels almost mythic. Johannes Moser wants you to relax into classical music January 26, 2010 On a cross-country tour, the cellist is trying to reach audiences that might otherwise be unfamiliar with or even resistant to classical music. "The Emergence of Sound": Riccardo Chailly Weighs in on U.S. Tour January 25, 2010 Riccardo Chailly, busy in rehearsals with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, found time to speak with Jens F. Laurson about the ensemble's upcoming trip to the United States, programming choices, and other musical matters. Opera singer Renée Fleming is the thinking person's diva January 23, 2010 Renée Fleming is the quintessential diva. Great soprano, glamorous looks, elegant interpreter of roles in Mozart and Strauss operas — and she's American to boot. |
