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Europe
Eivind Gullberg Jensen (pictured) makes his debut with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at the Kissinger Sommer Festival on 1 July. The programme will include Beethoven's Symphony No.3 and Schumann's Cello Concerto with Alban Gerhardt.
Kissinger Sommer Festival >>
Paavo Järvi conducts Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich this week in a performance that includes Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in A minor with Janine Jansen and Mendelssohn's Symphony No.3. The concert takes place at the Tonhalle Konzert und Kongresshalle on 2 July.
Andreas Scholl and Shield of Harmony continue their tour of concerts based around the life and work of Oswald von Wolkenstein at Festival d'Opéra Baroque de Beaune on 3 July.
Festival d'Opéra Baroque de Beaune >>
Pierre-Laurent Aimard makes return visits to the Styriarte Festival Graz and to the festival of Aix-en-Provence this week, in the company of musical partners with whom he already enjoys a long-standing relationship. On 2 July in Graz he is soloist and director in Mozart Piano Concertos with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe; and on 5 July in Aix he performs Ravel's Left Hand Piano Concerto with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Pierre Boulez.
Hélène Grimaud continues her performances at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival this week. On 4 July in Neubrandenberg she performs Ravel's Piano Concerto with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the baton of Hans Graf and will provide the narration of Stravinsky's Persephone. On 5 July in Stolpe bei Anklem she collaborates once more with the Kammerochester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and director Radoslaw Szulc in a programme which includes Bach's Piano Concerto in D Minor and pieces by Silvestrov.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival >>
Lilli Paasikivi appears in Wagner's Götterdämmerung with the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle at Festival d'Aix-en-Provence on 3 July.
Festival d'Aix-en-Provence >>
Krzysztof Urbański makes his debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra on 1 & 3 July conducting works by Mendelssohn, Lutoslawski and Chopin.
Rumon Gamba will be in Cardiff on the 2 July with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales to give an afternoon concert at Hoddinott Hall. He will be conducting Delius's Paris, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G (with soloist Roger Muraro) and Vaughan Williams Symphony No.6.
Tamara Stefanovich performs a recital at the Beethoven-Haus Bonn on 30 June. The programme includes works by Liszt, Mendelssohn and Schumann.
At Garsington this week, Juanita Lascarro sings the title role in the British stage premiere of Martinu's Mirandolina on 2 & 5 July. Meanwhile, Eliana Pretorian gives further performances as Clorinda in Daniel Slater's production of La cenerentola conducted by David Parry on 1 & 4 July.
Garsinton Opera >>
North America
Rossen Milanov opens The Philadelphia Orchestra's summer season with an all-Beethoven programme on 29 June with further concerts at The Mann Center on 30 June and 1 July.
The Mann Centre >>
Far East
Stephen Hough returns to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for a two week residency, beginning with a performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.2 under Yoel Levi on 3 July.
Europe
Pablo Heras-Casado (pictured) and his period instrument chamber opera group, La Compañia Teatro del Principe, give the first performance in modern times of Giuseppe Bonno's L’isola disabitata at Musica Antigua Aranjuez festival on 27 June with Klara Ek singing Costanza. A commercial recording will follow.
Musica Antigua Aranjuez >>
Susanna Mälkki and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra offer an insightful mix of classical and 20th century repertoire at the Aldeburgh Festival on 25 June. The Artistic Director of the Festival, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, will join as soloist in Birtwistle's Slow Frieze for piano and ensemble. Pierre-Laurent Aimard also joins the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in a second Aldeburgh Festival programme, this time as piano soloist/director, on 27 June combining works by Haydn, Stockhausen and Beethoven.
Paavo Järvi conducts Mahler's Symphony No.9 in D major with Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany. Concerts take place at Kloster Eberbach, Basilika on 27 and 28 June.
Rheingau Musik Festival >>
At the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie Janine Jansen joins regular chamber partners for a concert on 24 June as part of the Spectrum Concerts Berlin series. On 28 June she joins the Bayerischer Rundfunk and Vladimir Fedoseyev in Bad Kissingen for a performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.
Hélène Grimaud gives recitals in Germany this week with a programme based on her Bach disc released last Autumn. Friday 26 June sees her return to Festpielhaus Baden Baden whilst her recital in Rostock on Sunday 28 June is part of her participation in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival.
Festpielhaus Baden Baden >>
Oliver Knussen conducts the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group at the Aldeburgh Festival. The programme includes Stockhausen's Zodiac and the world premiere of Carter's On Conversing with Paradise.
Vladimir Ashkenazy is in Russia this week performing with St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra on Thursday 25 June at The D.Shostakovich Academic Philharmonia. The programme will include Beethoven's Violin Concerto with Sergei Dogadin and Ein Heldenleben by Richard Strauss.
Jörg Widmann can be heard in a number of chamber music recitals at the Heimbach Spannungen Festival between 22 and 24 June.
Rumon Gamba will be conducting the the Orchestre National de Belgique in three concerts in Belgium this week, appearing in St Vith, Charleroi and Oostende. They will be joined by the Laureate of the Queen Elisabeth competition, Ray Chen, who will perform Sibelius' Violin Concerto. Other works will include Wagner's Flying Dutchman overture and Elgar's Engima Variations.
Alison Balsom will perform Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto with Cyprus Symphony Orchestra in Larnaca and Nicosia on 23 and 24 June respectively.
Akiko Suwanai is at the Festival Mitte Europa this week, performing a recital with Itamar Golan on 24 June in the Fabriksaal in Treuen. The programme includes Violin Sonatas by Bach, Bartók, Szymanowsky and Brahms.
Garry Magee makes his debut with Opéra St. Moritz as Figaro in their new production of Il barbiere di Siviglia conducted by Jan Schultsz on 27 June.
Opéra St. Moritz >>
At the Bad Kissingen Festival, Sol Gabetta performs Dvorak's Cello Concerto with Wiener Symphoniker and Dmitrij Kitajenko on 27 June.
Paul Agnew is on tour with the Nationale Reisopera and sings performances of Rameau's Hipployte et Arice in Rottderdam on 23 June, in Apeldoorn on 25 June and in Amsterdam on 27 June.
Nationale Reisopera >>
Juanita Lascarro sings the title role in the British stage premiere of Martinu's Mirandolina at Garsington on 26 and 28 June.
Garsington Opera >>
Ville Rusanen sings further performances of Mozart's Cosi fan tutte with Scottish Opera at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre on 25 and 27 June.
Scottish Opera >>
Eliana Pretorian gives further performance as Clorinda in Daniel Slater's new production of La cenerentola conducted by David Parry for Garsington Opera on 23 and 25 June.
Garsington Opera >>
North America
Rossen Milanov leads The Philadelphia Orchestra at Verizon Hall in three concerts featuring Handel, Bach and Vivaldi on 24 June; Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven on 25 June; and Brahms, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky on 26 June.
The Philedelphia Orchestra >>
Far East
Xian Zhang begins a four week Asian tour, making her conducting debuts with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic and Pacific Music Festival Orchestra, Japan. Concerts take place at Dewan Filharmonkik Petronas, Kuala Lumpur on 27 and 28 June, Hong Kong Cultural Centre on 3 and 4 July, and Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara and Art Park, Japan on 18 and 19 July.
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra >>
Pekka Kuusisto is in residence at the Hong Kong Chamber Music Festival with concerts between 25 and 28 June.
Five HarrisonParrott artists have been awarded trophies at the 2009 Echo Klassik Awards.
-marco-bo.jpg "Sol Gabetta")
HP instrumentalists dominated the concerto categories: Sol Gabetta's recording of Shostakovich’s Cello Concert No. 2 (RCA/Sony) and Dejan Lazic’s disc featuring Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 (Channel Classics) received two of the three twentieth-century prizes. Meanwhile, Alison Balsom's recording of the Haydn and Hummel Trumpet Concertos with The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (EMI) picked up an eighteenth-century award.
Elsewhere, Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s ‘Hommage à Messiaen’ disc (DG) took the twentieth-century solo piano prize; and the Jerusalem Quartet were equally successful in the nineteenth-century chamber music category with their CD featuring Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’ String Quartet (Harmonia Mundi) rounding off another strong year for HP at the annual German awards ceremony.
For full details of winners click here >>
Rossen Milanov has been appointed the new full-time Music Director of The Princeton Symphony Orchestra. He will take up the position from July 1 2009 for a period of three years.
Milanov commented on his appointment “I am very excited to be joining the Princeton Symphony Orchestra at this pivotal time in their history. The musicians of the orchestra are of the highest professional calibre, and there is a lot of energy. But most importantly, making music is a deeply collaborative effort. A certain level of chemistry - between the person on one side of the podium, and the musicians who respond on the other side - is essential. For a conductor, it’s a rare thing to find a chemistry that is just right. At my very first rehearsal, I felt that chemistry immediately. I’m very much looking forward to working together.”
Founded in 1980, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra is considered New Jersey’s premier “virtuoso” orchestra. Over the last 30 years the orchestra’s leadership has invested in artistic excellence through educational programmes that have contributed significantly to establish the PSO at the heart of the community. For more details of the 09/10 season please visit www.princetonsymphony.org
The International Piano Series 2009/10 is now on sale and it's a particularly special year for the Series, celebrating both its own 20th anniversary and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Chopin. Alongside birthday concerts by two of Chopin's most outstanding interpreters - Krystian Zimerman and Maurizio Pollini - are a collection of Chopin recitals by artists such as Louis Lortie and Yundi Li alongside some of the world's most talented newcomers including Cedric Tiberghien and Yevgeny Sudbin. The recitals are complemented by a series of talks, a Chopin masterclass and a day-long Forum with eminent scholars led by John Rink discussing the man and his music with demonstrations on period instruments.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard's tenure as Artistic Director begins this week with the 62nd Aldeburgh Festival running from 12 to 28 June. HP artists Oliver Knussen, Susanna Mälkki and Tamara Stefanovich are also among the musicians who will take part in the rich schedule of events. Highlights include “Collage-Montage” on Saturday 13 June, a free-thinking musical fantasy programme in which Aimard is joined by the Haffner Wind Ensemble and Quatuor Diotima; a performance of George Benjamin’s concerto Duet with Aimard and BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer; a Mahler Chamber Orchestra series with repertoire ranging from Haydn and Beethoven to Stockhausen and Birtwistle.
To read a Telegraph article on Aimard's directorship please click here >>
Fresh from their debut performance in Zagreb on Wednesday 3 June, Japanese drumming sensation Kodo return to London's Royal Festival Hall on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June for two performances of Ekkyo – a new production which includes some of Kodo's most-loved drumming work as well as some new pieces featuring dance and theatrical elements. From London, the group will return to the Izmir Festival (12 and 13 June) and the Istanbul Festival (15 and 16 June) after an absence of eleven years; and from there, Kodo look forward to returning to Paris for a week-long residency at the Théâtre du Châtelet at the end of the month.
To book tickets to Kodo’s Royal Festival Hall performances, visit Southbank Centre >> or call +44 (0)871 663 2500.
Click here to see Kodo in action: Kodo on Youtube >>
British conductor Christopher Warren-Green has been announced as the new Music Director of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, ending their extensive two-year search for a successor to Christof Perick, who moves on at the end of this season. A ceremony took place at Charlotte's Booth Playhouse on 26 May, to celebrate the signing of the contract. The orchestra said in press interviews that "Christopher's extraordinary musicianship combined with his grace and charm have already inspired the Charlotte Symphony family and our city. We look forward to a close partnership with Chris as we work together to build a stronger, more resilient orchestra for a growing Charlotte". Mr Warren-Green said: "Since first working with the orchestra in 2005, I felt an instant rapport with the players and I'm very much looking forward to our future collaboration. I'm also excited to be a part of such a dynamic team at such a crucial time in the CSO's history."
On 14 May Alison Balsom became the first ever Brit to win the most coveted award at the Classical BRITs - she’s also the first instrumentalist to receive the award since Martha Argerich in 2000. Until now singers have dominated the category so it’s no surprise that other nominees included Russian-Austrian operatic soprano, Anna Netrebko and Australian-born soprano, Danielle de Niese.
Speaking of her success, Alison commented: "Having won Best Young Performer at the Classical BRITS in 2006, it’s such a thrill to have won a second time and to be nominated alongside artists I really admire. The past few years have been so exciting, and to be a Brit winning a BRIT makes it even more special".
Alison will be soloist at the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert on 12 September when she will perform the Haydn Trumpet Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under David Robertson.
Sakari Oramo will receive an OBE from Her Majesty the Queen on 13 May 2009, in recognition of his services to music from his time with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The award will be presented to Mr. Oramo by her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador in Finland Dr Valerie Caton.
Oramo held the post of the CBSO's Music Director from 1999 to 2008. During the ten concert seasons, Sakari Oramo toured extensively with the orchestra, including in 2001 a visit to Romania, where he gained the prize for an “outstanding performance of Enescu’s work” at the George Enescu International Festival in Bucharest, from the Romanian music magazine Actualitatea Scala. In June 2004, Sakari Oramo received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Central England, Birmingham, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the musical life of the city, and in 2008 he was awarded the Elgar Medal for furthering the reputation of Elgar and his music.
Violinist Janine Jansen and soprano Susan Bullock were presented with RPS Music Awards at London’s Dorchester Hotel on 12 May.
Janine Jansen saw off competition from fellow nominees Steven Isserlis and Daniel Barenboim in the ‘Instrumental’ category. The award was given in recognition of a number of UK concerts throughout 2008, including a BBC Prom with The Hallé under Sir Mark Elder and a tour with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Charles Dutoit. Later this year Jansen makes her Berlin Philharmonic subscription concert debut, and will be the focus of a Carte-Blanche series at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. She returns to the UK in autumn 2009 for concerts with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Meanwhile, Susan Bullock topped the ‘Singer’ category for her definitive portrayal of the title role in Richard Strauss’s Elektra at the Royal Opera House in November 2008. The Times described her performance “astonishing – her acting glint-eyed and obsessive, her singing turbo-charged, her stamina immense and her performance as intense as anything I’ve seen at Covent Garden this year”. Bullock will reprise the role when she makes her long-awaited debut at The Metropolitan Opera, New York in December 2009.
Neeme Järvi's latest release with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra is a recording of Prokofiev works on Chandos. The orchestra are joined by the Royal Scottish National Chorus and Junior Chorus, with Irina Tchistjakova and Niall Docherty, for the oratorio On Guard for Piece. This is coupled with the premiere recording of Michael Berkeley's symphonic adaptation of The Queen of Spades.
April 2009 sees the release of Truls Mørk’s debut CD on Ondine. This CD is a collaboration with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under the direction of John Storgårds featuring Icelandic composer Hafliði Hallgrímsson’s two works for cello and orchestra; the Cello Concerto, Op. 30 (2003), and Herma, Op. 17, for cello and string orchestra (1995).
For more information and the CD profile please click here >>
Truls Mørk at Ondine >>
HarrisonParrott has launched 'HP40' – a micro-site marking the company’s fortieth anniversary. The features-driven site includes monthly articles in which a cross-section of HP artists discuss a range of topics and challenges relevant to the classical music industry, sharing their thoughts and insights. The site also includes a YouTube theatre and a photo gallery. New content will be uploaded to the site at the beginning of every month with the first update focussing on Handel, Haydn and performance practice, and with comments from Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Alison Balsom, and exclusive video material featuring Andreas Scholl. HP40 is co-sponsoring this year’s IAMA Conference which takes place in Luxembourg on 23-25 April 2009. Visit the site at www.harrisonparrott.com/hp40
It was announced today that Xian Zhang has been appointed Music Director of La Verdi. She takes up this prestigious position at the start of 2009/10 and will conduct 10 weeks per year with the orchestra. Her first concert as MD designate will be on 30th April, in the Salla Nervi of the Vatican, before the Pope and the President of the Republic.
She made her debut with the orchestra in November 2008, conducting Ravel Daphnis and Chloe and Zemlinsky “Die Seejungfrau”. Xian Zhang returns to conducting next week, having given birth to her first child in January this year, when she makes her debut with Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Dates in the near future include London Symphony, Concertgebouw, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Berlin Konzerthaus and of course a return to New York Philharmonic. She also makes her debut at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo in July 2009.
laVerdi >>
We are delighted to announce that Volume 3 of Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's recording of Debussy's Complete Works for Piano has won a 2009 BBC Music Magazine Award in the Instrumental Category. Previous volumes of this universally acclaimed cycle have already received two of the most important awards of the French music industry in 2008, the Diapason d'or of the year" and the "Choc de l'annee" of Le Monde de la Musique magazine, and have been shortlisted for a Gramophone Award, and a MIDEM Classical Award 2009.
Recent highlights of Mr Bavouzet’s busy concert career include successes with Daniele Gatti and the Orchestre National de France, Marc Albrecht and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, and Pierre Boulez and the BBC Symphony. In the upcoming year, he will appear with the London Symphony Orchestra and Valery Gergiev and the Cleveland Orchestra with Vladimir Ashkenazy, as well as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
The HarrisonParrott offices have now reopened for 2009 at our new office address:
5-6 Albion Court
Albion Place
London W6 0QT
Email addresses, telephone and fax numbers remain the same.
Europe
Paavo Järvi conducts the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg as part of this year’s Stars of the White Nights Festival. Concerts will take place on 9 and 10 July; they will perform Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 2, 4, 7 & 8.
Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg >>
Lisa Batiashvili, Valeriy Sokolov and Igor Levit will all appear at the Bad Kissinger Sommer Festival on 9 & 11 July. The various programmes include chamber music works by Bach, Bartók, Dvorák, Haydn, Mozart, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
Bad Kissinger Sommer Festival >>
Hélène Grimaud will perform Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Andris Nelsons on 11 July at the Odeonsplatz in Munich. They will repeat the programme at the Festsaal im Stadttheater in Ingoldstadt on 12 July as part of Audi Sommerkonzerte.
Audi Sommerkonzerte >>
This week sees the premiere of Jörg Widmann's “Am Anfang” at the Opéra Bastille in Paris. The work features an installation by Anselm Kiefer and Jörg Widmann and is presented as part of the Bastille's 20th anniversary programme. Performances 7 - 14 July.
Lilli Paasikivi appears at Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in Götterdämmerung with the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle on 6, 9 and 12 July.
Festival d'Aix-en-Provence >>
Paul Agnew conducts Les Arts Florissants in a programme of works by Lotti, Legrenzi, Caldara and Scarlatti in Guebwiller on 11 July and Beaune on 12 July.
Les Arts Florissants >>
Pekka Kuusisto joins a number of musicians in the annual Lofoten Festival on the island of Leknes, Norway.
Alison Balsom joins the Oxford Philomusica on 8 July at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, to perform Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto conducted by Marios Papadopoulos.
Klara Ek joins Il Complesso Barocco under the direction of Alan Curtis for a performance of Jommelli’s Ezio at the Via Stellae Festival de Música de Compostela e os seus Camiños on 9 July.
Il Complesso Barocco >>
Tamara Stefanovich performs in a concert for eight pianos at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele on 10 July. The concert features eight outstanding pianists performing original works and arrangements of compositions by Wagner, Verdi, Milhaud, Antheil and Bernstein.
North America
Kirill Karabits makes his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducting the two opening concerts of their Hollywood Bowl season on 7 & 9 July.
Hollywood Bowl >>
Janine Jansen travels to the Aspen Festival this week for two concerts. The first a recital with Inon Barnatan on 9 July, and the second a performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with David Zinman and the Aspen Festival Orchestra on 12 July.
Aspen Festival >>
Andrey Boreyko returns to the Aspen Festival to conduct the Aspen Chamber Symphony on 10 July. The programme includes works by Fletcher, Mozart, Ives and Schubert.
Aspen Festival >>
Rossen Milanov conducts The Philadelphia Orchestra at Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival in a programme of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol, Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No.3 with Yuja Wang, and Sibelius's Symphony No.1 on 12 July.
Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival >>
Far East
Benjamin Schmid will be performing Korngold's Violin Concerto in two concerts with Malaysian Philharmonic and Karen Kamensek on 11 & 12 July.
Krzysztof Urbański makes his debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra on 10 July. The programme includes Tchaikovsky's Concert Fantasy and Piano Concerto No.3 with Stephen Hough, who continues his two week residency with the orchestra.
Singapore Symphony Orchestra >>