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Europe
John Adams (pictured) begins his residency with the London Symphony Orchestra this week, conducting two programmes – the first at London’s Barbican Centre features the UK premiere of his latest work, City Noir (11 March) and at Bristol’s Colston Hall, the UK premiere of his revised Dr Atomic Symphony (12 March).
More information >>
Xian Zhang makes her debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orkest on 11 & 12 March in a programme which includes Prokofiev’s Suite from The Love of Three Oranges, music from Adès’ opera Powder Her Face and Stravinsky’s Pulcinella. On 13 March she conducts Schoenberg’s arrangement of Das Lied von der Erde with members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orkest as part of the IJ-Salon series at Muziekgebouw aan't IJ.
Muziekgebouw aan't IJ >>
Janine Jansen starts this week with a performance of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with Maxim Rysanov and the Philharmonia Orchestra before travelling to Dublin and Paris for recitals with Itamar Golan at the National Concert Hall Dublin (March 11) and the Théâtre du Châtelet on (March 14).
Krzysztof Urbański makes his debut with Malmö Symfoniorkester on 11 March with a programme featuring Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Stravinsky's Violin Concerto with Eugene Ugorski.
Malmö Symfoniorkester >>
Lawrence Foster conducts the Orchestre National de Montpellier on 12 & 14 March with Hüseyin Sermet, who performs Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G
Opera Montpellier >>
Leila Josefowicz performs the Italian premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen's Violin Concerto in Ferrara (12 March), under the composer's baton with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Yakov Kreizberg and Akiko Suwanai will both be appearing in Madrid this week, performing three concerts at the Auditorio Nacional with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de Espana. The programme includes Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Violin Concerto followed by Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11.
David Zinman conducts the first of eight performances of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann for Zurich Opera on 13 March.
Bo Kristian Jensen sings Tamino in Mikael Melbye's production of Die Zauberflöte at the Royal Danish Theatre with conductor Andreas Stoehr on 10 March.
Royal Danish Theatre >>
Juanita Lascarro sings Fiordiligi in Christoph Loy's production of Cosi fan tutte at the Frankfurt Opera with conductor Yuval Zorn on 13 March.
Oper Frankfurt >>
Christopher Warren-Green returns to the Orquestra Sinfonica da Bahia to conduct two concerts at the orchestra's home concert hall, Teatro Castro Alves, Salvador on 10 & 17 March
Pekka Kuusisto directs and features as soloist in a programme of Bach and Mendelssohn with the Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana in Jesi, Italy on 11, 12 & 13 March
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet will return to the Wigmore Hall this week to perform a programme of Haydn, Ravel and Prokofiev as part of the London Pianoforte Series on 10 March. He will perform the same programme at the Turner Sims Hall, Southampton on 9 March and at the Handelsbeurs, Ghent on 12 March.
Wigmore Hall >>
Klara Ek continues her tour with Den Jyske Opera performing the role of Ilia in Klaus Hoffmeyer's production of Idomeneo conducted by Tobias Ringborg at Odense Koncerthus on 11 & 13 March
Den Jyske Opera >>
Georg Nigl gives a further performance as Lucifer in Peter Peter Eötvös's and Albert Ostermaier’s opera Die Tragödie des Teufels at Bayerische Staatsoper on 9 March
Bayerischer Staatsoper >>
Eliana Pretorian makes her role debut as Susanna in English Touring Opera’s production of The Marriage of Figaro at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on 9 March
English Touring Opera >>
Continuing his successful debut with English National Opera, Pablo Heras-Casado conducts a further performance of The Elixir of Love at London's Coliseum on 11 March.
Kirill Karabits conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in a programme including Scriabin’s Piano Concerto with Peter Jablonski, performances are on 10, 11 & 12 March.
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra >>
Valeriy Sokolov is in Europe this week, with concerts in both Paris and Manchester. On 11 March he will perform Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with Orchestre National de France under Dmitri Liss, and on 13 March he travels to Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Manchester Camerata conducted by Richard Farnes.
Asia
Vladimir Ashkenazy gives three rare appearances as a pianist, joined by Dimitri and Vovka Ashkenazy for charity concerts in Cambodia (9 March) and the Philippines (11 March) in aid of the International Peace Foundation. They then travel to Hong Kong for a concert on 12 March hosted by The Chopin Society of Hong Kong. Programmes include duos for clarinet and piano, and music for two pianos taken from Vladimir and Vovka Ashkenazy's recent highly successful release on Decca.
Peace Foundation >>
Chopin Society of Hong Kong >>
Andreas Scholl makes his Hong Kong recital debut with lutenist Edin Karamazov on 9 March, before travelling to Tokyo for a recital with Tamar Halperin on harpsichord and piano on 12 March.
Link 1 >>
Hong Kong Arts Festival >>
North America
Edo de Waart returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra for three concerts on 12, 13 & 14 March. The programme includes Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 with Joyce Yang and Strauss' Ein Heldenleben.
Osmo Vänskä has been re-invited to guest-conduct The Philadelphia Orchestra at Verizon Hall in a series of four concerts with music by Aho, Liszt and Sibelius on 11, 12, 13 & 17 March.
Lawrence Renes travels to the USA this week to conduct the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra in three concerts in Princeton, New Brunswick and Newark. The programme features Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss and Schumann’s Cello Concerto played by Jonathan Spitz.
Asia
Andreas Scholl (pictured) makes his Chinese debut with 3 recitals in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong with lutenist Edin Karamazov on 5, 7 & 9 March
Hong Kong Arts Festival >>
Akiko Suwanai and Alice Sara Ott take to the stage for the final concerts of their Japan tour with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under Sakari Oramo. Alice Sara Ott performs Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto on 1 March in Kanazawa & 2 March in Kawasaki; Akiko Suwanai performs Bruch’s Violin Concerto on 3 & 4 March at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo
Toshiba Grand Concert 2010 >>
Europe
Christoph von Dohnányi returns to the Berliner Philharmoniker for concerts on 5 & 6 March in the Philharmonie, conducting two works by Ligeti and Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard's Castle with Charlotte Hellekant and Matthias Goerne
The second Chopin Birthday Concert takes place on Monday 1 March at the Royal Festival Hall where Maurizio Pollini plays an all Chopin programme including his 24 Preludes as part of the International Piano Series Chopin 200 celebrations. There is also a pre-concert talk in the Level 5 Function Room at 6.15pm
Southbank Centre >>
Sol Gabetta returns to Copenhagen to perform Elgar's Cello Concerto with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Stephane Denève in two concerts on 4 & 5 March. The first concert will be broadcast live on TV and radio
Christopher Warren-Green conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cadogan Hall, in a programme showcasing works by Gara Garayev, one of the most prominent composers to emerge from Azerbaijan. Gidon Kremer will perform Garayev's Violin Concerto
Martin Grubinger & friends appear at the Potsdam Nikolaisaal on 5 March with a programme featuring works by Abe, Xenakis and Grubinger
Benjamin Schmid goes on tour with Sabine Meyer later this week. Recitals in Berlin (4 March) and Backnang (5 March) feature Bruno Schneider, Wolfram Christ, Clemens Hagen and Silke Avenhaus performing works by Brahms, Penderecki and Dohnányi
Janine Jansen performs Bruch’s Violin Concerto with the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest and Yannick Nézet-Séguin as part of a benefit concert for Hannah Max, a 12 year old Dutch girl who is suffering from neuroblastoma. All proceeds from the concert, which also features Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, will go towards funding help worldwide for children with this disease
Help Hannah Max >>
Tamara Stefanovich performs in both England and Norway this week: firstly in a recital of Bach, Mozart and Liszt in Harrogate on 1 March before joining the Stavanger Symphony
Orchestra and Eivind Aadland to perform Schoenberg’s Piano Concerto
Lawrence Renes performs in Spain this week, conducting the Orquesta Sinfonica de Euskadi in a programme featuring Symphonies 9 and 15 by Shostakovich as well as Dvořák's Violin Concerto, performed by Frank Peter Zimmermann. Concerts take place in the Auditorio Kursaal on 4 & 5 March
Eskaudi Orchestra >>
Orla Boylan sings Vier Letzte Lieder with RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra under Gabriel Feltz at National Concert Hall, Dublin on 5 March
RTÉ >>
Klara Ek continues her tour with Den Jyske Opera performing the role of Ilia in Klaus Hoffmeyer's production of Idomeneo conducted by Tobias Ringborg at Aalborg Kongres & Kultur Center on 6 March
Den Jyske Opera >>
Georg Nigl gives a further performance as Lucifer in Peter Eötvös's and Albert Ostermaier’s opera Die Tragödie des Teufels at Bayerische Staatsoper on 6 March
Bayerische Staatsoper >>
Juanita Lascarro sings Fiordiligi in Christoph Loy's production of Cosi fan tutte at the Frankfurt Opera with conductor Yuval Zorn on 5 March
Oper Frankfurt >>
Lilli Paasikivi makes her role debut as Kundry in Christof Nel's production of Parsifal at the Frankfurt Opera with conductor Sebastian Weigle on 7 March
Oper Frankfurt >>
Ville Rusanen sings further performances of Sid in Britten's Albert Herring at the Finnish National Opera with conductor Mikko Franck on 2, 4 & 6 March
Finnish National Opera >>
Pablo Heras-Casado continues his successful period with English National Opera conducting two further performances of The Elixir of Love on 3 & 5 March at London's Coliseum
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet returns to Orchestre National de Lorraine in France to perform Bartók's Concerto No. 2 under the baton of Jacques Mercier. Concerts take place at Arsenal Metz (5 March) and Forum de Chauny (6 March)
North & South America
Osmo Vänskä takes the Minnesota Orchestra to New York's Carnegie Hall in a performance of music by Sibelius and Beethoven on 1 March
In Seattle, Anu Tali conducts Heiner Goebbel’s Songs of Wars I Have Seen in three concerts with the Seattle Chamber Players on 4, 5 & 6 March
Stephen Hough performs Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 on 4, 5 & 6 March this week with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and James Gaffigan
Susan Bullock returns to Brazil for performances of Schmitt’s Psalm 47 with Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier on 4, 5 & 6 March
Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo >>
Australasia
Vladimir Ashkenazy conducts Rachmaninov's The Bells with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, featuring all Australian soloists, on 4, 5 & 6 March at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. The programme also includes works by Fauré and Debussy.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra >>
John Adams is the subject of the Cite de la Musique's Domaine Privé this spring. It is the first broad focus of his work in Paris, with the 10-day residency including concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra and Asko|Schönberg conducted by Adams himself; French premieres of his String Quartet and his new orchestral work City Noir; a concert performance of his most recent stage work, A Flowering Tree, and other satellite events including a round table discussion.
The residency follows hot on the heels of a pair of concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra at London's Barbican Centre which themselves form a part of a John Adams "In Focus" series.
Cité de la Musique >>
Barbican Centre >>
HarrisonParrott are delighted to announce two new signings for worldwide management.
Winner of the 2009 International London Piano Competition, 19-year-old Behzod Abduraimov (pictured left) went on to tour Asia highly successfully with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In 2010 he performs Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on 18th February at Cadogan Hall and has further UK performances scheduled at the Wigmore Hall in May and with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in October. Behzod currently studies with Stanislav Ioudenitch.
Awarded the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra's Bernard Haitink Fund for Young Talent in November 2007, Indonesian conductor Adrian Prabava has worked closely with Kurt Masur and held the position of Assistant Conductor to the Orchestre National de France and Resident Conductor and Associate Music Director of the Theater & Philharmonie Thüringen in Germany since 2006. This season, he returns to the Orchestre National de France, conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrucken and journeys to Magdeburg Opera for symphonic concerts and a production of Turn of the Screw.
Peter Jablonski is featured in this month's BBC Music Magazine cover CD, where he takes centre stage for Gershwin's musical portrait of New York, the Second Rhapsody for piano and orchestra with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Eric Stern, recorded in 2005.
The beginning of Osmo Vänskä's four-concert exploration of Sibelius’ music with the London Philharmonic Orchestra received rave reviews from the London critics.
Writing in The Times, Richard Morrison gave the concert five stars, hailing the performance as “the best possible advertisement for the rest of Osmo Vänskä’s Sibelius cycle”. Morrison commented: “The ferocious string writing was delivered with thrilling assurance, cohesion and power… Vänskä is a wiry human dynamo: lean, whippy and indefatigably energetic. His interpretations are the same. He never stops probing and pushing”.
Andrew Clark of the Financial Times was just as enthusiastic: “Vänskä knows how to rattle the bones of the First Symphony, taking the first and third movement at a ferocious speed and inspiring the LPO to playing of rapturous virtuosity and sensitivity”. Clark went on to praise Vänskä’s “back-to-the-score interpretation based on minute attention to tempo and dynamic markings”, concluding “it was fascinating to watch a hyper-animated Vänskä tear apart the Symphony’s runic myths and reveal the volcanic temperament at its core."
Meanwhile, Fiona Maddocks called the concert “exhilarating” in The Observer, highlighting Vänskä’s “infectious, mercurial energy” whilst adding “This is a series to cherish”.
The Guardian’s Andrew Clements attended the performance of the Second and Third Symphonies: “Vänskä understands better than anyone how to manage Sibelius's favorite transitions between movements of different speeds. The slow movement of the second… had a powerful, almost operatic intensity, which Vänskä revealed as the symphony's true emotional heart. More such revelations, no doubt, are still to come.”
The Times' Hilary Finch, who attended the performance of Sibelius' Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5 wrote in her five star review, “Vänskä, whose understanding of Sibelius is unsurpassed among living conductors, held the Festival Hall in thrall… London is unlikely to hear Sibelius like this for quite some time. Cancel everything to catch Vänskä’s final concert tonight.”
Attending the final performance of the series, fellow Times writer Geoff Brown summed up the prevailing feeling surrounding the Miraculous Logic series: “…the burning heat of Vänskä’s final concert in his Sibelius series with the London Philharmonic surely reached a new temperature… The one disappointment? The series was over. Vänskä must return very soon.”
Read the reviews:
Andrew Clements, The Guardian
Richard Morrison, The Times
Hilary Finch, The Times
Geoff Brown, The Times
HarrisonParrott is delighted to announce that Vladimir Ashkenazy and Evgeny Kissin's EMI recording of the Prokofiev Piano Concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra has won a Grammy Award in the category of “Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (With Orchestra).
Jonathan Nott’s recording relationship with the Bamberger Symphoniker and Swiss label Tudor Records goes from strength to strength with the announcement on 24 January that their acclaimed recording of Mahler's Symphony No.9 topped the Symphonic Works category at the 2010 MIDEM Classical Awards. Having already won the 2009 International Toblacher Komponierhäuschen Prize, the recording was chosen over Zoltán Kocsis’ Bartók disc with the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra on Hungaroton and Mariss Jansons’ BR Klassik release of Mahler’s Symphony No.7 with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.
Alice Sara Ott's new recording of the Tchaikovsky and Liszt Piano Concertos has shot to No.7 in the iTunes combined album chart in Japan. Her two other albums also feature highly in the charts, with her collection of Chopin Waltzes appearing at No. 21 and her May 2009 recording of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes at No. 35. All are released by Deutsche Grammophon.
Pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard is to receive the 2009 Schallplattenkritik ‘Honorary Prize’. Awarded by an association of 114 music critics, writers and editors in the German-speaking countries, the prize celebrates outstanding achievement on CD and DVD. Previous winners include Thomas Hampson, Alban Berg Quartett, Jordi Savall and Elvis Costello. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist, Aimard’s next release for the label will feature both Ravel’s Piano Concertos with the Cleveland Orchestra and Pierre Boulez.
Mikko Franck's recording of Debussy’s Images, Printemps and L’Apres-midi d’un Faune with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (on RCA) has just been named as one of the “Choc de l’Année“ Recordings of the Year for 2009 by Classica Magazine (France).
Although only 30, Franck is no stranger to commendations for recordings, with his CD of Sibelius’s En Saga and Lemminkainen Legends with the Swedish Radio Symphony winning the Diapason d’Or as well as a nomination for a Grammy Award (Best Orchestral Performance) in 2001.
HarrisonParrott are delighted to announce the signing of South Korean bass Simon Lim for worldwide management.
Born in 1982, after graduating from the Yeungnam University (Korea), Lim moved to Italy to perfect his singing studies. In the last two years he has won several Italian competitions as well as making his La Scala debut in 2007/08 season in the title role of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro under the baton of Giovanni Antonini. Subsequently at La Scala he has performed as Flemish Deputy in Don Carlo under Daniele Gatti (2008/09 season) and, more recently, the role of Cesare Salzaparigli in Donizetti’s Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali under Marco Guidarini.
The German clarinettist and composer Jörg Widmann has been awarded the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Centre’s Elise L. Stoeger award, given every two years in recognition of significant contributions to the field of chamber music. In particular, his cycle of five string quartets cemented Widmann’s place amongst the most respected and exciting of today’s chamber composers, with his works regularly performed by orchestras including the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and The Cleveland, Berkeley Symphony and BBC Symphony Orchestras.
Widmann’s contributions as a chamber clarinettist are equally celebrated, working regularly with groups such as Artemis, the Vogler, the Pacifica and the Minguet Quartets, performing both his and other composer’s works.
Visit Chamber Music Society for detailed information on the award including an interview with Widmann.
HarrisonParrott are delighted to announce that Tamara Stefanovich (left), Pierre-Laurent Aimard (middle), Vladimir Ashkenazy (right) and Harry Christophers have all been listed as nominees in the 52nd Grammy Awards.
Both Tamara Stefanovich and Pierre-Laurent Aimard feature in the “Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra)” nominations for their rendition of Bartók’s Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion and Orchestra – together with the London Symphony Orchestra and Pierre Boulez - in a collection of the Hungarian composer’s concertos recorded for Deutsche Grammophon. Vladimir Ashkenazy's acclaimed EMI recording of Prokofiev Piano Concertos with Evgeny Kissin and the Philharmonia Orchestra is also nominated in this category, with both conductor and soloist considered for the award.
Harry Christophers and The Sixteen’s recording of Handel’s Coronation Anthems has been nominated for Best Choral Performance. Released on the Coro label, this CD has garnered widespread admiration.
Lawrence Foster (left), Valeriy Sokolov (centre) and Kasper Holten (right) have all been included in Gramophone Magazine’s Critics’ Choice section for Christmas. The list was compiled by a number of renowned critics and represents their pick of the best releases available this Christmas.
Lawrence Foster's recording of works by Goerge Enescu with Valeriy Sokolov, Svetlana Kosenko and Orchestre Philharmonique du Monte Carlo was Andrew Farach-Colten’s chosen Christmas release, describing Foster’s conducting as “white hot”. This CD was recorded for Virgin Classics.
Decca’s DVD of The Copenhagen Ring, directed by Kasper Holten, is critic Ken Smith’s Christmas Choice. Previously a winner of Gramophone’s “DVD of the Year” award, this acclaimed production was described in Mike Ashman’s review as having “more heartbreaking emotion in Wagner’s drama than almost any since Patrice Chereau’s”.
John Adams, Stefan Asbury (Left), Oliver Knussen (Middle) and Sakari Oramo (Right) are all featured in “The ten best classical albums of the Noughties”, a list of the decade’s top ten recordings, compiled by critics Neil Fisher and Richard Morrison.
Julian Anderson’s Book of Hours, a Gramophone award-nominated album released on the NMC label, features both Sakari Oramo and Oliver Knussen, conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, respectively. Oramo makes another appearance in this list with a collection of works by Magnus Lindberg released by Ondine, where he conducts the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, together with clarinettist Kari Kriikku.
Stefan Asbury conducts MusikFabrik in Wolfgang Rihm’s Chiffre-Zylkus (Cipher Cycle), released on CPO, The Times describes it as “arresting, violent, and persistently dramatic… Stefan Asbury conducts the virtuoso players of MusikFabrik with assurance”. John Adams is also included in the list, with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Robertson performing his acclaimed Doctor Atomic Symphony, released on Nonesuch Records.
HarrisonParrott is delighted to announce that The Royal Swedish Academy of Music has awarded its Interpreter Prize to virtuoso clarinettist Martin Fröst, citing: "As soloist and chamber musician, explorer and presenter of new and traditional repertoire he has the world at his feet. Constantly exploring new aspects of musical creativity, he has inspired a succession of composers to write works for him that have proved exciting and important additions to the clarinet repertoire." Fröst will receive the award on 30 November in a ceremony with His Majesty King Carl Gustav at The Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
The Interpreter Prize was established in 2007 and is awarded annually to a truly innovative artist or ensemble of the highest musical calibre.
The renowned French pianist Hélène Grimaud is now a cultural ambassador of the famous Swiss watch-making company, Rolex, joining such illustrious names as
Placido Domingo, Gustavo Dudamel, Renée Fleming and Bryn Terfel.
HarrisonParrott are delighted that two young artists, conductor, Benjamin Bayl and keyboard specialist,
Benjamin Bayl's (pictured left) flair for early and classical repertoire has gained the support of such notable names in the field as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Ivor Bolton and Trevor Pinnock. Until recently he was Assistant Conductor to the Budapest Festival Orchestra and for four seasons Assistant Artistic Director to the Gabrieli Consort. Having established relationships with many of the important opera houses, he has just conducted a critically acclaimed production of Ariodante for English Touring Opera and in December will conduct performances of Bach's Christmas Oratorio with Symfoniorkestern Norrlandsoperan. He will be working with The English Concert in Spring 2011 and his next opera project will be L'incoronazione di Poppea in 2011/12 in Copenhagen for the Nordic Early Opera Network.
25 year old Mahan Esfahani (pictured right) is quickly gaining international attention as one of the most exciting early keyboard specialists around. Currently one of the BBC New Generation Artists and a recipient of the Borletti Buitoni award he is working as both soloist and chamber partner in repertoire which ranges from the 14th to 19th Century. Working with most of the BBC orchestras, he will also be giving a live BBC Radio 3 lunchtime solo recital in the Wigmore Hall in April 2010 and has been asked to perform the inaugural recital on Wanda Landowska's newly restored harpsichord in the Library of Congress, Washington in May 2010.
Janine Jansen (pictured right) is joined by Martin Fröst for the opening of her Carte Blanche Series at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, which includes the premiere of an exciting new project called DoublePoints. The programme amalgamates music, dance and lighting design and is based on Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata, a new composition by Martin Fröst for solo clarinet as well as compositions for duo and trio (with pianist Itamar Golan). The trio music featured includes Bartók's Contrasts and Stravinsky's L'histoire du soldat. The music receives its visualization from cutting-edge Dutch choreographers Emio Greco and Pieter C Scholten, and lighting designer Henk Dannen. The long-awaited Carte Blanche opening will take place on 26 October 2009.
17-year-old Teo Gheorghiu has just been awarded the Beethoven-Ring in recognition of his contribution to this year's Beethovenfest in Bonn. Awarded by the "Bürger for Beethoven" Society to one young soloist or conductor for excellence in Beethoven interpretation, previous recipients include Gustavo Dudamel, Julia Fischer and Lisa Batiashvili. Although only entering his final year at the Purcell School in London, Teo already has a busy performing career with appearances during the summer at the Verbier, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Ohrid Festivals, as well having recently released his first recording for Deutsche Grammophon.
Pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Director Kasper Holten received awards in the Instrumental and DVD categories respectively. The annual ceremony, described as the Oscars of the classical music world, was held at London’s Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane on Friday 2 October.
Bavouzet’s fourth volume of a multi award-wining cycle of Debussy’s solo piano works on Chandos impressed the critics, beating off stiff competition from Nelson Freire and Steven Osborne. His success closely follows his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra under conductor Valery Gergiev last month. Future concerts include appearances with the Cleveland Orchestra (Vladimir Ashkenazy) and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (Vasily Petrenko), and the premiere of a new piano concerto by Bruno Mantovani with the Orchestre National de Lille.
Kasper Holten’s production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen for Det Kongelige Teater– aka The Copenhagen Ring – finished first in the DVD category ahead of filmed productions of The Minotaur and Billy Budd. Staged between 2003 and 2006, Holten’s production offered a startling and fresh interpretation of Wagner’s epic tetralogy, and has received unanimous critical acclaim. The production is the first new version to be released by Universal since the centenary Ring directed by Patrice Chereau. Future projects for Kasper include a film version of Mozart’s Don Giovanni entitled JUAN.
We are delighted to announce that, from the start of 2010/11, Krzysztof Urbański becomes Chief Conductor of the Trondheim Symfoniorkester.
"From my first rehearsal only a few weeks ago with the orchestra, I felt immediately a very close contact with the musicians : they listened carefully to what I was asking them to do and responded with much enthusiasm and clarity, and our concert together was a real triumph for us all. I am very much looking forward to starting some real work with the orchestra in September, and also look forward to three years of very intensive and enjoyable music making together".
Future dates for the 26-year old Polish conductor include debuts with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Bamberger Symphoniker, MDR Sinfonieorchester (Leipzig), and the NDR Radiophilharmonie (Hannover); in addition to the Philharmonia Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España, and the Tokyo and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras. He’ll also return to the NDR Sinfonieorchester (Hamburg), Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, hr-Sinfonieorchester (Frankfurt) and the Göteborgs Symfoniker.