This morning, David Green will be appearing on Midweek to discuss his grandfather – Ignatz Waghalter.

(Written on December 12, 2012 )

Gramophone

Opera for the homeless in Cardiff

Streetwise Opera and Welsh National Opera launch a new programme for homeless people

Classic FM

Pub opera’s Boheme transfers to Charing Cross theatre

OperaUpClose’s version of La Boheme is to transfer to London’s Charing Cross Theatre from October 30th.

Miloš’ success “very good for air miles”

Miloš Karadaglić revealed that he has circled the globe three times in the last year as part of his promotional schedule

Marvin Hamlisch honoured in tribute concert

The late film composer Marvin Hamlisch was honoured in a memorial service featuring performances from Barbra Streisand, Liza Minelli and Aretha Franklin

Arts Journal: Slipped Disc

Why US orchestras need to change their language

As a new concert season starts, two famous orchestras – Atlanta and Indianapolis – have locked out their musicians and three more are heading down the same dead end.

LA Times

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ album tops classical-music chart

Trash juggernaut “Fifty Shades of Grey” continues to rake in the dough, and not just through book sales.

The Wall Street Journal (found on Arts Journal)

So Long, Ingénues

No singer today more sharply divides opera fans than does the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko. Her admirers thrill to her robust stage presence and plush, vibrant tone; they celebrate her distinctive fashion sense and crave details about her glamorous private life.

DW (found on Musical Chairs)

Turkey’s youth orchestra bridges cultures

They are the best young musicians in Turkey. The Turkish National Youth Orchestra is a springboard for emerging talent. Now the young performers are stepping into the spotlight at the Beethovenfest in Bonn.

New Music Box

Lembit Beecher—To Tell a Tale, To Sing a Story

When Lembit Beecher was named composer-in-residence with the Opera Company of Philadelphia (in collaboration with Gotham Chamber Opera and Music-Theatre Group of New York) in 2011, he didn’t bring a large portfolio of operatic work with him to the brand new three-year program. An instinct and affection for storytelling, however, already infused his compositions.

DW

(Written on September 20, 2012 )

As summer approaches (very slowly, through all these grey clouds), an air of excitement surrounds the world of classical music: the festival season is here!  Whether at home in the UK or elsewhere in Europe and beyond, there is so much choice for great classical music this summer. In Olympic spirit, London is celebrating itself at the ‘City of London Festival’ from the 24th June to the 27th July, featuring the LSO and acclaimed guitarist John Williams. Also gloriously British, is the ‘Longborough Festival Opera’, which features the famous ‘Sweeney Todd’ performed by the festival’s Young Artist Production; the festival is on now, until the 29th of July.

Whilst Glastonbury’s usual Rock and Roll tenants take a break this year, the ‘Orchestra in a Field’ at Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset, takes place this weekend (30^th June to 1^st July) providing ‘Tchaikovsky to Tubular Bells by way of Opera, Hip Hop and hand bells’ (Classical-music.com) as well as free tickets to those under the age of 13, a great, fun event to introduce children to classical music. Another great event this weekend takes place at the prestigious ‘Wigmore Hall’: you can hear and see the Leipzig String Quartet as well as soloists of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, providing exciting music from Brahms to Beethoven.

Finishing this week is the renowned ‘Istanbul Music Festival’, which has been running for the entire month of June. In its 40^th year, it has featured (a staggering) over 750 artists this year, including the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir and the Chamber Orchestra Vienna-Berlin. It has also commissioned works by the revered composers Giya Kancheli and Fazil Say, which were premiered at the festival.

Even further east is the ‘IV Gabala International Festival‘ of Azerbaijan, taking place from the 25^th of July to the 5^th of August, featuring traditional Chamber music, as well as Mugham – the folk compositions of Azerbaijan, which are now a UNESCO protected cultural heritage.

More centrally in Europe, Austria is hosting some of the world’s finest classical music festivals. The month-long, extraordinary ‘Bregenzer Festspiele‘ (18^th July to the 18^th August), in its breathtaking lake-side location features Opera on the Lake (with its stunning staging), an array of Chamber music, Theatre, and Music and Poetry: a highlight of which is Shostakovich’s ‘Ten Poems on Texts by Revolutionary Poets for mixed chorus op.88’. The renowned ‘Salzburger Festspiele‘ is one of THE summer events, from the 20^th July to the 2^nd September, featuring music and operas, from ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’, to ‘La Boheme’; Whilst August welcomes the ‘Innsbrucker Festwochen der alten Musik‘, from the 8^th to the 26^th, spanning all areas of classical music from Oriental Baroque to Slavonic Dances.

The beautiful landscapes of Italy host the ‘Incontri in Terra di Siena’ in lush Tuscany, where classical music is coupled with contemporary Jazz as well as Olive Oil and Wine tasting (definitely not one to miss!) A highlight is the Borromeo String Quartet playing Bach, Debussy and Schubert on the 22^nd of July. The entire festival is from the 20^th to the 29^th of July.

Whether travelling abroad or staying at home in this important 2012 summer, there are numerous great festivals not be missed, an abundance of which can be found on our ‘July Unmissables’ pinterest page here.

The Famous Staging at Bregenzer Festspiele

(Written on June 28, 2012 )

The Telegraph

Anita Hartig: new face

Anita Hartig is enjoying special success as Mimi in Puccini’s La Boheme.

Glyndebourne highlights 2012

As Glyndebourne approaches, opera critic Rupert Christiansen picks his three highlights.

Glyndebourne: interview with soprano Lucy Crowe ahead of Little Vixen

Barely four months after giving birth to her first baby, soprano Lucy Crowe was suddenly confronted with the biggest challenge of her professional life.

The Independent

Live opera in cinemas? No way, says ENO

Artistic director of English National Opera rails against popular medium.

The Guardian

Flashpoint: Bianca Jagger and the theatre critic’s spat at the opera

Accusations fly as critic Mark Shenton blasts Jagger’s use of flash photography during Einstein on the beach, while she makes assault claim.

The Times

Cunning little helpers at Glyndebourne

Glyndebourne, as well as being the place where opera happens with large numbers of picnics and lots of champagne, is also the place where opera happens with large numbers of children.

The NY Times

Deborah Voigt withdraws from tonight’s Met performance

Deborah Voigt is ill and will not sing the role of Brunnhilde in Wednesday evening’s performance of “Siegfried,” the third installment of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle.

Evening Standard

Proms by numbers

Funny statistics about the upcoming BBC Proms.

LA Times

Michael Nyman uses Facebook to lash out at Royal Opera House

Composer Michael Nyman is using Facebook to lash out against Britain’s Royal Opera House for apparently rejecting his overtures for a new piece.

(Written on May 10, 2012 )

Opera Australia, Australia’s premier opera company, opens its UK screening season tonight. The season is starting with a spectacular production of La bohème, which was met with critical acclaim on its performance in Australia. It is set in Weimar Germany and the influences of Hollywood can be seen in its undeniable glamour, but the impending doom of a world on the brink of disaster also gives it a fragile quality. Here, the glitter of the Spiegeltent provides a decadent veneer over the hand-to-mouth existence of the era. Café Momus becomes a cabaret joint, all mirrored panels and carnival colours, populated by characters inspired by the paintings of Otto Dix and George Grosz. 

It has a strong cast of international repute, including Ji-Min Park, Taryn Fiebig, Takesha  Meshé  Kizart and  José Carbó. It is conducted by Shao-Chia Lü and directed by Gale Edwards. The running time is 130 minutes including a 15 minute interval.

The screenings are taking place at over thirty towns across the UK. For more information and a list of sites set to screen the series please visit here.

(Written on April 24, 2012 )

Opera Australia and CinemaLive have announced on Friday that their dazzling production of La Bohéme is to be screened by Odeon cinemas. The broadcast will be coming to Odeon cinemas across the UK including:

Basingstoke

Belfast

Blackpool

Cardiff

Colchester

Derby

Dunfermline

Edinburgh Lothian Road

Hull

Kingston

Lincoln

London Panton St

London Greenwich

London Swiss Cottage

Maidenhead

Manchester

Milton Ketnes

Newcastle Silverlinks

Sheffield

Southampton

Taunton

Tunbridge Wells

Wimbledon

This Weimar Germany-set production of La Bohéme, a critical hit in Australia, shows the influences of Hollywood in its undeniable glamour, but the impending doom of a world on the brink of disaster also gives it a fragile quality. Here, the glitter of the Spielgeltent provides a decadent veneer over the hand-to-mouth existence of the era. Café Momus becomes a cabaret joint, all mirrored panels and carnival colours, populated by characters inspired by the paintings of Otto Dix and George Grosz.

For more information on the CinemaLive Opera Australia screenings please click here.

To book tickets for La Bohéme in an Odeon cinema near you, please click here.

(Written on April 2, 2012 )

WildKat PR are pleased to announce their partnership with Opera Australia and Cinema Live for Spring / Summer 2012.

Opera Australia, Australia’s premier opera company, is broadcasting its productions to cinemas across the UK, starting with La Bohème on April 24^th. Highlights of the season will include a spectacular performance of La Traviata, performed on a floating stage in Sydney Harbour on July 31^st. WildKat PR manage a UK wide campaign promoting the cinema screenings.

Cinemas confirmed to host La Bohème on April 24^th include:

Showcase cinemas: Nottingham, Peterborough, Walsall, Leeds, Teesside, Paisley, Reading

Independent cinemas:

The Corby Cube, Station Cinema, Richmond, the Picturedrome Cinema, Bognor, Pavilion, Galashiels and Zeffirelli’s, Ambleside

For more information on the screenings please click here

(Written on March 22, 2012 )

In May 2013, Andrew Staples will perform the role of Tamino in the Royal Opera House’s production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. He will join Sophie Bevan (Pamina), Simon Keenlyside (Papageno), and Albina Shagimuratova (Queen of the Night)..

Other highlights in the 12/13 season include Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen with Bryn Terfel and Sarah Connolly, La bohème with Rolando Villazon, a new production of Nabucco with Placido Domingo, Simon Boccanegra with Thomas Hampson and the return of Birtwistle’s The Minotaur.

For a full list of productions, visit the Royal Opera House website.

Credit: Richard Ecclestone

(Written on March 15, 2012 )

Every day the WildKat team scan the newspapers and blogs online to bring you a digested list of the day’s classical music.

The Times (£)

I, Culture Orchestra at the Festivial Hall

What’s the next best thing to an elixir of youth? If you are the 87-year-old Neville Marriner, the answer is an elixir of youth orchestra…

The Times (£)

Hallé/ Elder at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

London’s Beethoven symphony immersion with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Riccardo Chailly is now over, but Ludwig himself goes on for ever.

LA times

An open house at Los Angeles Opera

More than 6,000 visitors turned out Saturday for a Los Angeles Opera open house at the Music Center, taking part in activities that included listening to the company’s general director, Placido Domingo, getting a closer look at opera sets and props, and dressing up for a repast at a pretend Café Momus from “La Boheme.”

LA times

Yuja Wang and James Conlon with L.A. Philharmonic

When the Chinese pianist Yuja Wang made her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall in early 2009, all attention was on the diminutive 22-year-old pianist’s flying fingers in Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

(Written on November 8, 2011 )