The Telegraph

Franciscan Friar becomes first to sign major record deal

A Franciscan tenor has become the first ever friar to sign a major recording contract, after music executives heard him sing in his native Italy.

Interview: composer Jonathan Dove talks about his new opera, The Walk From the Garden

Jonathan Dove tells how Adam and Eve meets Paradise Lost in his new opera, The Walk From the Garden, premiering at Salisbury Festival.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau: touchstone of perfection

Ivan Hewett pays tribute to the masterful German classical singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who has died aged 86.

The Guardian

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was a revolutionary performer

Fischer-Dieskau reorientated our listening experience, writes Daniel Barenboim in a personal tribute to the great baritone.

A guide to John Zorn’s music

Anything and everything goes in Zorn’s constantly evolving musical world: his pieces are a vision of what happens when postmodern practices become something much more meaningful.

World’s youngest conductor? Boy, 14, to direct Venezuelan orchestra

José Ángel Salazar, part of the country’s successful El Sistema music programme, is not old enough to earn a wage.

NY Times

Latest Met Aria: Bad Opera News Is No News

Opera News, 76 years old and one of the leading classical music magazines in the country, said on Monday that it would stop reviewing the Metropolitan Opera, a policy prompted by the Met’s dissatisfaction over negative critiques.

LA Times

Carl Davis joins L.A. Chamber Orchestra for a silent film special

Composer Carl Davis and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra take on the music of silent films at a Royce Hall event on Sunday night.

Gramophone

Dublin International Piano Competition winner announced

Nikolay Khozyainov has been named the ninth winner of the Dublin International Piano Competition. The 19-year-old Russian receives €15,000.

(Written on May 22, 2012 )

Gramophone

Obituary: Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, Composer.

Born August 19th, 1918, died January 13th, 2012.

Warner And Hrusa Quit Royal Danish Opera.

Artistic director steps down; conductor withdraws.

The Mezzo Rita Gorr Has Died Aged 85.

Born February 18th, 1926, died January 22nd, 2012.

The New Yorker

Another Victory For Another Victory For Cliché: The Best Original Scores Weren’t Nominated.

Sasha Frere-Jones considers film score snubs.

Jessica Duchen’s Classical Music Blog

Sergei Polunin Jumps Ship.

The Royal Ballet has put out a statement saying that Sergei Polunin has resigned with immediate effect.

Detroit Free Press via LA Times

DSO Takes Moderate Approach For 2012-2013 Season.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, still reeling from last season’s strike, has announced its 2012-13 season.

LA Times

Tchaikovsky Finalist Nigel Armstrong To Play With LA Chamber Orchestra.

Violinist Nigel Armstrong, who won fourth prize in last year’s 14th International Tchaikovsky Competition, will make his debut with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra this weekend.

Tod Machover Reveals Music’s Holistic Powers.

It turns out that not only are our ears in excellent shape, but also, 60 years later, we are finally finding encouraging confirmation that music is good for you, all of you. Music may even be our most holistic art form.

Hollywood Bowl 2012: ‘The Producers’, Juanes, ‘Rigoletto’, Liza.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2012/01/hollywood-bowl-2012-the-producers-juanes-rigoletto-liza-minnelli.html

(Written on January 25, 2012 )

The Times

Mark-Anthony Turnage: A Constant Obsession.

Geoff Brown finds ‘these Turnage premiere recordings of recent works bouncing along in superb sound; superb artistry too, with pungent playing from Chamber Domaine, conducted by Thomas Kemp’.

The Independent

Anthony Hopkins: Hannibal Hits The High Notes With A Classic Performance.

The Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins has composed a collection of classical works. Many of the pieces are inspired by memories of his childhood in south Wales, he tells Jessica Duchen.

New York Times

Ringing Finally Ended, But There’s No Button To Stop Shame.

They were baying for blood in the usually polite precincts of Avery Fisher Hall after an iPhone marimba ring tone interrupted a performance of Mahler’s 9th Symphony.

LA Times

Composer Andrew Norman Joins Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Composer Andrew Norman will be joining the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra as its new composer-in-residence.

BBC News

BBC Radio 3 To Premiere Unheard Brahms Work.

A recently discovered piano work by the composer Johannes Brahms is to be given its world premiere by Radio 3.

The Guardian

Birmingham’s Symphony Hall Celebrates 21 Years.

The country’s best hall for orchestral music? No contest: Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. And it’s celebrating its 21 years in style writes Tom Service.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/tomserviceblog/2012/jan/12/birmingham-symphony-hall-simon-rattle

(Written on January 13, 2012 )