The Times

Daniel Harding on the truth behind the La Scala ban of an opera critic

For a top-flight classical conductor, Daniel Harding is surprisingly well-versed in coping with savage criticism.

BBC News

The Turkish pianist ‘Lisztifying’ Pink Floyd classics

Turkish pianist Aysedeniz Gokcin’s love of classical music – and classic rock – has inspired her to release an album which features Pink Floyd songs reworked into the style of 19th Century Hungarian composer Franz Liszt.

Classic FM

The Sixteen announce Choral Pilgrimage 2013

The Voices of Classic FM are bringing choral music back to sacred buildings around the UK and Ireland in a programme of 34 concerts.

Music Teacher Magazine

Cardiff and Newport music services face losing funding

Cardiff City Council is proposing to end its subsidy of music lessons in schools by cutting its £151,000 grant to the Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan Music Service.

Jessica Duchen’s Classical Music & Ballet Blog

Trifonov signs with DG

Daniil Trifonov, 21-year-old winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition and general piano marvel of the best kind, has been signed by DG.

Music Week

iTunes launches Classical Essentials campaign

iTunes has launched a classical ‘Essentials’ campaign providing a list of 30 must-own albums from the genre.

Streaming music subscriptions hit 500k in France

Half a million people now pay for a streaming music subscription in France, with streaming now accounting for more than a third of digital music revenues in the country.

The Guardian

Pirate sites are raking in advertising money from some multinationals

Illegal music download sites pocket large sums of ad revenue without investing in the content’s development

Classic FM

(Written on February 6, 2013 )

The Guardian

La Scala blacklists veteran music critic

Milanese opera house revokes free pass for journalist Paolo Isotta after reviews ‘used as weapons against artists’

Gramophone

BBC NOW presents concerts for the deaf community

A new series of free events in February will make music accessible for deaf and hard of hearing children and adults

Classic FM

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir smashes fundraising target

The choral conductor-composer has smashed the fundraising target for his Virtual Choir 4 project, raising $122,555 by yesterday’s deadline.

NPR News

From A Land Where Music Was Banned — To Carnegie Hall

In Afghanistan, there was no sound of music when the Taliban ruled from 1996 to 2001. The Islamist militants destroyed music CDs and instruments and even jailed musicians.

Washington Post (found through Musical Chairs)

Coughing, cell phones, Twitter and other taboos of opera-going

At a recent performance of “Tristan und Isolde” in Dallas, legendary tenor Jon Vickers stopped singing to yell at a coughing member of the audience, “Shut up with your damned coughing!” — and, amazingly, the incident is captured for posterity on audio.

The Strad

‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri is sold

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers has been granted exclusive lifetime use of the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ following its recent purchase by an anonymous buyer.

Planet Hugill

Spitalfieds Music Summer Festival

Spitalfields Music Summer Festival runs from 7 June to 22 June 2013 and is a fascinating mix of contemporary music, community events and period performance, with some events mixing everything up.

International Classical Music Awards

The Winners of the International Classical Music Awards – ICMA 2013

The Jury of the International Classical Music Awards – ICMA announced the winners for 2012.

Music Industry News

Universal Media And Royalty Clouds Announce A New Advertising Partnership For Crowdfunding

Royalty Clouds, believed to be the first royalty-based crowdfunding platform in the U.S., and Universal Media Consultants have established and partnered on a new advertising system for crowdfunders.

The Guardian

(Written on February 4, 2013 )

The WildKats have been especially busy this January with a number of exciting events to both organise and attend, accompanied by numerous previews, reviews and interviews from national newspapers to specialist classical music press. Let’s have a look at some of the stand-out events…

On 10th January, violinist Daniel Hope performed alongside composer and pianist, Ludovico Einaudi, in Stockholm’s first ever Yellow Lounge. Established in Berlin seven years ago, the Yellow Lounge promotes ‘classical clubbing’, where international classical musicians perform with top DJs in unexpected spaces. The event was streamed live on the Deutsche Grammophon website. More and more events are being streamed live online, making concerts and recitals accessible both physically and economically, and reaching out to new audiences. Cellist Guy Johnston performed Walton’s Cello Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic on 14th, which was streamed live on BBC Radio 3.

Several of our clients had opening nights in January, including Silent Opera’s L’Orfeo. The first performance received huge amounts of press and publicity, specifically a BBC News report answering ‘What is Silent Opera?’. Silent Opera is still ongoing and tickets can still be purchased here – don’t miss out! The Silent Opera team appeared on Channel 4′s Sunday Brunch this weekend, watch it online here. Meanwhile in Milan, Daniel Harding had his opening night for La Scala’s Falstaff: a fantastic production of Verdi’s famous opera, staged in the same opera house it received its first ever performance. The esteemed conductor also performed with the Bayerischer Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra in Munich, Baritone Christian Gerhaher, receiving a great review from Süddeutsche Zeitung. Andrew Staples also performed in Munich with Daniel, receiving outstanding reviews for his performance. Another highlight of January for WildKat was the premiere of Raymond Yiu’s The London Citizen Exceedingly Injured at the Barbican, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Raymond also wrote a guest blog for Gramophone last month, discussing challenging perceptions of British classical music.

January was a highly successful time for AyseDeniz Gokcin who was applauded worldwide for her Lisztified EP. The young Turkish pianist was featured in an article by Prog Rock Magazine Online, which was shared hundreds of times through Facebook and Twitter. The article has continued to spread, through major music websites and social media in Hungary, Spain, Finland, Brazil, Greece, the Netherlands, Turkey and many more. Classic FM then published a news story on her success, bringing the article back around in a full circle. Another triumph we celebrated was another award for production company Accentus Music, who have been awarded a second International Classical Music award for John Cage – Journeys in Sound.

In anticipation of his upcoming CD release of Franck & Strauss Violin Sonatas, Augustin Dumay was featured in BBC Music Magazine discussing the recording of the album. Another event for the violinist was the Gala Concert at The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, where Augustin mentors the young string players. Young musicians of the Music Chapel performed works by Bloch, Liszt and Schubert, alongside the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Octopus Symphonic Choir and British conductor Christopher Warren-Green.

The WildKats had a number of great recitals to attend in January; such as Kimiko Ishizaka’s flawless performance of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, an intimate performance of works by Tom Smail at Susanne Kapoor’s home, along with a unique event from Samson Marzbani where he performed improvised piano pieces, before the audience received a preview premiere of his new work: Un Jour Infini.

Finally, the busiest of all has been our Founder and Managing Director, Kat Alder, who has been travelling across the world visiting our international clients performing all over the world; from Berlin to Austria, Munich to New York, and a few visits back to London.

Although January was so busy, February has a lot of exciting projects in store. Keep up to date with WildKat news through our Facebook, Twitter and daily posts from our blog.

(Written on February 4, 2013 )

Tomorrow evening marks the opening night of Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff at La Scala, conducted by Daniel Harding. The opera, which was the last of twenty-six to be written, received its world premiere at La Scala on 9th February 1893, with high praise. The current production features Ambrogio Maestri and Bryn Terfel as Sir John Falstaff, with Fabio Capitanucci and Massimo Cavalletti as Ford and Francesco Demuro and Anotnoi Poli as Fenton. Falstaff was the second comedy to be written by Giuseppe Verdi, and has been set in London during the 1950s by Staging Director Robert Carsen. The production was first premiered at the Royal Opera House.

Daniel will be conducting the production from 15th January to 12th February. Tickets can be purchased here.

 

(Written on January 14, 2013 )

Gramophone

La Scala cancels ballet season opening performance following strike action

Chorus member force cancellation of Romeo and Juliet

Arts Journal – Slipped Disc

The results: Best and Worst Orchestras of 2012

The LA Philharmonic and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich make the cut

Classical Music Magazine

Venu Dhupa steps down from Creative Scotland after year to forget

Venu Dhupa, Creative Scotland’s director of creative development, has resigned from the body within weeks of her boss, chief executive Andrew Dixon.

BBC News

Classical music’s ‘all in the mind’

A Brazilian computer scientist and composer has remixed Beethoven to try to demonstrate how individuals hear things in varying ways.

Guardian

Tristan und Isolde – Wagner’s love supreme

At five hours, Tristan und Isolde is undoubtedly long. But Wagner’s transcendent opera, full of daring harmony, will have you spellbound

(Written on December 21, 2012 )

Gramophone

‘Loving Miss Hatto’: Victoria Wood on her new film

The film’s author discusses classical music’s great fraud

Classic FM

André Rieu tour beats Lopez, Bieber sales figures

André Rieu’s European tour has been named as the second most popular tour in the world this week, beating artists like Jennifer Lopez and Justin Bieber.

Wynne Evans’ Guide to Opera

From 3pm-5pm on 29 & 30 December, Welsh tenor Wynne Evans will present two special programmes dedicated to the world of opera.

The Guardian

La Scala cancels opening night as performers walk out

Milan opera house’s ballet dancers and chorus members take action in ‘surreal’ row over bonus demands

Classical Music Magazine

Creative Scotland ends year mired in uncertainty

As the Year of Creative Scotland rumbles towards its end, the problems that have dogged the Scottish arts funding body for several months persist, as several recent developments have shown.

New York Times

Improvisation, With Prompting to Set the Mood

On a recent rainy afternoon, I was sitting at an old-fashioned desk in a bare concrete loft in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, listening intently to the members of So Percussion, joined by Grey McMurray on electric guitar, rehearse a composition called “Toothbrush.”

Slipped Disc

15 minutes into Nutcracker, the conductor fell ill. Who stepped in?

Fifteen minutes into a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, the conductor was too unwell to continue.

Just in: Shakeout at top German agency

Konzertdirektion Schmid is losing v-p Burkhard Glashoff, who looks after orchestral touring. Cornelia Schmid will add those responsibilities to her already groaning pile of emails.

The Telegraph

A seasonal hit can really lay a musician low

Howard Blake has written an oratorio and numerous concertos,but you don’t hear them on Radio 3

New York Times

(Written on December 19, 2012 )

WildKat PR are thrilled to be working with Daniel Harding, a conductor who belongs in the elite circle of world class conductors: a true leader in his generation.

Daniel’s current positions include Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and Music Partner of the New Japan Philharmonic; as well as Artistic Director of the Ohga Hall in Karuizawa, Japan and the lifetime honour of Conductor Laureate of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Daniel began his professional career at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, after assisting the revered Sir Simon Rattle. He then moved on to the Berlin Philharmonic where he assisted Claudio Abbado, before conducting the orchestra at the Berlin Festival.

His upcoming engagements include a new production of Verdi’s Falstaff at La Scala in Milan. Tickets for the performance are available here. 

This is followed by Der fliegende Holländer at the Staatsoper Berlin in April; a wonderful must-see production, with tickets available here.

For more information, visit Daniel’s website here. 

Julian Hargreaves

(Written on November 8, 2012 )

The Telegraph

La Scala opera house stars take 10pc pay cut amid Italian austerity

It may not quiet make it The Beggar’s Opera, but Italy’s famed La Scala is to cut the salaries of its top directors, in line with the rest of the country’s straitened economic circumstances.

Classical Music Magazine

Myerscough report recommends cuts of 10% at BBC performing groups

The independent report, commissioned by the BBC’s director of audio and music, Tim Davie, was written by academic John Myerscough, a former special advisor on the arts to the House of Commons.

LA Times

Receipt signed by Chopin when he sold compositions is up for sale

A one-page document signed by Polish composer and pianist Frederic Chopin is on the auction block through Wednesday and has proved more popular with bidders than expected.

Drama afoot as L.A. Opera feels heat of rival works

The L.A. Opera is on challenging ground as local groups like the L.A. Phil., The Industry and Jacaranda stage inventive productions of opera and opera-like music theatre.

NY Times

Tanglewood Revisits Its Past, for All to Hear

Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Lenox, Mass., is celebrating its 75th anniversary this summer in several big ways.

Gramophone

Las Vegas Philharmonic launches search for new music director

David Itkin will not extend his contract beyong June 2013.

LPO to perform outside the Royal Academy of Arts

Courtyard concert coincides with French Impressionism exhibition.

Spoiler Alert

Could operatic surtitles replace the programme plot synopsis to deliver real surprises?

Re-thinking Nielsen’s centennial symphony

As Nielsen’s unusual and brilliant Third Symphony turns 100, it’s about time we respect his notes as we would Mahler’s.

Jessica Duchen

Heat and light

Kicking off the Olympic cultural festivities in style, The Dude and his Simon Bolivár Orchestra of Venezuela are back in Britain. Dudamel & co are taking over the Royal Festival Hall this weekend

The Guardian

Gustavo Dudamel and London: a special relationship

The Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra conductor loves London, and London loves him back.

(Written on June 20, 2012 )

The Independent

Delius: How a great British musical myth was born

A BBC film will shed light on the enigma of Frederick Delius.

The Guardian

Beethoven’s 10th? Now there’s a thought…

The composer had plans to create ‘a new gravitional force’ in his 10th symphony. What wonders might he have written?

LA Times

The Met reverse policy, will allow Opera News to review productions

Reacting to a mini-firestorm that erupted today with the news that the Metropolitan Opera would no longer allow Opera News to review its performances, the company reversed its decision early this afternoon.

Video game Diabolo III features performances by Pacific Symphony

The Pacific Symphony performs music for an unlikely audience — gamers battling the hellish underworlds of Diablo III.

Financial Times

Passion for Bach and the Baroque 

Early music revolutionary Ton Koopman is sitll flying the flag for authenticity.

Gramophone

Double appointment at Royal Danish Opera

Michael Boder named principal conductor and Sven Müller named artistic director.

Verbier Festival launches summer music camp for young musicians

Annual three-week programme to led by Daniel Harding.

Arts Journal – Slipped Disc

Natalie Dessay – are we losing her?

She has cancelled next month’s Manon at La Scala for ‘health reasons’.

The Times

Curtain rises on a feast of opera

The Magic Flute will line up alongside some extraordinary new works in Scottish Opera’s confident 50th anniversary season.

(Written on May 23, 2012 )

The Guardian

Magdalena Kožená: ‘I’m not scared of the big maestro’

What’s it like to sing Carmen when your husband is the conductor? Magdalena Kožená reveals all.

The NY Times

A Deadly Night in the Boxing Ring is Grist for an Evening at the Opera

The jazz trumpeter, band leader and composer Terence Blanchard is composing an opera based on Griffith’s life called “Champion,” with a libretto by the playwright Michael Cristofer.

ArtsJournal – Slipped disc

La Scala’s 1960s Butterfly has died

Maria Bieshu, the Moladvaian soprano who commanded the Scala stage and many others as Madam Butterfly, died today at the age of 76.

Bach’s hometown ensemble is saved

We’re hearing from the concertmaster in Eisenach that two million Euros have miraculously been found to save the theatre from instant closure

Gramophone

Echoes of the Quartet for the End of Time

A new work commissioned by the Gryphon trio takes inspiration from Messiaen’s wartime work.

Reflecting Olympian ideals in music

This year’s Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music takes as its theme the great sporting event.

Simon Halsey named chorus director of LSO and chorus

Conductor takes up the role in August 2012.

(Written on May 17, 2012 )