The Guardian

Ariadne ducks the bombs at the Glyndebourne festival

This year’s Glyndebourne opener Ariadne auf Naxos is getting a radical relocation, to a Blitz-time hospital. Director Katharina Thoma tells Tom Service how she drew on the history of the Sussex mansion.

The Telegraph

Guillaume Dufay – Ce Moys de May

The latest in Ivan Hewett’s 50-part series on short works by the world’s greatest composers.

Financial Times

London tightens grip on arts donations

London’s tightening grip on arts philanthropy was laid bare in new research which showed that arts organisations in the capital secured 90 per cent of donations from private individuals.

The Independent

Glyndebourne survived the Second World War by opening its doors to evacuees from east London

The opera venue’s act will be honoured at this year’s festival reports Jessica Duchen.

Classic FM

Biggest ever Stradivarius exhibition hits Oxford

Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum will host the world’s largest exhibition of antique Stradivarius violins in June.

Gramophone

Watch Claudio Abbado and the Berliner Philharmoniker in a cinema near you

The great Italian maestro returns to Berlin.

(Written on May 16, 2013 )

The Guardian

Sir Colin Davis, LSO’s longest-serving conductor, dies aged 85

Classical world pays tribute to London Symphony Orchestra’s president and longest-serving principal conductor.

BBC News

Turkish pianist Fazil Say convicted of insulting Islam

World-renowned Turkish pianist Fazil Say has been given a suspended 10-month jail sentence for insulting Muslim values.

Classic FM

 Rieu’s 2013 masterpiece concert to hit cinemas

One of André Rieu’s hometown Maastricht concerts is to be screened in cinemas across the UK and the world in July.

BBC News

Stradivarius Trees: Searching for perfect musical wood

Switzerland is home to some of the best violin makers in the world. But how do they know which tree will make a top quality violin?

Classic FM

Heated Twitter feud inspires political opera

Spending cuts and increased public debt in the Eurozone prompted an angry online exchange last summer, now set to music in a lively new opera.

Classic FM

New York Philharmonic conductor appears on Sesame Street

The New York Philharmonic’s conductor Alan Gilbert gave a masterclass with a difference when characters from Sesame Street showed up at The Lincoln Centre to watch a rehearsal.

Classic FM

Subway Violinists cover Taylor Swift hit

A classical cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ has surfaced on the internet after two musicians made a video of themselves performing it on the subway in Boston.

The Guardian

(Written on April 15, 2013 )

The Telegraph

Recovery of ‘stolen £1.2m Stradivarius’ violin ends in disappointment

An international police operation to trace a stolen Stradivarius violin worth £1.2 million ended on a flat note when a recovered instrument was found to be a modern replica.

The Guardian

World’s strangest orchestra – a foghorn, brass bands and 50 ships

The UK’s North Sea coast will echo to hoots, toots and oompah-pah as Souter lighthouse foghorn thunders out its 120 decibels to mark the phasing-out of such fine but ancient devices. Alan Sykes rubs his hands in anticipation

Classical Music Magazine

Gregynog Festival joins REMA early music network

Gregynog Festival, the oldest classical music festival in Wales, has been invited to join the European Early Music Network, REMA

Classical Source

The National Funding Scheme For The Arts And Heritage Is Launched

The National Funding Scheme (NFS), an exciting and unique new initiative which enables people to make mobile phone donations to the UK’s arts and heritage organisations, goes live at a launch at Southbank Centre today in partnership with eleven cultural organisations

Classic FM

Nigel Kennedy to take over Classic FM

Violinist Nigel Kennedy is to take over Classic FM in a special weekend of programmes on the 6th and 7th April.

Planet Hugill

Bach marathon on Easter Monday

If you are in London on Easter Monday then head over to the Albert Hall for the Bach Marathon led by Sir John Eliot Gardiner (or stay at home and listen to it on the radio as BBC Radio 3 are broadcasting the whole event).

Music Week

Blockbuster to move into music as part of revival plan

Blockbuster’s new owners are planning to move the High Street entertainment brand into the world of music – with former HMV commercial director Gary Warren appointed to lead the business.

US music streaming and subs grow, boost digital revenue to 59% of recorded music

Whilst overall recorded music revenue was down 1% for 2012 in the US, streaming and subscription services grew significantly, accounting for 15% of total record business revenue, according to a new report released by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)

The Guardian

(Written on March 28, 2013 )

Classic FM

Mozart Effect to stop crime in New Zealand?

New Zealand shop-owners have found a novel way of deterring crime – the music of Mozart

Gramophone

The Met: Live in HD announces 2013-14 season

Ten live Metropolitan Opera transmissions, including four new productions, will take place in 64 countries

BBC (via musicalchairs.info)

Bulgaria violin ‘may be Stradivarius stolen in London’

A violin recovered following a police operation in Bulgaria could be a Stradivarius made in 1696 which was stolen from a central London station

Courier Journal (via musicalchairs.info)

Louisville Orchestra and musicians reach 3-year contract

Three-year agreement calls for freezing wages for two years

Classical Source

New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow To Join Music Academy Of The West Faculty

Violinist Glenn Dicterow, the longest-serving concertmaster in the history of the New York Philharmonic, will join the celebrated string faculty at the Music Academy of the West for the Academy’s 2014 Summer School and Festival, campus officials have announced

Classical Source

Ava June Dies Aged 81

The English (London-born) soprano Ava June (Ava June Cooper, by marriage) has died at the age of 81

Classic FM

(Written on March 6, 2013 )

Classic FM

Daniel Hope and Ludovico Einaudi for joint webcast

Daniel Hope and Ludovico Einaudi are to perform together in a Stockholm concert to be live-streamed on the internet.

Gramophone

BBC Radio 3 to broadcast every opera by Wagner, Verdi and Britten in 2013

Radio station celebrates composer anniversaries with 140 hours of operatic music

Slipped Disc

Sotheby’s quits instrument auctions

The London auctioneer, one of the leading showcases for mult-million Stradivarius and Guarnerius sales, has shut down its precious instrument business to concentrate on the more profitable fine art market.

Power shifts at Universal as Max gets more headroom

Max Hole, the former rock band manager who revitalised classical labels Decca and DG in the past two years, has emerged much strengthened from an executive shuffle.

Classical Music Magazine

PRS instigates a New Music Biennial

PRS for Music Foundation has announced the formation of a New Music Biennial, starting in 2014, and is inviting organisations to submit project ideas for funding.

The National (found on Arts Journal)

Off-Key: On Paul Elie

Glenn Gould, the virtuoso pianist and great interpreter of Bach, once described the way recordings of music “insinuate themselves into our judgments, and into our lives,” thereby giving recording artists “an awesome power that was simply not available to any earlier generation.”

BBC Media Centre

Baroque Music To Tell Story Of Historic Houses: BBC Radio 3 In Partnership With The National Trust

In Spring 2013, from 3 March-1 April, as part of the BBC’s commitment to music programming, BBC Radio 3 and the National Trust present six live concerts and a live drama placing baroque performance in its historical context.

The Telegraph

The opera challenge for new man Baz

New Arts Council England chief Sir Peter Bazalgette should see that a leaner, cheaper English National Opera could offer a lot more than it does at present, argues Rupert Christiansen.

Slipped Disc

(Written on January 8, 2013 )

Classic FM

Scientists reveal secret behind Stradivarius quality

New research has shown that the quality of Stradivarius and Guadagnini violins is actually due to their imperfections, restorations and moderations over the years.

Massenet’s Werther back in Scotland after 25 years

The classic French opera is to be staged in Scotland for the first time since 1986 in a new production by Scottish Opera for 2013.

The Guardian

King’s College choir: meet the choirmaster

The Nine Lessons and Carols service from King’s College, Cambridge, is a Christmas tradition with 30 million listeners worldwide. So why does its director of music want to shake things up?

Classical Music Magazine

Park Lane Group Young Artists’ Series – new year new music

The Park Lane Group’s Young Artists New Year Series runs at the Southbank Centre, London, 7-11 January, with many premieres strung across six events, all played by up-and-coming young performers.

Limelight Magazine

Bundaberg boy wonder wins Wagner Composition prize

A major national prize for the Wagner bicentenary has been won by 17-year-old John Rotar.

Slipped Disc

Just in: Cellist is named Miss Universe

Today, she was named Miss Universe. Probably the first cellist ever to hold the title. She’s 20 years old, a student at Boston University.

Two sports teams kick in to help stumbling orchestra

The owners of the Indiannapolis Colts and the Pacers have donated $1.5 million to the orchestra’s $5 million fundraising target.

New York Times

All Across the City, Coming Together to Make Joyful Noise

‘Unsilent Night’ and Participatory Music

Slipped Disc

(Written on December 20, 2012 )

Gramophone

(Written on October 22, 2012 )

Rhinegold

Radio 3 announces New Generation Artists

BBC Radio 3 has announced the 2012 intake of its two-year New Generation Artists scheme for emerging classical musicians.

BBC Music Magazine

First Plácido Domingo Festival to take place in Andalucía

Spanish region plays host to ten-day event

The Telegraph

Alan Hollinghurst, interview: bringing Jean Racine’s Berenice back to Britain

Former Man Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst is on a mission to prove that 17th-century French tragedian Jean Racine can be loved by British theatre-goers, writes Rupert Christiansen.

Examiner (found on Musical Chairs)

Soprano Sarah Brightman to make ‘ground breaking space travel announcement’

Space.com reported Wednesday, Sept 26 that British soprano singer Sarah Brightman is due to make a “ground breaking space travel announcement” at a press conference in Moscow on Oct 10.

The Strad

Machold trial continues in November

Violin dealer will be back in court to hear more witnesses give evidence

Strad cello to go back on display

(Written on September 27, 2012 )

Gramophone

Anne-Sophie Mutter accepts first honorary doctorate in Trondheim

Violinist receives degree from Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Classic FM

Gramophone Awards 2012 Nominations: full list

Gramophone have announced the nominations for their prestigious Classical Music Awards 2012, taking place on 27 September at London’s Dorchester Hotel – who do you think the winners will be?

Slipped Disc, Arts Journal

High fives: Swiss cast huge vote for big increase in school music funds

The Swiss had one of their periodic referenda on Sunday. The matter under decision was a change to the constitution that would make music teaching obligatory and well funded in schools.

The Arts Desk

Stewart Lee presents John Cage’s Indeterminacy, Cafe OTO

Is the avant-garde po-faced? An attempt to prove otherwise

Classical-Music, BBC Music Magazine

Winners of International Conductors’ Competition Sir Georg Solti announced

A 32-year-old Chinese conductor has taken top honours at this year’s International Conductors’ Competition Sir Georg Solti.

The Globe and Mail (found on Arts Journal)

How a violinist can play a $4-million Stradivarius, no strings attached

The thing Andréa Tyniec wants is not to come last. This is not the kingdom of God, after all, where the last shall be first. No. It’s the slashing arena of ambitious concert violinists, and the Canada Council’s triannual Musical Instrument Bank contest.

Classical Source

Exposure! Iconic Images Of Pavarotti, Domingo, Carlos Acosta And Darcey Bussell To Feature In Exhibition Of Renowned British Stage Photographer Clive Barda

The Royal Opera House is showcasing some stunning images of some of the world’s finest artists to have graced its stage including Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Carlos Acosta and Darcey Bussell in a unique retrospective exhibition by renowned stage photographer Clive Barda.

University of Buffalo, News Desk (found on Musical Chairs)

National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba to Perform First American Tour Oct. 22

Since its inception in 1960, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba has been instrumental in developing and introducing Cuban and Latin American music to the international classical music community.

The Globe and Mail

(Written on September 26, 2012 )

Classic FM

Fungus makes violins sound ‘like Stradivarius’

The tone of a Stradivarius violin can be achieved on new violins by treating the wood with a particular fungus, a study has shown.

Paul Mealor: composers can do “anything they want”

The Classic BRIT-nominated composer says composers are no longer pigeonholed by the music industry.

The Guardian

The Proms audience: where do they go?

Some 6,000 people fill London’s Albert Hall for each of the Proms. But where does that audience go for the rest of the year?

The Telegraph

Why bandstands are making a noise again

Bandstand Marathon will be the biggest community event of the London 2012 Festival closing celebration.

The Arts Desk

3D: A First for the Last Night

How a British broadcasting institution acquired an extra dimension.

The New York Times

A Rare Breed: New Operas at the Met

ON Oct. 23 the Metropolitan Opera will offer a new production of an opera by a living composer.

BBC news Scotland

Scottish teaching union EIS critical of music fees

Scottish councils are making “profits” of almost £3m from fees charged to school pupils for instrumental music tuition, a teaching union has claimed.

Nicola Benedetti at The Last Night of the Proms, The Arts Desk.

(Written on September 10, 2012 )