BACKPeople turn to Twitter to expose the catastrophic collapse of theatre and arts during coronavirus
For many working in the performing arts sector, the past three months have been a period of desperate financial uncertainty. Now, there’s growing concern that some theatres won’t make it.
In desperate times for the arts world, writers, actors, musicians and theatre-lovers are taking to Twitter to make themselves heard. The social platform is telling of mass redundancies, theatres closing until 2021, and the catastrophic impact of allowing venues to reopen – but banning live performances. Here are just some of the realities facing the industry.
Bayerische Staatsoper beginnt neue Spielzeit früher
An der Bayerischen Staatsoper soll die nächste Spielzeit drei Wochen früher als sonst beginnen. Bereits Anfang September soll das erste Stück der Saison 2020/21 erklingen. Nach der Uraufführung von Marina Abramovics Opernprojekt “7 Deaths of Maria Callas” gibt es noch die Premiere der Opernstudio-Produktion “Mignon”.
Außerdem sind für den Beginn der neuen Spielzeit eine Inszenierung von “Die Vögel” sowie eine Neuproduktion des “Falstaff” geplant, letztere sollte ursprünglich bei den ausgefallenen Festspielen aufgeführt werden. Die ehemals geplante Uraufführung von Luca Francesconis “Timon of Athens” wurde hingegen verschoben, der neue Termin steht noch nicht fest. Im Bereich Konzert plant die Staatsoper einen Liederabend mit Christian Gerhaher und Werke von Mozart.
Bayerische Staatsoper starts new season ealier
At the Bavarian State Opera, the next season is to begin three weeks earlier than usual. The first piece of the 2020/21 season is scheduled to be heard as early as the beginning of September. After the world premiere of Marina Abramovic’s opera project “7 Deaths of Maria Callas” there will be the premiere of the opera studio production “Mignon”.
In addition, a production of “The Birds” and a new production of “Falstaff” are planned for the beginning of the new season, the latter was originally intended to be performed at the cancelled festival. The formerly planned premiere of Luca Francesconi’s “Timon of Athens”, however, has been postponed, the new date has not yet been fixed. In the concert field, the State Opera is planning a recital with Christian Gerhaher and works by Mozart.
L’Opéra de Dijon suspend ses concerts après la découverte d’un cas positif
Depuis le 27 mai, l’Opéra de Dijon proposait à son public un ambitieux festival intitulé « Artistes en résidence/en résistance », une opération solidaire de soutien aux artistes, imaginée par le violoniste David Grimal et le pianiste Philippe Cassard. Dans un 1er temps en streaming sur les plateformes musicales en ligne puis, dès le 18 juin, devant un public, limité à 400 spectateurs par représentations. L’auditorium de Dijon a été d’ailleurs la 1ère salle de concert à accueillir du public après le déconfinement. Malheureusement la découverte d’un cas positif au coronavirus de 20 juin a contraint les responsables à suspendre les concerts programmés du mardi 23 au dimanche 28 juin, sachant que le festival doit se terminer le 6 juillet. Selon la direction de l’institution dijonnaise ce cas positif a été détecté au sein de l’équipe artistique du festival mais le magazine Diapason révèle qu’il s’agirait « d’un violoncelliste célèbre ».
Dijon Opera suspends its concerts after the discovery of a positive case
Since May 27th, the Dijon Opera offered its audience an ambitious festival entitled “Artists in Residence/Resistance”, a solidarity operation in support of artists, imagined by the violinist David Grimal and the pianist Philippe Cassard. Initially in streaming on online music platforms, then, from June 18, in front of an audience limited to 400 spectators per performance. The Dijon auditorium was the first concert hall to welcome the public after the deconfinement. Unfortunately, the discovery of a positive case of coronavirus on 20 June forced those in charge to suspend the concerts scheduled from Tuesday 23 to Sunday 28 June, knowing that the festival was due to end on 6 July. According to the management of the Dijon institution, this positive case was detected within the artistic team of the festival but the magazine Diapason reveals that it would be “a famous cellist”.
Ankush Kumar Bahl to become Music Director in Omaha
The Omaha Symphony (Nevada) has announced the appointment of conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl as the next Music Director. Formerly the Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic and the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. as well as Orchestre National de France, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Bahl joins the Omaha Symphony as its Music Director beginning July 2021. He succeeds Maestro Thomas Wilkins, whose 16-year tenure culminates with the orchestra’s 2020-21 centennial season.
Bahl, the recipient of four separate Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance awards and the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Scholarship.
American born and of Indian descent, Bahl is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and received a double degree in music and rhetoric from the University of California at Berkeley. A protégé of former New York Philharmonic Music Director Kurt Masur, Bahl also considers Jaap van Zweden, Zdeněk Mácal, Christoph Eschenbach, David Zinman, and Gianandrea Noseda among his mentors. He received his Master’s Degree in Conducting from the Manhattan School of Music.
