BACKAcademy of Ancient Music appoints Laurence Cummings as new music director
The Academy of Ancient Music has announced Laurence Cummings as its new music director, effective from the 2021/22 season.
Conductor and harpsichordist Laurence Cummings has previously performed with period instrument groups including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Les Arts Florissants, the Gabrieli Consort and The Sixteen. Until 2012, he was head of historical performance at the Royal Academy of Music and is renowned as an interpreter of the music of Handel. Since 1999, he has been music director of the London Handel Orchestra and the London Handel Festival, and remains a trustee of the Handel House Museum.
‘I’m delighted to join with the Academy of Ancient Music to develop what the orchestra already has, to explore this wonderful repertoire that we all love with such a passion, and hopefully to reveal something new and fresh to the modern ear,’ says Cummings.
Bachmedaille für kanadische Pianistin Angela Hewitt
Mit der kanadischen Pianistin Angela Hewitt ist erstmals eine Frau mit der Bach-Medaille der Stadt Leipzig ausgezeichnet worden. Die 62-Jährige bekam die Auszeichnung am Dienstag im Anschluss Festkonzert mit den «Goldberg-Variationen» von Johann Sebastian Bach in der Leipziger Thomaskirche. Das Konzert war wegen der Corona-Pandemie im Internet gestreamt worden.
Keine Künstlerin und kein Künstler seit Glenn Gould stellte Bach-Die Medaille wird ohne Preisgeld ehrenhalber vergeben und würdigt die Lebensleistung eines Künstlers bei der Pflege des Werkes von Bach. 2003 wurde die Auszeichnung erstmals verliehen. Seither ging sie an bekannte Musiker wie die Dirigenten Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929-1016), Philippe Herreweghe und Herbert Blomstedt oder den Sänger (1935-2019).
Bach Medal for Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt
The Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt is the first woman to be awarded the Bach Medal of the City of Leipzig. The 62-year-old received the award on Tuesday following a festive concert of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” in Leipzig’s Thomaskirche. The concert had been streamed on the internet because of the Corona pandemic.
The medal is awarded on an honorary basis without prize money and honours the lifetime achievement of an artist in the cultivation of Bach’s work. The award was first presented in 2003. Since then it has been awarded to well-known musicians such as the conductors Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929-1016), Philippe Herreweghe and Herbert Blomstedt or the singer (1935-2019).
Douze finalistes pour le concours de composition de Bâle
Le concours de composition de Bâle a dévoilé ses douze finalistes qui se disputeront les premières places en mars prochain.
Le concours bisannuel de composition de Bâle a dévoilé les douze compositions qui se disputeront la finale de sa troisième édition en mars 2021. Sélectionnées parmi 355 partitions, les huit œuvres pour orchestre symphonique et les quatre pour orchestre de chambre seront créées par les trois orchestres de Bâle : le Kammerorchester Basel, le Sinfonieorchester Basel et le Sinfonietta Basel. Le jury présidé par le compositeur suisse Michael Jarrell décernera un prix de 100 000 francs suisses, divisé entre trois gagnants. Le premier prix succédera au Mexicain Victor Ibarra (lauréat en 2019).
Twelve finalists for the Basel composition competition
The Basel composition competition has announced its twelve finalists who will compete for the top places in March.
The biennial Basel Composition Competition has announced the twelve compositions that will compete for the final of its third edition in March 2021. Selected from 355 scores, the eight works for symphony orchestra and four for chamber orchestra will be premiered by Basel’s three orchestras: the Kammerorchester Basel, the Sinfonieorchester Basel and the Sinfonietta Basel. The jury, chaired by the Swiss composer Michael Jarrell, will award a prize of 100,000 Swiss francs, divided among three winners. The first prize will go to Victor Ibarra of Mexico (winner in 2019).