Classical Music Reviews
Florilegium at Wigmore Hall
Florilegium at Wigmore Hall Florilegium; Ashley Solomon (flute/director); with Helen Charlston (mezzo). Wigmore Hall, 11.03.2025 Telemann Ouveture-Suite in A,TWV 55:A1. Cantata, Ihr Volker hört J. S. Bach Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Ricercar a 6 Telemann Cantata, Ihr Völker […]
Musical Moves: Guy Verrall-Withers, co-founder and artistic director of Waterperry Opera Festival, becomes director of audiences & impact at The Grange Festival
Rebecca Meltzer, Bertie Baigent & Guy Verrall-Withers with the Waterperry Opera Festival team in 2024 The arts administration world is relatively compact, which means that whenever someone moves there is a domino effect. The Grange […]
Ravel from Minnesota: Stan strikes again!
Ravel celebrations continue with this lovely disc from Stanisław Skrowaczewski’s Minnesota years, original 1974 analogue Vox recordings. newly remastered from the original tapes. The best compliment I can give the remastering (Andrew Walton) is that […]
Celebrating 80 years: Cheltenham Music Festival with new music from Deborah Pritchard & Anna Semple, alongside music from the first festival
Cheltenham Music Festival 2023 Established in 1945 in the months following the Second World War, the Cheltenham Music Festival is celebrating 80 years this year. The festival was part of a post-war arts festival movement that also […]
Classical Music News
79th Concours de Genève : Applications now open for the viola and conducting competitions
The Concours de Genève is now accepting applications for its 2025/2026 viola and conducting competitions, offering talented musicians the opportunity to take part in one of the world’s most prestigious international music competitions. VIOLACOMPETITION2025 The viola competition is open to candidates born after 12 November 1995. The deadline for registration is 10 April 2025. Forty shortlisted candidates will present a video recital, which will be broadcast online from 8 to 14 September 2025. From these, eight semi-finalists will be selected to take part in the semi-final and final rounds in Geneva from 6 to 12 November 2025. The three finalists will perform with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, presenting L. Albisetti’s compulsory concerto Nouvel Élan – winner of the 2024 composition competition – as well as a concerto of their choice from a set of prescribed pieces. Legendary violist Tabea Zimmermann, winner of the first prize at the Concours de Genève in 1982, will chair the international jury alongside Tomoko Akasaka, Ettore Causa, Hsin-Yun Huang, Cynthia Phelps, Jean Sulem and German Tcakulov. CONDUCTINGCOMPETITION2025/2026 The conducting competition is open to candidates born after 13 November 1991. The deadline for entries is 7 May 2025. Lasting two years, the competition will begin with the first two rounds from 31 October to 3 November 2025, followed by the semi-finals and final in November 2026. Participants will have the opportunity to conduct prestigious ensembles, including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, the Ensemble Contrechamps and the Haute école de musique de Genève Orchestra. Between the 2025 and 2026 editions, the six semi-finalists will take part in masterclasses, workshops and professional meetings. The official jury, made up of conductors, composers and renowned experts, will be announced shortly. PRIZESANDCAREERDEVELOPMENTPROGRAMME In addition to a wide range of official and special prizes, the winners will benefit from the Concours de Genève’s career development programme, which offers them performance opportunities and industry support to help launch their international careers. Both competitions will be broadcast live on the Concours de Genève’s website, social networks and partner platforms. For more information and to apply, go to concoursgeneve.ch. […]
When the conductor’s the last one to leave
Pat Kop conducts Haydn’s Farewell Symphony with members of the Karajan Academy in Berlin. In the finale, the players walk off, one by one. It’s a Covid-era concert, with cadenzas by the leader. The post […]
More than one way to batter
Many readers will remember John Adams’ inspired setting of the John Donne poem in Doctor Atomic. Well, here’s another. It’s by a British composer, Joanna Marsh, who lives in Dubai. The post More than […]
Marin Alsop’s Brazilian at the Berlin Phil
What the American conductor brought to her debut program this month. The post Marin Alsop’s Brazilian at the Berlin Phil appeared first on Slippedisc.
