classical

We have been informed of the passing of two important players. Bernard Ringeissen, who died on April 4 at the age of 90, was an early champion on record of the music of Charles-Valentin Alkan, […]

The Korean National Symphony Orchestra has named Roberti Abbado as its next artistic director, for three years from January. Abbado, 70, is a nephew of the late La Scala and Berlin chief Claudio Abbado. He […]

Sunday’s annual charity fundraiser by the German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier did not contain a single work by a German or Austrian composer. Very outward looking, especially towards the US. Here’s the rundown: George Enescu […]

‘Am I a criminal?’ demands the Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis in an interview with Der Spiegel. The challenging performer, 53, has been shunned by many western organisations for receiving financial support from the Kremlin and […]

Last week we reported much dissatisfaction with the Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, who reverted from a Beethoven recital on his UK tour to last year’s tried-and-tested Goldberg Variations. The switch was all the more aggravating […]

The German Music Information Center has published a survey showing that 16.3 million people aged six and ove regularly play music, around 21 percent of the population. What is striking is that the figure is […]

The family and friends have reported the death of Peter Seiffert, one of the most popular singers within his profession and one of the finest Heldentenor performers of recent years. Born in Düsseldorf, Seiffert made […]

The death has been made known of the Edinburgh based cellist Christian Elliott, a member of the Zehetmair Quartet for the past decade and former principal cellist of the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Christian, who was […]

The principal trumpet of the Gothenburg Opera Orchestra Niklas Eklund has died of unknown causes. The first baroque trumpet recording artist to sell more a million CDs, he was nominated for a Grammy and played […]

More musical blood on Putin’s hands. The talented solo organist of the Sumy Philharmonic Orchestra, Olena Kohut, was a victim of the Kremlin’s Sunday bombing. She is mourned by her mother, husband and sons, according […]