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6 May 2015 Katy Wright Myung-Whun Chung receives Premio Abbiati for second time Myung-Whun Chung has been awarded the 2015 Premio Abbiati for conducting in recognition of his Simone Boccanegra at La Fenice, Venice, in November 2014. Only Abbado, Muti and Chung have received the award twice.
Katy Wright Radio 3 and RPS commission works for New Generation Artists Composers including Jonathan Dove and Matthias Pintscher have been commissioned to write a 10-minute chamber piece for a BBC New Generation Artist. The pieces will be broadcast on Radio 3.
Katy Wright RPS Music Awards winners announced The winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Music Awards were announced last night in a ceremony held in The Brewery, City of London.
5 May 2015 Katy Wright BBC Ten Pieces will extend to secondary schools The initiative, which has already engaged nearly half of UK primary schools, opens up classical music to young people, inviting them to respond creatively.
Katy Wright Opera North announces 2015/16 season Opera North has announced its 2015/16 season, in which the company will celebrate the end of Richard Farnes' 12-year tenure as music director with performances of Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Katy Wright First winners of Noted Innovation Fellowship announced Burak Arslan, Luca Beisel and Johannes Weidner have been announced as the winners of the first Noted Innovation Fellowship. The fellowship was created to find, encourage and support emerging talent in the non-performance side of classical music, spanning areas such as marketing, event management and PR.
Katy Wright Musicians nominated for Times/South Bank Breakthrough Awards Tenor Nicky Spence and composer Luke Bedford are amongst the 10 nominees for the 2015 Times/South Bank Breakthrough Award. The candidates were chosen by arts critics from The Times.
Katy Wright Composition by Sally Beamish to appear at the Venice Biennale Sally Beamish's setting of Robert Burns' The Slave's Lament will appear as part of Graham Fagen's installation at this year's Venice Biennale (9 May - 22 November 2015). A recording of the piece by Ghetto Priest and the Scottish Ensemble will be played within the Palazzo Fontana.
Katy Wright ESO appoints Philip Sawyers as John McCabe composer-in-association The English Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of Philip Sawyers as John McCabe composer-in-association from 2015. The position is named after the ESO's most recent composer-in-association, who died following a long battle with cancer in February 2015.
Katy Wright Tung-Chieh Chuang wins 2015 Malko Competition Tung-Chieh Chuang was announced as the winner of the 2015 Malko competition in Copenhagen on 1st May.
1 May 2015 Katy Wright BBC Proms: new music Compare world premieres, BBC commissions and more from 2011-2015
Katy Wright Violinist Colin Sauer dies at 90 Violinist Colin Sauer (1924-1915), former leader of the Dartington String Quartet, has died aged 90.
Katy Wright Orchestre National de Lille goes digital The Orchestra National de Lille (ONL) has invested in a full complement of digital recording equipment, providing the ensemble with its own high-quality mobile recording studio.
Katy Wright Composer Ronald Senator has died British composer Ronald Senator (17 April 1926 - 30 April 2015) died in a house fire last night.
Katy Wright Emily Hall wins Corinthia Hotel's artist in residence competition Composer Emily Hall has won been selected to produce a site-specific opera-inspired project at London's Corinthia Hotel.
30 April 2015 Katy Wright DiDonato joins Carnegie Hall board Joyce DiDonato has been elected as a member of Carnegie Hall's board of trustees, joining Renée Fleming, Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma and Jessye Norman.
Katy Wright The CBSO releases 2015/16 season The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) have announced their 2015/16 season, in which the ensemble will continue without a principal conductor.
29 April 2015 Katy Wright Iconic Bach portrait to return to Leipzig Elias Gottlob Haussman's iconic painting of Bach will return to Leipzig after 265 years. Bequeathed to the Leipzig Bach Archive by the philanthropist William H. Scheide, the 1748 painting is the only authentic portrait painted in the presence of the composer.
Katy Wright St Albans International Organ Festival expands for 2015 The St Albans International Organ Festival has expanded its programme to 15 days of events for its 28th year.
Katy Wright Arts Emergency to launch in Newcastle Arts Emergency will establish its new centre in Newcastle on 1st May. The London-based charity encourages young people to consider careers in the arts, battling against rising tuition fees, government cuts and dwindling higher education resources.
Katy Wright Ann Maguire Arts Education Fund raises over £80k A fund for the teacher Ann Maguire, stabbed to death in April 2014, has raised over £80k in donations.
Katy Wright Sky to drop arts channel Sky has announced that it will drop one of its two Sky Arts channels later in 2015.
Katy Wright Baltimore Symphony to play free outdoor concert Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will give a free outdoor concert later today in support of the local community. The performance will take place at noon (EDT) outside the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Katy Wright Berlin Philharmonic announces 2015/16 season The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has released the programme its 2015/16 season, which will feature Peter Sellars as artist in residence.
28 April 2015 Katy Wright Ten Pieces executive producer dies aged 51 Katy Jones, executive producer for BBC Learning and head of the Ten Pieces project, has died aged 51 of a brain haemorrhage.
27 April 2015 Katy Wright 11-year-old becomes youngest to receive diploma Pianist Curtis Elton has become the youngest student to gain the qualification of Licentiate of Trinity College London (LTCL) at just 11 years of age. The qualification is equivalent to the final year of an undergraduate music degree.
Katy Wright International Opera Awards winners announced The winners of the International Opera Awards 2015 were announced in a ceremony at the Savoy Theatre hosted by Richard E. Grant.
24 April 2015 Katy Wright BBC Proms composers 2015 Take a look at the number of performances each composer will feature in at this year's BBC Proms
Katy Wright 120 years of the Proms As the festival celebrates 120 seasons this summer, take a look at how the Proms have changed with our interactive bar-charts.
Katy Wright Sir Andrew Davis appointed RLPO Conductor Emeritus The title was previously bestowed upon Vernon Handley (1997-2008) and Sir Charles Mackerras (2009-10), and reflects the RLPO's relationships with some of today's leading musicians.
23 April 2015 Katy Wright BBC Proms Broadcast information The BBC has announced the Proms broadcast information for radio and TV.
Katy Wright Marin Alsop to conduct Last Night of the Proms 2015 Marin Alsop will again conduct the Last Night of the Proms on 12th September, following her success in 2013.
Katy Wright BBC Proms 2015 programme announced The world premiere of James MacMillan's fourth symphony, a composer focus on Boulez and late-night concerts of Bach's solo music for violin, piano and cello are amongst the highlights of the season
Katy Wright York announces new music series The University of York will host presentations, workshops and concerts devoted to new music in a series organised by York's Contemporary Music Research Centre.
Katy Wright Premieres aplenty at Presteigne Festival The Presteigne Festival has announced its 33rd season, to take place between 21th August and 1st September 2015.
Katy Wright Welsh Proms reveals 30th anniversary season The Welsh Proms has revealed the programme for its 30th anniversary season, which will take place 18-25 July 2015 at St David's Hall, Cardiff.
Katy Wright Jeremy Jackman to be new President of the ISM The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) have announced the appointment of Jeremy Jackman as President 2015/16.
22 April 2015 Katy Wright ENO season statistics Comparing the past five seasons at ENO, the effects of financial cuts are clear.
Katy Wright Sinfonia Viva wins business support Sinfonia Viva has won support from local business owners to kick-start its fund-raising campaign to extend the reach of classical music across the East Midlands area.
Katy Wright Don't Stop the Music petitions Nicky Morgan MP An online petition asking Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan MP to 'Deliver on the Government's promise to give EVERY child the opportunity to learn an instrument' has so far received 72,643 signatures of the necessary 100,000.
Katy Wright ENO unveils 2015/16 season and lower ticket prices English National Opera has revealed its 2015/16 programme, announcing significant reductions in audience ticket prices. Fifty percent of tickets will be reduced in price, meaning that more than 60,000 tickets will be £20 or less (500 for every Coliseum performance). One hundred tickets will be available for each performance at £12.
21 April 2015 Susan Nickalls Scottish Opera appoints new music director Stuart Stratford has been appointed as Scottish Opera's new music director. This is the first time the British conductor has had such a role with a major opera company.
20 April 2015 Phillip Sommerich Obituary: Brian Couzens, 17 January 1933 ‒ 17 April 2015 Brian Couzens, the founder of Independent label Chandos Records and for three decades a standard-setter in audio engineering of the classical recording industry, has died after a short illness. He was 82.
17 April 2015 Katy Wright International Record Review dissolved International Record Review (IRR) has been dissolved as a result of the death of Barry Irving, the publication's founder.
Katy Wright Jean Nouvel loses Paris Philharmonie court case Architect Jean Nouvel has lost his legal battle against the Philharmonie de Paris after failing to provide sufficient proof of his claims.
Katy Wright Royal Northern Sinfonia reveals 2015/16 season Royal Northern Sinfonia has announced the details of its 2015/16 season at the Sage Gateshead. The themes for the season will be: Reclaiming Mozart; Sibelius and the Musical North; and Early Encounters.
16 April 2015 Katy Wright Opera theme for Corinthia Hotel's Artist in Residence programme Corinthia Hotel London has announced opera as the theme for the fourth Artist in Residence programme, with the winner to be announced on 30 April.
Katy Wright medici.tv to broadcast XV International Tchaikovsky Competition Classical broadcasting service medici.tv will be providing 18 days of free coverage from the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition.
Katy Wright LPO's Foyle Future Firsts scheme opens applications The London Philharmonic Orchestra have opened applications for their Foyle Future Firsts Development Programme, a scheme which helps young players to make the transition between conservatoire and the professional world.
Katy Wright Royal College of Music announces £25m development The Royal College of Music, London has announced that its site on Prince Consort Road will undergo a £25 million development.
15 April 2015 Katy Wright ROH announces its 2015/16 season The Royal Opera House has revealed the programme for its 2015/16 season, which will encompass eight new commissions and a number of voices and directors making their debut at the house.
14 April 2015 Katy Wright Aldeburgh Festival concert in Ipswich car park The Multi-Story Orchestra will be joined by a choir comprised of 100 local children for the concert in Endeavour House Car Park, home to Suffolk County Council, on 14 June for its first venture outside London.
13 April 2015 Katy Wright ENO picks up the double at Olivier awards The embattled English National Opera has received a strong vote of confidence from the theatrical community by taking both opera categories at the 2015 Olivier Awards yesterday. In a star-studded ceremony at the Royal Opera House, director Richard Jones received the 'outstanding achievement in opera' award, while his production of The Mastersingers of Nuremberg was deemed 'best new opera production'.
10 April 2015 Katy Wright Richy Carey wins British Academy Scotland composer prize Richy Carey has been awarded a British Academy Scotland New Talent Award for his composition Lichtspiel: Opus I.
8 April 2015 Andrew Green Croydon Council draws up proposals for Fairfield Hall refurbishment The long-standing issue of when and how to redevelop Croydon's Fairfield Halls site has come centre-stage with the news that leading international consultancy Mott MacDonald and architects Rick Mather have been appointed by the local council to draw up proposals.
Classical Music staff YCAT and Live Music Now share Rhinegold charity fund Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) and Live Music Now have been named joint recipients of 2015/16's Rhinegold Charity Fund, offering £10,000 of advertising across Rhinegold's classical music and education publications, websites and services.
Classical Music staff ENO reveals details of plans to open up Coliseum foyer Architects Robin Snell and Partners have been appointed to design a more open and inviting foyer at the London Coliseum in ENO's efforts to increase traffic through its doors and open new revenue possibilities. The £1.2m required for the first stage is being funded by the Benugo group, which operates cafes and restaurants in the British Museum, V&A, Natural History Museum and elsewhere, and which already runs ENO's American Bar Restaurant.
7 April 2015 Richard Fawkes Obituary: Dennis Marks, 2 July 1948 ‒ 2 April 2015 Dennis Marks, former head of music for BBC Television and general director of English National Opera, has died at the age of 66.
Fiona Clampin French radio orchestras will not merge, says culture minister The French culture minister has dismissed proposals to merge France's two radio orchestras, in a drive to cut costs at the national public service broadcaster Radio France. Fleur Pellerin told the French news station France Inter yesterday that she felt savings could be made as regards the staffing of the orchestras and the way their work is organised.
5 April 2015 Richard Fawkes Breakfast call-ins get the chop in Davey's first Radio 3 changes The first changes to Radio 3 since the arrival of former Arts Council chief Alan Davey as the new controller have started with the Breakfast show losing some of its news headlines and all of its listener phone-ins.
31 March 2015 Rachel Creaser Shortlists for RPS Music Awards announced The Royal Philharmonic Society has announced the nominees for this year's RPS Music Awards. The 13 categories recognise the outstanding achievements made by artists and organisations in 2014. RPS chairman John Gilhooly said of the range of nominations: 'These shortlists show the wonderful diversity of musical activity nationwide and a common purpose that drives the very finest work.
Simon Tait Southbank Centre appoints Gillian Moore director of music Gillian Moore, the Southbank Centre's head of classical music, has been promoted to the new position of director of music with a brief to explore new projects. 'I am delighted to announce Gillian's newly created role which reflects her huge contribution working closely with me and the rest of the team on the development of the festival programme over the last few years,' said Jude Kelly, the SBC's artistic director.
30 March 2015 Benjamin Ivry Obituary: Peter Katin (1930-2015) Peter Katin, who died on 19 March at age 84, belonged to a generation of virtuoso pianists who tackled concertos as well as the sotto voce salon intimacy of romantic keyboard works. Unlike American contemporaries such as Gary Graffman, Eugene Istomin, and Leon Fleischer, Katin's early education was a much-interrupted, scattershot affair. This was due to the Blitz as well as inborn distrust in relying on full-time mentors to resolve musical problems.
27 March 2015 Simon Tait Value of cultural tourism to London report supports case for concert hall Four out of five visitors to London come for the culture, said London mayor Boris Johnson, but more needs to be done to realise the city's cultural potential. A new report, The Value of Cultural Tourism to London, produced by the Greater London Assembly, has shown that in 2013 cultural tourists spent £7.3bn in London, generating £3.2bn for the economy and supporting 80,000 jobs.
Coriander Stuttard British Council announces new cultural exchange project with Brazil The British Council has announced Scene Change, the latest part of its four year Transform programme, building artistic and cultural partnerships between the UK and Brazil. Scene Change will run until September 2016 and focuses on theatre and opera production, with exchanges of students, project managers and education practitioners between the UK and Brazil.
24 March 2015 Classical Music staff Orchestra tax relief: government widens criteria The treasury has released its response to the consultation on tax relief for orchestras, significantly broadening its definition of what constitutes an orchestra. 'To ensure that the full range of orchestras can benefit from tax relief, the government has changed the definition so that the majority of performances must have at least 12 players from a minimum of one of the string, woodwind, percussion and brass sections,' reads the response document.
Alex Stevens Northern Ireland funding decisions hit as arts organisations consider winding up The impact of an 11.2% cut in the budget of Arts Council Northern Ireland (ACNI) has been revealed, with the Ulster Orchestra and Belfast's Grand Opera House both seeing £100,000 reductions year-on-year. NI Opera is one of few organisations to see an increase, its grant rising by £40,000 to £561,569.
Alex Stevens Exquisite fretwork: LSO launches composer residency at Khadambi House The London Symphony Orchestra has launched a new composer residency to celebrate the legacy of Kenyan-born poet, novelist, philosopher of mathematics and British civil servant Khadambi Asalache. The two-year residency will be held by Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian, current LSO Soundhub associate, and based at Asalache's former residence, the National Trust's 575 Wandsworth Road in London.
23 March 2015 Classical Music staff Rhinegold TV launches, featuring Yuja Wang, Julian Lloyd Webber and more Rhinegold Publishing has launched Rhinegold TV, which will host from Rhinegold's own events including the Rhinegold LIVE concert series and Music Education Expo, as well as content from partner producers, at www.rhinegold.co.uk/tv/.
18 March 2015 Classical Music staff RSNO announces 125th anniversary season The RSNO has earmarked its next two seasons to celebrate its 125th anniversary, with appearances from all of the conductors who form its core artistic team, lead by music director Peter Oundjian, and including Neeme Järvi, Walter Weller, Alexander Lazarev, Thomas Søndergård, Jean-Claude Picard and former music director Stéphane Denève.
Alex Stevens Julian Lloyd Webber appointed principal of Birmingham Conservatoire Julian Lloyd Webber has been appointed principal of Birmingham Conservatoire. He will take over from David Saint, who retires in April, and will lead the organisation through the construction of a £46m new building at Birmingham City University's new campus on Birmingham's Eastside. The conservatoire is also planning to merge with Birmingham School of Acting in 2017.
17 March 2015 Alex Stevens Norfolk and Norwich Festival's county council grant slashed by 90% The Norfolk and Norwich Festival's grant from Norfolk County Council will be reduced by 90% for 2015/16, it has been confirmed, from £83,400 in the current year to £8,442 in the next. 'We are planning for 2016, and beyond, with an ongoing commitment to providing artistic excellence and entertainment across the festival programme,' said the festival.
16 March 2015 Music Teacher magazine Richard Morris heads winners at Music Teacher Awards for Excellence Richard Morris, the consultant and chairman of the Yehudi Menuhin School, has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence. Morris was presented with the award on Thursday evening during Rhinegold Publishing's Music Education Expo.
12 March 2015 Alex Stevens Deutsche Grammophon president Mark Wilkinson to leave for Universal in London Mark Wilkinson, president of Deutsche Grammophon, is to move within Universal Music Group to become vice president of international strategy and artist development. Dickon Stainer and Frank Briegmann will work to find a new president 'who knows and understands the unique culture of this most legendary of labels,' said a statement.
11 March 2015 Simon Tait Arts Impact Fund puts £7m available to arts organisations in low-cost loans A new fund combining public and private investment has been launched to promote the wider impact art has on society. The £7m Arts Impact Fund will lend money at interest rates of between 4% and 7% to arts organisations as a new alternative to commercial loans and grant funding in which risks are shared on specific projects.
Susan Nickalls Thomas Dausgaard to be chief conductor of BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra from 2016 The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has announced that Thomas Dausgaard is to take over the role of chief conductor from Donald Runnicles in September 2016. Runnicles will bookend the 2015/16 season, which sees the BBC SSO celebrate its 80th birthday, with performances of Mahler's first and last symphonies and will continue to work with the orchestra as conductor emeritus.
9 March 2015 Alex Stevens ENO appoints McKinsey's Cressida Pollock as interim chief executive English National Opera has appointed Cressida Pollock as interim chief executive. Pollock will join from management consultant McKinsey, which has been working with ENO in recent months, on 24 March.
6 March 2015 Alex Stevens Cheltenham Music Festival announces 2015 programme with 22 premieres Cheltenham Music Festival (30 June-11 July) has announced a star-studded programme for 2015, with Sarah Connolly, Edward Gardner and the CBSO, Alina Ibragimova and choral superstar Eric Whitacre all appearing alongside Laura Mvula and 22 premieres.
5 March 2015 Classical Music staff Chinese investment group backs LSO digital efforts Thai-Chinese property developer and multinational investment firm the Reignwood Group has entered a major sponsorship deal with the LSO, particularly tied to the orchestra's LSO Play digital education platform.
Alex Stevens Censorship claims in US after youth orchestra cancels composer's Nazi-quoting new work A censorship row is brewing in New York after the New York Youth Symphony announced it would not be performing a piece commissioned through its own young composer competition, after being alerted to the work's quotation of a Nazi anthem. The work's composer, 21-year-old Jonas Tarm, has expressed his disappointment at the decision.
3 March 2015 Alex Stevens Simon Rattle joins the LSO: Reaction to classical music's 'worst-kept secret' The news of Simon Rattle's appointment as music director-elect of the London Symphony Orchestra has been generally positive. Find all the reaction here.
Classical Music staff Simon Rattle appointed music director of London Symphony Orchestra Simon Rattle will be music director of the London Symphony Orchestra from September 2017. 'I'm leaving a world class orchestra and coming to a very different world class orchestra,' said Rattle. 'This is my last job.'
2 March 2015 Alex Stevens RPS/ABO Salomon Prize awarded to John Cushing, former RSNO principal Clarinettist John Cushing, who retired after a 35-year stint as principal clarinet of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra last year, has been awarded the 2014 RPS/ABO Salomon Prize. The prize celebrates the outstanding contribution of British orchestral players to the UK's musical life.
26 February 2015 Classical Music staff Mark Simpson joins BBC Phil as composer in association The BBC Philharmonic has announced that 26-year-old Mark Simpson will be its new composer in association, with a term beginning in September 2015 and ending in 2019. Simpson first came to national attention in 2006 when he won both the BBC Young Composer competition and, as a clarinettist, the BBC Young Musician of the Year.
Alex Stevens Christian Mason wins €35,000 Ernst von Siemens composition prize British composer Christian Mason is one of three winners of the €35,000 (£25,600) composers' prize of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, announced today. The other two winners are Berlin-based American Mark Barden and German Birke Bertelsmeier.
25 February 2015 Alex Stevens Sinfonia Viva wins Arts Council grant for portable, inflatable stage Derby-based Sinfonia Viva has been awarded a £179,585 grant from Arts Council England towards the £211,000 cost of buying an inflatable stage and auditorium to seat up to 250 people. The stage and auditorium are 'inflatable, highly portable and can be erected in a short space of time by just two or three people'.
24 February 2015 Alex Stevens Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 announces 20-strong list of competitors The BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition has announced the 20-strong list of singers who will comepete for the title at this year's event, which will be held from 14 to 21 June. They stretch from the home-grown, in Welsh soprano Céline Forrest, to the far flung, with entrants from Mongolia, South Korea and South Africa.
Alex Stevens Philharmonia Orchestra signs £500k sponsorship with Chinese firewater manufacturer The Philharmonia Orchestra has signed a five-year, £500,000 sponsorship deal with Chinese alcoholic beverage producer Wuliangye, which specialises in producing Baijiu, a high-strength, grain-based spirit. Wuliangye's chairman said of the deal: 'We hope the sponsorship will inspire people to enjoy the harmonious balance of drinking fabulous alcohol while listening to world-class classical music.'
20 February 2015 Classical Music staff Philip Pickett handed 11-year sentence for historic offences Philip Pickett, the recorder player and early music ensemble leader, has been jailed for 11 years in relation to historic sex offences which occurred in the 1970s and 80s during his time as a freelance teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The verdict was reached for two rapes and two indecent assaults on two schoolgirls and one student between 1979 and 1983, perpetrated in sound-proofed practice rooms.
Alex Stevens Barbican to lead feasibility study into new 'world class' London concert hall The Barbican Centre is to lead a feasibility study into developing a 'world class concert hall for London' as part of chancellor George Osborne and London mayor Boris Johnson's 'long term economic plan for London'. The aim of a new hall would be 'to help attract the world's best musicians and orchestras to the capital and protect London's status as the home of classical music'.
19 February 2015 Alex Stevens Ginny Cooper joins Proper Note to strengthen distributor's classical credentials Ginny Cooper has joined Proper Note Distribution as classical label manager, moving from her previous role as UK sales and marketing manager at New Arts International (NAI). She will take with her several labels including Gala, MDG and Australian Eloquence.
18 February 2015 Alex Stevens Cuts to music teaching imminent in Bromley, Wiltshire and elsewhere As the new financial year approaches, several local authorities have revealed plans which involve significant reductions in spending on music provision. These include councils in Bromley and Wiltshire.
17 February 2015 Phillip Sommerich Classical sales: declining year-on-year, and streaming fails to compensate Sales of classical recordings fell 5% by volume last year and by just under 1% in value terms, according to detailed figures released by industry body the BPI. Classical did not reflect the doubling of overall music streaming in 2014, but 125 classical tracks were streamed more than 100,000 times.
Classical Music staff Warwick Report calls for joined up thinking in cultural sector A one-year commission lead by the University of Warwick and chaired by Vikki Heywood CBE has just released its report, titled Enriching Britain: Culture, Creativity and Growth. The commission included Arts Council England Sir Peter Bazalgette and Classic FM managing director Darren Henley, and other high-profile figures from across the arts industry.
16 February 2015 Andrew Green John McCabe, composer and pianist: 21 April 1939-13 February 2015 John McCabe the man will be missed as much as John McCabe the musician. No ivory tower on earth could have enticed him inside, as fellow performers, students (for example, from his time as principal of the London College of Music) and those of us in the media can readily testify. His generosity of spirit is exemplified in the sheer breadth of his output and the range of styles he embraced.
12 February 2015 Classical Music staff ENO placed under 'special funding arrangements' for two years Arts Council England announced this morning that English National Opera 'will not be admitted into its National portfolio of organisations for 2015-18' but instead placed 'under special funding arrangements' along with the Firstsite Gallery in Colchester. This comes after a period of some instability at ENO, with both its chairman and executive director departing the organisation since the start of the new year.
10 February 2015 Classical Music staff Wigmore puts accessibility centre stage with 2015/16 season announcement The Wigmore Hall launched its 2015/16 season on Tuesday with particular emphasis on widening access. A total of 460 concerts are matched with the same number of learning events, aiming to engage young musicians, schools, families and the community beyond the hall's core demographic.
Alex Stevens Composer György Kurtág wins €400,000 BBVA Foundation award Hungarian composer György Kurtág has been awarded a €400,000 (£296,647) BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award for a body of work of 'rare expressive intensity'. Kurtág is the sixth laureate of the composer award, whose previous winners are Steve Reich, Pierre Boulez, Salvatore Sciarrino, Helmut Lachenmann, and Cristóbal Halffter.
Alex Stevens Edward Nesbit wins Britten Sinfonia Opus 2015 composition competition Composer Edward Nesbit has won Britten Sinfonia's Opus 2015 competition, open to composers without attachment to a publisher. The Britten Sinfonia's chief executive, David Butcher, has suggested that there are not enough opportunities to hear the work of such composers.
9 February 2015 Alex Stevens Alan Gilbert to leave NY Philharmonic in 2017 Alan Gilbert is to leave the New York Philharmonic in 2017, after eight seasons as music director of the orchestra. The timing is in part dictated by the conductor's desire for a successor to be in place to oversee a major renovation of the orchestra's Avery Fisher Hall from 2019, said a statement released by the orchestra.
6 February 2015 Phillip Sommerich Classical:NEXT launches 2015 programme and innovation award Music industry congress Classical:NEXT is to introduce an innovation award at the four-day event's finale in Rotterdam on 23 May. Classical:NEXT director Jennifer Dautermann insisted the award complements other industry prizes and aims to raise awareness about innovative activities going on all over the world.
3 February 2015 Susan Nickalls Edinburgh Festival unveils 2015 classical music programme Tales of magic, morals, bears and ballerinas are some of the more theatrical elements in the 2015 Edinburgh International Festival classical music programme, launched today by incoming director Fergus Linehan.
2 February 2015 Phillip Sommerich Rattle appears London-bound despite unlikelihood of new concert hall The prospects of London getting both a world-class concert hall and Sir Simon Rattle as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra look increasingly remote. While Rattle could conceivably sign with the LSO before his Berlin contract expires, his desire for a new hall seems unlikely to be fulfilled.
Classical Music staff Rhinegold Charity Fund 2015/16: application deadline 13 February Applications are now open for the Rhinegold Charity Fund, which will offer one music charity up to £10,000 of advertising coverage across Rhinegold Publishing's portfolio of publications, websites and services, as well as account management support from Rhinegold on certain aspects of marketing and design. The deadline for applications for 2015/16 is 13 February.
30 January 2015 Classical Music staff Rhinegold TV to launch in March Rhinegold Media & Events, the organisation behind free recital series Rhinegold LIVE and the Music Education Expo, is to launch Rhinegold TV on 1 March 2015.
Alex Stevens Henriette Götz to leave English National Opera English National Opera has confirmed the departure of executive director Henriette Götz a week after the chairman of ENO's board, Martyn Rose, also said he was to leave. Reports suggest that both the board and senior executive have been seriously fractured at a time when the company is attempting to introduce a new business model, following a seismic drop in its funding from Arts Council England.
29 January 2015 Classical Music staff ABO/Rhinegold awards announced, with Sir Mark Elder winning overall ABO gong At a ceremony held at the annual Association of British Orchestras conference, Michael Eakin, chief executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, was named concert hall manager of the year; Aurora Orchestra chief executive John Harte orchestra manager of the year; and Jasper Parrott artist manager of the year.
28 January 2015 Alex Stevens Decca Classics signs soprano Aida Garifullina Decca Classics has signed soprano Aida Garifullina on an exclusive contract. Her debut album will feature works by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as her native Tatar folksong.
Thomas Lydon Government publishes new GCSE, AS and A Level subject content The Department for Education has published details of the subject content for GCSEs, AS Levels and A Levels in music to be taught from autumn 2016, appearing to yield to campaigning during a period of consultation. It is anticipated that exam boards will soon publish their own specifications, based on these guidelines.
26 January 2015 Alex Stevens Parting shot from ENO chairman declares John Berry 'the problem not the solution' The outgoing chairman of English National Opera, Martyn Rose, has called ENO's direction under artistic director John Berry 'wholly unsustainable' in a letter sent to Sir Vernon Ellis, ENO's president. ENO has denied several points in the letter and denied accounts that Berry and executive director Henriette Götz are not talking.
23 January 2015 Classical Music staff Tax relief for orchestras ‒ chancellor announces commitment The chancellor George Osborne has announced details on tax relief for British orchestras to match the existing scheme for theatres Though mentioned in the Autumn Statement as a option being considered, it is only now that details have been confirmed. It is not due to come into force until April 2016, however.
Classical Music staff Three Choirs Festival launches foundation in 300th year The Three Choirs Foundation was officially launched last night at an event at the House of Lords hosted by Lord Faulkner of Worcester. The speakers were Dame Felicity Lott, Sarah Connolly and Sir Michael Perry (chairman of the foundation), while Adrian Partington (director of music at Gloucester Cathedral) read a message from Edward Gardner, who was in rehearsal at ENO. The men of Gloucester Cathedral Choir sung plainchant and Byrd's Vigilate.
22 January 2015 Alex Stevens Southbank and resident ensembles announce 2015/16 seasons The Southbank Centre and its four resident ensembles, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, have announced their 2015/16 seasons. With the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall and other spaces in the Southbank's Festival Wing becoming unavailable for up to two years from September for a £24m repair and maintenance project, many events will take place at St John's, Smith Square.
21 January 2015 Alex Stevens Martyn Rose to step down as chairman of funding-hit ENO The chairman of English National Opera, Martyn Rose, will step down from his position on 15 February, reportedly because he believes that a full-time commitment is required to guide the organisation through its £5m drop in Arts Council England funding.
20 January 2015 Classical Music staff Barbican and resident orchestras announce 2015/16 season The Barbican announced its 2015/16 classical music season at a members' event yesterday on, unveiling programming across the Barbican complex, Milton Court and LSO St Lukes. Introduced by Barbican managing director Sir Nicholas Kenyon, the event featured brief presentations from Huw Humphreys, the Barbican's new head of music, and resident orchestra representatives Kathryn McDowell (LSO), Paul Hughes (BBCSO), David Butcher (Britten Sinfonia) and Ed Hossack (Academy of Ancient Music).
19 January 2015 Andrew Green Ward Swingle 1927-2015 ‒ a cappella king dies at 87 At his death, aged 87, Ward Swingle deserves to be remembered for far more than the scat singing of JS Bach which for many remains the trademark of his Swingle Singers. When in 1973 he formed an English ensemble to succeed the French original, Swingle expanded its repertoire dramatically, not least in the area of contemporary classical music.
Phillip Sommerich German record industry on the up, thanks to streaming and stabilising physical sales Recorded music sales in Germany rose 1.8% to €1.48bn (£1.13bn) in 2014, largely due to a 12% increase in digital and with most of the increase coming from streaming, according to figures released by industry body the BVMI.
16 January 2015 Alex Stevens Ulster Orchestra set to emerge with short-term rescue package and five-year plan A plan to secure the immediate future of the Ulster Orchestra was agreed yesterday with a longer-term deal, reported to involve the Westminster government, in the pipeline.
15 January 2015 Classical Music staff Schott Music announces death of London managing director Judith Webb Schott Music has announced the death of Judith Webb, managing director of its London office. Webb had worked at the publisher for 35 years, a contribution hailed by Schott creative director Sam Rigby as 'immense'.
14 January 2015 Phillip Sommerich Naxos launches high definition streaming service Naxos is launching what it claims is the first high-definition, lossless classical streaming service to be offered worldwide, underlining the growth in real-time digital music listening as downloads decline. ClassicsOnlineHD will also offer recording producers a much better revenue model than the 'pay per play' offer from streaming services such as Spotify which has brought complaints from many artists and labels.
9 January 2015 Alex Stevens Musicians play Barber's Adagio for Strings in Charlie Hebdo vigil At around 10.30pm on 8 January, more than 150 musicians gathered in London's Trafalgar Square where they held a minute's silence and gave a performance of Barber's Adagio for Strings as part of worldwide tributes after the shooting of 12 people at the Paris office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
7 January 2015 Alex Stevens Labour suffers backlash over arts cuts tweet The Labour party is suffering a sustained backlash from the arts community after its official Twitter account denied Conservative claims that it would reverse cuts to Arts Council England's budget. In fact, Labour says, it would continue with the planned £83m reduction in grant-in-aid to ACE from the 2015/16 financial year.
6 January 2015 Classical Music staff Make Music Work: Lifting the lid on classical music Classical Music is an official media partner for the Incorporated Society of Musicians' Make Music Work, a day-long event for emerging composers and performers to be held at Milton Court, London on 31 March. The event aims to demystify the classical music industry for composers and performers hoping to establish successful and sustainable careers.
Andrew Green Who's who in the musical honours ‒ quotes and reaction Musical beneficiaries of the 2015 New Year Honours list offered a predictable range of soundbites: 'a complete surprise' (conductor and founder of Music for Autism, John Lubbock OBE), 'baffled and bewildered' (jazz trumpeter Guy Barker MBE), 'very honoured' (Southbank Centre supremo Jude Kelly at the CBE added to her OBE) and 'very touching' (timpanist Alan Fearon MBE, recognised for 45 years' service with the Northern Sinfonia, including the role of chorus master for the Northern Sinfonia Chorus).
Andrew Green Obituary: Michael Kennedy, 19 February 1926 ‒ 31 December 2014 The death of Michael Kennedy at the age of 88 removes perhaps the key remaining source of reminiscence of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Kennedy's passion for British music is also reflected in studies of Britten, Elgar and Walton.
31 December 2014 Alex Stevens Roger Wright, Alan Davey and Jude Kelly in New Year Honours list A year of management change in the UK's classical music industry has been bookended by the awarding of CBEs to Roger Wright and outgoing Arts Council England chief executive Alan Davey. Jude Kelly, artistic director of the Southbank Centre, has also been made CBE, as has opera director Richard Jones.
22 December 2014 Alex Stevens Retiring Dame Fanny Waterman identifies decline in British piano playing Dame Fanny Waterman has announced she will retire as chairman and artistic director of the Leeds Piano Competition after the 2015 event, when she will be 95. She has also said that there has been a decline in the number of talented British pianists of the quality to compete at the event.
16 December 2014 Alex Stevens Classic FM's Darren Henley appointed Arts Council England chief executive Classic FM managing director Darren Henley is to succeed Alan Davey as chief executive of Arts Council England. Davey will start as controller of Radio 3 in January, replacing Roger Wright.
Alex Stevens Abigail Pogson appointed to lead Sage Gateshead Spitalfields Music chief executive Abigail Pogson is to become managing director of Sage Gateshead in May, taking over from Anthony Sargent. 'It was always going to be something pretty special to tempt me away from East London and Sage Gateshead is very special indeed.'
Alex Stevens Welsh choir CF1 wins Choir of the Year competition Welsh choir CF1 has won the Choir of the Year competition at a final held at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
15 December 2014 Alex Stevens Music education in spotlight after academic's 'vendetta' Sistema book Geoffrey Baker, author of El Sistema: Orchestrating Venezuela's Youth, has responded to allegations by author Tricia Tunstall that the work has 'the feel of a vendetta' by calling Tunstall 'a professional Sistema advocate'.
Rick Jones Cambridge launches digital music collection with treasure trove of lute manuscripts In 2011, Cambridge University Library set out to digitise its entire collection of three million manuscripts of printed words and music. To date, 25,000 literary documents have been committed to the screen, but because of the more public nature of the work itself, the music collection was always going to make a bigger impact and it commanded a celebratory launch in the library of Pembroke College Cambridge in early December.
10 December 2014 Phillip Sommerich Patrick Lemanski to move to Warner Classics in new year The current managing director of Harmonia Mundi UK will take the same post at Warner Classics UK from the new year, in a surprise move from independent to major record label.
9 December 2014 Toby Deller Elim Chan becomes first female winner of Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition Elim Chan last night won first prize in the 2014 Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, the first woman to do so in the event's 24 year history. As a result of her victory, the London Symphony Orchestra also gets its first ever female assistant conductor.
8 December 2014 Alex Stevens ACE places diversity centre stage for all national portfolio organisations Sir Peter Bazalgette has outlined a new approach to diversity which will see arts organisations required 'to shape their artistic programme to better reflect the communities they serve' or risk sanctions in future funding settlements.
3 December 2014 Kimon Daltas Autumn Statement includes nod towards orchestras ‒ but no commitment The chancellor's Autumn Statement on 3 December includes an acknowledgement of the 'cultural value' of orchestras but no firm commitment to a tax break.
Classical Music staff Trinity Laban adds £100k to scholarship fund Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance has announced an increase of £100,000 in scholarships available to musicians studying on its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. 'We decided to prioritise investment in our scholarship provision by releasing funds from endowments,' said a Trinity spokesperson. 'This is a permanent investment.'
Classical Music staff British Composer Awards announced with nine going to first-timers ‒ and five to women The British Composer Awards were announced last night in a ceremony at Goldsmiths' Hall. Sir Harrison Birtwistle won his sixth career award for Songs from the same Earth in the Vocal category, while Kerry Andrew was the star of the night with two awards, for Woodwose: A Community Chamber Opera in the Community or Educational Project category and Dart's Love in the Stage Works category.
Simon Tait Olympic Park to become cultural quarter with £141m government funding The site of the most successful Olympic Games in living memory is to be turned into a cultural centre, with a new Sadler's Wells theatre and research base included. Chancellor George Osborne has promised £141m to create a cultural quarter in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park at Stratford, east London as part of the government's National Infrastructure Plan.
28 November 2014 Phillip Sommerich Dutch distributor T2 Entertainment collapses Netherlands-based T2 Entertainment group has become the latest in a string of classical recording distributors to suffer financial collapse. The company, headed by Arjan Terpstra, was launched only in 2009 to distribute pop, jazz, world music and classical CDs and DVDs, computer games and gadgets, and provide logistics (principally warehousing) in the Benelux countries.
27 November 2014 Toby Deller Dartington announces first programme under Joanna MacGregor's leadership Dartington International Summer School has announced the full programme of events and classes for its 2015 season, which runs from 1 to 29 August. It will be the first edition of the annual summer school to be overseen by new artistic director Joanna MacGregor.
25 November 2014 Alex Stevens Belfast Council commits £100,000 as 'Save The Ulster Orchestra' campaign continues Belfast City Council has offered a conditional £100,000 to the troubled Ulster Orchestra, which remains some distance from securing the £500,000 rescue package which it says will prevent its closure next year. At the same time, arts funding across Northern Ireland is under threat of significant cuts.
24 November 2014 Alex Stevens London Music Pledge: Mayor Boris encourages advocacy for music education The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has launched the 'London Music Pledge', which sets out several actions which the Greater London Authority will take to improve music education in the capital. At the same time it presents five sets of ten suggested pledges to be undertaken by headteachers, teachers, music education hubs, musicians, and parents.
21 November 2014 Alex Stevens Opera Holland Park to make bid for freedom Opera Holland Park has announced plans to sever its ties with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea from 2016, 20 years after the company was founded.
Alex Stevens ISM symposium for artists establishing footholds in classical industry The Incorporated Society of Musicians has released initial details of 'Make Music Work', a day-long event for composers and performers who are establishing their careers in the music industry which will be held at Milton Court, London on 31 March.
18 November 2014 Glyn Mon Hughes Liverpool Philharmonic Hall: Open again after refurbishment Orchestral concerts have returned to Hope Street in Liverpool after Philharmonic Hall reopened its doors, with the RLPO's first concert of the season taking place on 13 November.
14 November 2014 Classical Music staff Paul Hamlyn Foundation 20th year of Awards for Artists The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has announced its 2014 Awards for Artists, marking the 20th year of the awards. Five visual artists and three composers will each be given £50,000 over three years to support their work, with no 'strings attached in terms of how the money can be used,' according to the stated principles of the Awards.
Simon Tait The Orfeo cancellation: why ENO pulled the plug For John Berry, ENO's artistic director, it was a bitter pill to swallow when he realised he would have to abandon the L'Orfeo project. 'We just had to be pragmatic,' he said. 'Sometimes you just have to take really hard decisions'. In April he had announced programme for 2015 that was bold and exciting, and flew in the face of austerity, with a fund-raising programme that signalled a reduced reliance on subsidy.
13 November 2014 Alex Stevens UK orchestras: reaching millions, perhaps billions, of people worldwide The Association of British Orchestras has produced a video to promote the work of the UK's orchestras across the arts and entertainment industries. It accompanies a new report which advocates for UK orchestras' sustained public funding as a key part of the nation's large creative economy.
11 November 2014 Classical Music staff Budget cuts force ENO to pull out of Bristol Orfeo English National Opera's co-production with the Bristol Old Vic of Monteverdi's Orfeo has been cancelled, with ENO artistic director John Berry blaming 'the challenging funding situation from April 2015'. The decision to withdraw from the production was made in the interests of achieving a balanced budget for the 2015/16 financial year, he said in a statement.
Alex Stevens Dickon Stainer appointed to lead Universal's classical activities Dickon Stainer has been appointed president and chief executive of global classics at Universal Music Group, with overall responsibility for all of UMG's classical output including Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, and Sinfini Music.
10 November 2014 Opera Now Opera Now artist of the month: British soprano Mary Bevan British soprano Mary Bevan, currently singing Susanna in ENO's Marriage of Figaro, interviewed for Opera Now magazine: 'Just because my voice isn't massive it doesn't mean I can't do opera. In fact it did me a favour...'
6 November 2014 Alex Stevens CBSO to play in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for first time in December The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is to perform in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for the first time next month, with concerts on 15 and 16 December. Chief executive Stephen Maddock said the orchestra was 'thrilled' with the engagements, and hoped that more would follow.
5 November 2014 Alex Stevens Arts Council England must prioritise future spending increases outside M25, says committee Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee has published a report which states that ACE must fund more work outside London if it is to meet its declared aims. It also criticises ministers for failing to advocate for cultural spending by local governments. ACE broadly welcomed the findings.
4 November 2014 Alex Stevens Jack Dee to narrate at Mozart Symphony Orchestra concerts Comedian Jack Dee will narrate Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf at the Mozart Symphony Orchestra's two festive concerts at Cadogan Hall, London on 22 December. The concert will also include a screening of The Snowman, with chorister Jack Topping singing Walking in the Air.
3 November 2014 Toby Deller Should giving instruments to musicians be a tax-deductable act? Panel members at a discussion hosted by online auctioneer amati.com have called for the tax relief available on donations of items of national cultural importance to be extended to musical instruments. Current rules could apply to musical instruments intended as objects for display in museums, but do not appear to provide for the donation of instruments for practical use.
31 October 2014 Susan Nickalls Creative Scotland diverts extra £10m to stretched regular funding for 2015-2018 Several Scottish music organisations have benefited from Creative Scotland's latest funding announcement after the arts quango found an additional £10m to boost its three-year 'Regular Funding' pot to £100m.
30 October 2014 Alex Stevens New works on tour: Britten Sinfonia at Lunch, 2014/15 The Britten Sinfonia's 2014/15 season of 'At Lunch' chambers concerts in London, Cambridge and Norwich begins on 28 November and includes a newly composed work in each programme.
29 October 2014 Claire Jackson The real Mozart effect: Memory, myth and magic The worlds of science and art collided on 24 October as musicologists, scientists, medical professionals and musicians gathered to examine how performing and listening to music affects brain development, at a special conference entitled 'Mozart and the Power of Music: Memory, Myth & Magic'.
28 October 2014 Classical Music staff Cardiologist who treated Britten rejects syphilis claims, in peer-reviewed journal Controversial claims made in Paul Kildea's biography of Benjamin Britten that the composer was suffering from syphilis at the time of his death have been dismissed in a peer-reviewed article published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Kildea remains committed to his account as 'ultimately more plausible'.
27 October 2014 Alex Stevens Wimbledon International Music Festival: 'War and Peace', 8-23 November Wimbledon International Music Festival runs 8-23 November, with the centrepiece of this year's 'War and Peace'-themed events being a production of Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale in two performances on 9 November.
23 October 2014 Richard Fawkes 'Complex culture properly': Davey's Radio 3 mission statement Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, Alan Davey, who is currently chief executive of Arts Council England and joins Radio 3 in January as Roger Wright's successor, denied he intended dumbing Radio 3 down or making the station more like Classic FM, which continues to draw audiences of more than five million a week. Radio 3, he insisted, would continue to do what it does best which is to offer complex culture, arts and ideas within the reach of lots of people.
21 October 2014 Robert Beale 'It's like the Tardis' ‒ RNCM completes £7.1m transformation of concert hall and theatre The Royal Northern College of Music has completed a £7.1m rebuild of the interior of its concert hall, along with extensive new backstage space for its opera theatre and new student facilities. Constructed entirely within the original 1972 building's walls, the transformation has produced a concert hall seating over 700.
20 October 2014 Alex Stevens British Composer Awards 2014: Shortlist announced The 2014 British Composer Awards have been announced, with two nominations each for Kerry Andrew, Harrison Birtwistle and John McCabe, and nine composers shortlisted for the first time. Of this year's 35 nominated works, 11 were written by women and 24 by men.
17 October 2014 Alex Stevens Critics' Circle awards for George Benjamin, Mary Bevan, Charlotte Bray and Igor Levit The UK Critics' Circle has announced its music awards for 2014, with composer George Benjamin named outstanding musician for his well-received opera Written on Skin. Awards for 'exceptional young talent in music' were also made, to soprano Mary Bevan, composer Charlotte Bray and pianist Igor Levit.
16 October 2014 Alex Stevens Ulster Orchestra in crisis talks with funders and culture minister A statement released by the Ulster Orchestra acknowledges the precarious situation of its finances and suggests that, if it does survive, its future will be 'not as we have come to know it over the last 50 years'.
14 October 2014 Alex Stevens Alpesh Chauhan appointed CBSO assistant conductor Alpesh Chauhan has been appointed assistant conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, a newly created role, until July 2015. Chauhan was the CBSO's first conducting fellow when he was appointed in December 2013.
10 October 2014 Michael Quinn Ulster Orchestra 'facing insolvency' in November, claims Assembly member The Ulster Orchestra is facing insolvency and 'will cease to exist' by the middle of November if emergency funding is not found, the Northern Ireland MLA Basil McCrea has claimed.
Classical Music staff Third Amati Exhibition to launch new writings on historic instruments: 26 & 27 October The third biannual Amati Exhibition will be held at the Lansdowne Club, London on 26 and 27 October, including a recently-announced programme of talks and the launch of the 'Monograph Collection', a joint subscription publishing venture between Amati and violin dealer J&A Beare which will focus in detail on 'masterworks of the classical school of violin making'.
9 October 2014 Classical Music staff Ealing Autumn Festival: Looking to the stars The Ealing Autumn Festival runs 10-26 October, with several music events including the world premiere of Galileo!, a new opera written by the festival's artistic director, Gillian Spragg, which opens the festival on 10 and 11 October.
6 October 2014 Claire Jackson Pascal Rogé's 'mafia' claims rejected as Rina Sala Gallo competition threatens legal action Competition publishes marks and says Rogé failed to respect competition rules, divulged false information and discredited the competition. A statement says it 'will now make a legal claim for damages'.
Keith Clarke Welsh National Opera launches 70th anniversary season including Sweeney Todd Welsh National Opera is marking its 70th year with the world premiere of two new commissions, five new productions, two 'new to WNO' and a classic revival. The 2015-16 programme sees a continuation of the company's themed season as well as its bel canto series and a Royal Opera House residency.
3 October 2014 Opera Now Rome Opera sacks chorus and orchestra The board of Rome Opera House has taken the unprecedented step of sacking its entire choir and orchestra, throwing a question mark over the future activities of what was once a jewel in Italy's cultural crown.
Andrew Green IMG Artists in flux with new structure and departure of Enticott IMG Artists has made the dual announcement of root-and-branch changes to its worldwide operating structure and the departure of Kathryn Enticott to her own venture, Enticott Music Management.
2 October 2014 Alex Stevens City Music Foundation announces classical artists for 2014 The City Music Foundation has announced the three soloists and three chamber ensembles which it will support through mentoring, professional development and performance opportunities as part of its 2014 classical artists programme.
1 October 2014 Classical Music staff CBSO Centre reopens after £1.8m refurbishment Birmingham's CBSO Centre has been reopened after a £1.8m redevelopment, with improvements having been made to performance facilities, public areas and the fabric of the building itself. The building was first opened in 1998.
26 September 2014 Alex Stevens Alan Davey to take over at Radio 3 from January 2015 Arts Council England chief executive Alan Davey is to become controller of Radio 3 from January 2015 following the departure of Roger Wright earlier this year.
24 September 2014 Alex Stevens Christopher Hogwood, 10 September 1941-24 September 2014 Conductor, performer and musicologist Christopher Hogwood, one of the key figures in the historically informed performance movement in the UK and internationally, has died at the age of 73.
23 September 2014 Alex Stevens New soundtrack to historic film to be performed by Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines at BFI London Film Festival The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines will play a newly composed soundtrack at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 16 October to celebrate the restoration of an 87-year-old documentary, painstakingly restored by film historians to mark the centenary of the two naval battles it chronicles.
Alex Stevens Southbank and skaters reach agreement on QEH undercroft Following a protracted dispute with the skating community over plans for the £100m-plus 'Festival Wing' redevelopment, the Southbank Centre has agreed not to give over the QEH's undercroft for retail development and to continue to allow the space to be used in its current form.
17 September 2014 Classical Music staff Sir James Galway, Sir Neville Marriner and Chailly & Gewandhaus win at Gramophone awards Flautist James Galway won the lifetime achievement award, in celebration of '50 years of bringing classical music to the widest possible audience'. The awards' overall record of the year was the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Riccardo Chailly's 'monumental' cycle of Brahms symphonies on Decca.
Classical Music staff Chorus member's Nazi remarks led to Three Choirs Festival exit, say organisers, but there was no altercation A member of the Three Choirs Festival Chorus who made offensive remarks related to Nazi Germany during rehearsal for an event commemorating the first world war was dismissed from the festival before the concert took place and was not involved in any altercation with visiting singers, say festival organisers, who have labelled him 'foolish'.
16 September 2014 Alex Stevens Making Music report: More playing, but progression is limited and class remains an issue The playing of instruments among children has increased by 35% since 1999, a new study has found, although issues of access, progression and class remain apparent in the music education sector.
15 September 2014 George Jahn Welser-Möst's Vienna exit seemed inevitable after artistic disagreements Simmering differences between Franz Welser-Möst and Dominique Meyer over the artistic direction of the Vienna State Opera led last week to what those who know the scene say was inevitable ‒ the resignation of Welser-Möst as musical director.
11 September 2014 Alex Stevens Former BBC SSO chiefs, plus tranche of composers, say independence could threaten orchestra A letter signed by former BBC SSO director Hugh Macdonald and chief conductor James Loughran warns that to lose the orchestra 'would be a disaster for cultural life in Scotland'.
10 September 2014 Alex Stevens Radio 3 announces New Generation Artists for 2014-16 New NGAs for 2014-16 will be German baritone Benjamin Appl, British French horn player Alec Frank-Gemmill, Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov, American-Belgian violinist Esther Yoo, and German chamber group Armida Quartet.
8 September 2014 Alex Stevens Han-Na Chang resigns from Qatar Philharmonic Conductor Han-Na Chang has resigned from her position as music director of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra the day after the orchestra's Proms debut, citing 'persistent administrative difficulties and irreconcilable artistic differences with the management'.
5 September 2014 David Kettle RSNO launches Alchemy ensemble to focus on contemporary, improvisation and cross-genre work The Royal Scottish National Orchestra has launched RSNO Alchemy, a brand new ensemble focused on contemporary music, exploring unconventional performance methods, improvisation and cross-genre collaborations. Linked to the orchestra's professional development programme, the ensemble is directed by Peter Wiegold.
4 September 2014 Alex Stevens Julian Anderson moves to Schott from Faber Music Composer Julian Anderson has joined Schott Music from Faber Music, the first signing under Schott's new London creative director Sam Rigby. 'The catalogue contains many composers whose music I love such as Zimmermann, Ligeti and Henze and I admire the firm's strong commitment to the promotion of contemporary music on an international scale,' said Anderson.
3 September 2014 Classical Music staff ABO/Rhinegold classical industry awards: nominations open Nominations for orchestra manager, concert hall manager, and artist manager of the year close on 5 December. The awards will be made at the Association of British Orchestras Conference 2015, held at Sage Gatehead in January 2015.
2 September 2014 Alex Stevens Conductor given 8-month prison sentence for historical abuse of Chetham's student Conductor Nicholas Smith has been sentenced to eight months in prison after admitting the indecent assault of a Chetham's School of Music pupil between 1976 and 1978.
1 September 2014 Classical Music staff Music Education Expo 2015: Registration opens Registration has opened for the 2015 Music Education Expo, which will be held at the Barbican Exhibition Halls on 12 and 13 March 2015. Registration allows free entry to the event, which is expected to attract more than 2,000 music education professionals.
28 August 2014 Classical Music staff Radio 3 and BBC Singers launch carol competition for Christmas Day broadcast Radio 3 and the BBC Singers have launched a national Christmas carol composition competition, with shortlisted entries to be performed live on Radio 3 in the run up to Christmas and the winning carol to be played on Christmas Day. Compositions will set a specially commissioned poem by author Susan Hill.
22 August 2014 Alex Stevens Help Musicians UK survey reveals range of physical and mental problems facing musicians Help Musicians UK has published the results of its health and wellbeing survey: 66% of respondents had suffered performance anxiety, 60% 'depression or other psychological issues', and 73% 'money problems'.
20 August 2014 Alex Stevens Composers are feeling the squeeze of doing more for less, says Sound and Music Sound and Music's survey suggests that composers are producing more for less money, while also having to find other means of generating a significant income. The findings present the sector with 'some hard questions to ask ourselves', says chief exec Susanna Eastburn
14 August 2014 Classical Music staff NMC secures new funding as new chairman takes post Contemporary classical music record label NMC has secured a new tranche of trust funding which will go some way towards covering the termination of its Holst Foundation grant in 2015. With Gustav Holst's music falling out of copyright ten years ago, the royalty funded foundation bearing his name has been gradually reducing its spending.
12 August 2014 Sarah Lambie Report calls for local authorities to recognise economic potential of art and culture The NLGN (New Local Government Network) has produced a report in response to the fact that local authority funding for arts and culture has fallen by 19% in the last three years. The report, entitled On with the show: supporting local arts and culture, warns that local authorities must now find alternative ways of sustaining local culture.
7 August 2014 Fiona Clampin Truro Cathedral to admit girl choristers Girl choristers are to be admitted to Truro Cathedral from next September, the cathedral's governing chapter has announced. The search to recruit 20 girl choristers aged 13–18 will begin this autumn.
31 July 2014 Simon Tait Nesta report suggests extra £70m available for arts with new funding models As the arts and culture face at least another three years of financial uncertainty, Nesta, the lottery-funded innovation foundation, has come up with new funding models to help bring new money to the sector.
30 July 2014 Phillip Sommerich Classical:NEXT moves to Rotterdam in search of permanent home Classical:NEXT will move to Rotterdam for its fourth outing on 20-23 May next year, hoping that this will be a long-term home for the classical music congress. Event organiser Piranha Arts has partnered with the De Doelen concert hall to host the market, seminars, concerts, audiovisual screenings and presentations.
29 July 2014 Fiona Hyslop Fiona Hyslop: Musicians, vote Yes. The arts will thrive in an independent Scotland 'On 18 September the people of Scotland will decide whether Scotland should be an independent country. That decision is, simply, a choice between two futures. We can be governed from Westminster, often by governments we didn't vote for and who don't put Scottish interests first. Or we can take responsibility for our own future; ensuring decisions about Scotland are made by those who care most about Scotland ‒ the people who live and work here.'
23 July 2014 Classical Music staff Seán Doherty wins Choir & Organ composition competition with carol setting Seán Doherty has won the composition competition run by CM sister magazine Choir & Organ with his carol A Nywe Werk. Doherty declared himself 'delighted' to have won: 'The opportunity to enter, with these jury members, was too good to miss.'
22 July 2014 Alex Stevens Music education in England gets funding boost, back up to £75m for 2015/16 The Department for Education has announced that central funding for the network of 123 music education hubs in England will be more than £75m in 2015/16, described as 'an £18m funding boost' by education minister Nick Gibb. Darren Henley, whose review of England's music education led to the National Plan for Music Education, said the announcement was 'great news'.
Alex Stevens Judith Weir takes up position as Master of the Queen's Music Judith Weir has been confirmed as the next Master of the Queen's Music, a fixed term, 10-year role which she takes up today from Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. 'I hope to encourage everyone in the UK who sings, plays or writes music, and to hear as many of them as possible in action over the next 10 years,' she said.
21 July 2014 Alex Stevens Rod Franks, LSO trumpeter who overcame brain tumour, dies in car crash Rod Franks, third trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra and principal for more than two decades, died in a car crash on the A1 in Nottinghamshire on the evening of 20 July. 'Rod will be missed for his ever-welcoming friendliness and brilliant playing' said the orchestra.
17 July 2014 Alex Stevens A man for Four Seasons ‒ Dora Holzhandler's Nigel Kennedy portraits Inspired by her favourite piece, one for which Nigel Kennedy has become world-famous, artist Dora Holzhandler has painted Kennedy 'at work in all four seasons'. The portraits will be on show at the Goldmark Gallery in Uppingham, Rutland, from 13 September to 5 October.
13 July 2014 Alex Stevens Conductor Lorin Maazel dies aged 84 American conductor Lorin Maazel has died at the age of 84 from 'complications following pneumonia', said a statement released on 13 July by the Castleton Festival, the festival he founded in 2009 with his wife Dietlinde.
11 July 2014 Phillip Sommerich David Aaron Carpenter and Salomé Chamber Orchestra soloists launch new classical series Carpenter and members of his Salomé Chamber Orchestra, including his violinist siblings, Sean Avraham and Lauren Sarah, appeared on the podium at London's Central Synagogue carrying tablet computers instead of sheet music in the first of a new classical series at the venue.
8 July 2014 Alex Stevens Nicola Benedetti awarded Sir Charles Groves Prize for music education advocacy work Violinist Nicola Benedetti has been awarded Making Music's Sir Charles Groves Prize, made annually to an individual or organisation for making an outstanding contribution to the musical life of the UK.
7 July 2014 Classical Music staff Simon Callow guest stars in 'The Recorder of London' concert: St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, 10 July Recorder player Mirian Nerval is an inaugural artist of the City Music Foundation and will be offering the musical element of this narrated concert which will trace the history of The Old Bailey and its position in British Justice. The main narrator will be the actual Recorder of London, Brain Barker QC, and Simon Callow will put in a guest appearance.
Rick Jones Celebrity-backed ivory ban 'foretells the destruction of early music industry', says AMIS Stringent new rules in the USA outlawing the selling, transporting and 'owning with intent to sell' of ivory may be good news for elephants, but they have serious implications for musicians. Manufacturers of period instruments on both sides of the Atlantic are extremely concerned.
4 July 2014 Alex Stevens New Music Biennial showcase weekend: 4-6 July, Southbank Centre The New Music Biennial's first showcase weekend runs at London's Southbank Centre this weekend, 4-6 July, with free tickets available to all events.
Alex Stevens Lottery funded NPOs include Royal Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, Opera North and WNO Several music organisations are among 99 of Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisations whose entire 2015-18 funding award will originate from the National Lottery. The funding arrangements represent ACE's latest interpretation of the principle of additionality.
2 July 2014 Classical Music staff Star-studded line-up announced for Saffron Hall's 2014/15 season An international programme of world-class artists and ensembles; talks from writers; family concerts; Sunday morning coffee concerts; Community engagement; local amateur events
1 July 2014 Alex Stevens Classical groups in ACE's 2015-18 portfolio: generally unscathed, universally uncertain Classical music institutions have appeared to emerge unscathed in today's funding announcement by Arts Council England. In most cases, changes to ACE grants will be felt evenly, with a major exception in ENO, which is willingly submitting to a major overhaul in its business model and a real-terms grant cut of one-third.
Alex Stevens ENO is single biggest loser in ACE funding round, but had already recognised need for change English National Opera is the single biggest victim of cuts in Arts Council England's funding arrangements for 2015-18. The company will suffer a real-terms cut of around one-third, but had already acknowledged the need to radically alter its business model.
30 June 2014 Alex Stevens Judith Weir widely expected to become Master of Queen's Music Judith Weir is widely expected to be the next Master of the Queen's Music, with an official announcement due next month. No statement has been made by Buckingham Palace or by Weir herself.
27 June 2014 Alex Stevens ACE to announce rule-stretching national portfolio funding allocations on 1 July Arts Council England will announce its National Portfolio Organisations for 2015-18 on 1 July, with National Lottery funding being used for the first time to bolster ACE's grant-in-aid funding of portfolio institutions.
26 June 2014 Alex Stevens Macdonald viola fails to sell at £27m The $45m (£27m) anticipated minimum price for the 1719 'Macdonald' Stradivarius viola has not been met, auctioneer Sotheby's has confirmed. 'We do anticipate that the "Macdonald" will be pursued and that further offers closer to $45 million will be made.'
24 June 2014 Alex Stevens Michael Elliott to leave RSNO, becoming ABRSM chief executive Michael Elliott, currently chief executive of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, has been appointed chief executive of ABRSM. He will take over the role from the retiring Leslie East in January 2015.
20 June 2014 Alex Stevens Manhandled Handel man ejected by 'classical vigilantes' is expected to return to Bristol Proms Tom Morris, director of the Bristol Proms, has spoken of audiences 'self-regulating', after a 'very over-excited' academic was physically ejected during a performance at last year's inaugural festival. The academic had contributed a visual display to a Nicola Benedetti concert the evening before and will again be contributing visuals to an event at this year's festival.
19 June 2014 Classical Music staff Multi-Story returns to Peckham Rye Car Park for 2014, opening with Whitley premiere and Sibelius five Multi-Story's summer season launches on 20 June, with the premiere of Kate Whitley's Alive and Sibelius' fifth symphony being the first of five concerts performed in a south-east London car park from June to August.
17 June 2014 Classical Music staff $50,000 triennial international violin competition launches in Singapore The Singapore International Violin Competition will be held at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore. It has been launched with the aim of 'promoting the rise of Singapore as a culturally vibrant city', backed by a total prize fund of $118,000 (£69,500) with a $50,000 (£29,450) first prize.
16 June 2014 Phillip Sommerich PPL annual report notes rise in licensing income Music rights collector PPL marked its 80th anniversary by reporting licensing income of £176.9m, up 4%, for the previous 12 month. Growth came principally from broadcasting and online – particularly commercial television – and public performance, up by 5% and 7% respectively.
Keith Clarke BBC launches major music education project The BBC has announced a major music education initiative which will give every primary school in the country an opportunity to participate. The project, Ten Pieces, 'aims to inspire a generation of children to get creative with classical music'.
Alex Stevens Musicians in Queen's birthday honours list include knighthood for András Schiff Pianist András Schiff received a knighthood, and soprano Susan Bullock and ENO artistic director John Berry received CBEs. Boosey & Hawkes managing director Janis Susskind received an OBE, describing the honour as 'a bolt from the blue'.
13 June 2014 Richard Fawkes Ten Radio 3 roles to be made redundant under BBC Radio cuts Ten Radio 3 roles are expected to go, predominantly within the areas of management, administration and support, as part of a £38m cost-cutting and reorganisation plan across BBC Radio.
11 June 2014 Keith Clarke Sir John Tavener remembered in thanksgiving service The music world paid tribute to Sir John Tavener on 11 June with a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, attended by The Prince of Wales. Sir John died on 12 November last year, aged 69. Leading a service which mirrored the composer's religious and personal leanings by including a gospel reading spoken and chanted in Greek, the Dean of Westminster, John Hall, was joined by Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain.
10 June 2014 Michael Quinn Music departments jostle for position in university league tables Seventeen universities, colleges and conservatories share the top ten spots for music in the higher education guides published by three separate leading sources. The results show sharp degrees of variance in the assessments of the teaching institutions with each guide placing a different university at the top of its rankings.
Simon Tait Sajid Javid and Harriet Harman set out artistic ideals The new culture secretary, Sajid Javid, and his shadow counterpart, Harriet Harman, have both made powerful speeches addressing young people and approaches to class difference in the arts, speaking within three weeks of the Arts Council announcing its spending plans for 2015-18.
9 June 2014 Rhian Morgan El Sistema stages big meet at Southbank; Abreu no-show at press conference The non-attendance of José Antonio Abreu, the founder of Venezuela's El Sistema, at a much-vaunted press conference at the Southbank Centre, has left journalists puzzled. Abreu, a somewhat reclusive figure who is not in good health, gives few interviews and his appearance was much anticipated. The press conference was part of a weekend of activities under the 'Sounds Venezuela: Nucleo' umbrella.
Alex Stevens Lancashire Sinfonietta closes, 'no longer sustainable' following grant reduction Lancashire Sinfonietta, the professional chamber orchestra which was ensemble in residence at Lancaster University, has become the latest casualty of local authority budget cuts. 'In particular it will be a huge loss to the schools, families and children who are increasingly denied exposure to music by the erosion of government support for the arts,' said a statement.
8 June 2014 Michael Quinn Metropolitan Opera warns of bankruptcy in labour dispute war of words The Metropolitan Opera faces bankruptcy 'in two or three years' if it fails to bring its wages bill under control, general manger Peter Gelb has warned. The stark announcement follows the threat of strike action following Gelb's proposal to cut spending on the venue's $200m (£119m) labour costs by 16%.
6 June 2014 Alex Stevens Music education campaigning continues amid funding uncertainty Musicians continue to come out in support of music education as the Protect Music Education campaign, led by the Incorporated Society of Musicians, attempts to rally support before a consultation deadline later this month.
4 June 2014 Phillip Sommerich Mike Spring leaves Hyperion Records In a surprise move, Mike Spring has resigned from Hyperion Records, where he has been a significant creative and commercial force for 25 years.
Alex Stevens Ryan Wigglesworth appointed Hallé principal guest conductor Ryan Wigglesworth will take up the role of principal guest conductor of Manchester's Hallé orchestra for three years from September 2015, succeeding Markus Stenz.
30 May 2014 John Ward Royal Albert Hall's live-accompaniment film screenings proving popular The increasing popularity of live-accompaniment film screenings has been demonstrated by the addition of an extra night to the original run of three performances of Gladiator Live, accompanied by the Philharmonia Orchestra.
29 May 2014 Alex Stevens Peter Moore named LSO co-principal trombone and youngest ever member The London Symphony Orchestra has appointed 18-year-old Peter Moore as co-principal trombone, the orchestra's youngest ever member. Belfast-born Moore was also the youngest ever winner of the BBC Young Musician competition.
Alex Stevens Southbank announces major £24m maintenance scheme for QEH, Purcell and Hayward The Southbank Centre has announced a £24m scheme to repair and maintain the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery, backed by a £16.7m grant from Arts Council England. However, the idea of a Festival Wing has not been abandoned by Southbank management.
27 May 2014 Alex Stevens Garsington announces repertoire-expanding Philharmonia deal The Philharmonia Orchestra will accompany one production a year, initially for five years from 2017, in new productions of late 19th- and 20th-century opera.
21 May 2014 Alex Stevens Gerald Finley to climb Kilimanjaro for Help Musicians UK Canadian baritone Gerald Finley will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in August to raise money for Help Musicians UK. Walking with his two sons, Finley aims to raise £10,000 for the musicians' charity.
20 May 2014 Classical Music staff Opera critics under fire over 'sexist attitudes' Opera critics came under fire following reviews of Glyndebourne's season opener of Der Rosenkavalier on 17 May. On his Slipped Disc blog, commentator Norman Lebrecht said social media had gone 'white-hot with their fury' following comments about Irish mezzo Tara Erraught, who played Octavian.
19 May 2014 Susan Nickalls BBC Young Musician 2014: 17-year-old pianist Martin James Bartlett Pianist Martin James Bartlett is the winner of the BBC Young Musician 2014 competition. The 17-year-old from Essex won the prestigious award with a consummate performance of Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
Phillip Sommerich Classical:NEXT day four ‒ Classical music for generation Y, venerating venues, conference closing numbers Phillip Sommerich reports from the final day of events at Classical:NEXT 2014
17 May 2014 Phillip Sommerich Classical:NEXT day three ‒ Classical in Brazil, the future for composers, big data, and co-op record labels Phillip Sommerich reports from the third day of events at Classical:NEXT 2014
16 May 2014 Phillip Sommerich Classical:NEXT day two ‒ Streaming, video relay, composers' rights and identifying future stars Phillip Sommerich reports on a packed programme of events at Classical:NEXT 2014
15 May 2014 Phillip Sommerich Thomas Hampson opens proceedings at Classical:NEXT Do not be afraid to admit that classical music is art music and that it is enjoyed by the middle classes, but do fight to keep music in school classrooms ‒ that was the challenge delivered by singer and cultural campaigner Thomas Hampson in his keynote speech at the opening of Classical:NEXT in Vienna.
14 May 2014 Classical Music staff Scottish Opera announces five main-stage operas for its 2014/15 season Scottish Opera has announced its 2014/15 season of five main-stage operas, opening in October with Rossini's La Cenerentola (directed by Sandrine Anglade) in a co-production with Opéra national du Rhin. A new production of James MacMillan's Inés de Castro, which was originally commissioned by the company for its 1996 season, will see in the new year.
13 May 2014 Classical Music staff Birtwistle makes it five as RPS awards are announced Sir Harrison Birtwistle has become the most honoured musician in RPS Awards history, adding a fifth with this year's win of the Chamber-Scale Composition award for The Moth Requiem (first performed by the BBC Singers at the Proms). The RPS Awards for Music, in 13 categories, were announced at a ceremony hosted by Radio 3's Petroc Trelawny and Sara Mohr-Pietsch at the Dorchester Hotel.
12 May 2014 Robert Beale Hallé and BBC Phil go big for Beethoven in 2014/15 Both the Hallé Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic have announced major Beethoven performances in their 2014-15 Manchester season plans. Other highlights include focuses on Nielsen, Shostakovich and British composers.
9 May 2014 Classical Music staff Sir George Christie: 31 December 1934 ‒ 7 May 2014 Sir George's leadership and widely-acknowledged gift for fundraising making possible many significant advances which helped to open up Glyndebourne to those from outside the elite.
8 May 2014 Alex Stevens Sir John Tomlinson to receive RPS Gold Medal Sir John Tomlinson has been named as the latest recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society's Gold Medal, the society's highest honour. It has also been announced that the bass is to take up an international chair in singing at the Royal Northern College of Music
Michael Quinn Salzburg Festival running deficit despite bumper sales The future of the Salzburg Festival has been called into question following claims by its president Helga Rabl-Stadler that it needs a substantial increase in state funding if it is to survive. Speaking to the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper, Rabl-Stadler said 'I cannot stay silent any longer … We need substantially more funding. What is at stake here is the future of the Salzburg Festival.'
7 May 2014 Andrew Green Antony Hopkins: 21 March 1921 ‒ 6 May 2014 Antony Hopkins CBE won fame through a programme with the simplest of titles and simplest of formats: Talking about Music. Running from the mid-1950s, not just on what are now Radio 3 and Radio 4 but dozens of stations worldwide, it relied purely and simply on Hopkins' brilliance at writing.
6 May 2014 Francesca King Lufthansa Baroque: 30th festival celebrates Anglo-German connections The Lufthansa Festival of baroque music will run 16-24 May with a varied programme of events to celebrating the festival's 30th birthday and the 300th anniversary of the founding of St John's, Smith Square.
2 May 2014 Alex Stevens Two UK premieres as Västerås Sinfonietta makes British debut, Cadogan Hall, 17 May Trombonist, composer and conductor Christian Lindberg will lead the Västerås Sinfonietta in its UK debut performance at Cadogan Hall on 17 May, in a concert featuring the UK premiere of Lindberg's clarinet concerto, The Erratic Dreams of Mr Grönstedt, and Andrea Tarrodi's Lucioles.
30 April 2014 Phillip Sommerich Vienna State Opera launches 'most sophisticated online streaming project' yet On 7 May, the VSO debuts what it believes will be the future of domestic viewing of the arts, with a high definition (HD) live stream of Verdi's Nabucco starring Plácido Domingo.
Robert Beale Opera North announces 2014/15 season; Richard Farnes to leave in 2016 Opera North's 2014/15 announcement includes the news that music director Richard Farnes is to continue in the role for two years more, bringing a 12-year tenure to a finale in summer 2016 with a series of complete Ring cycle performances at 'concert halls around the country'.
29 April 2014 Classical Music staff English National Opera reveals 2014/15 season and slew of partnerships English National Opera has revealed its 2014/15 season along with a slew of collaborations and projects which suggest a company reinventing itself in the budget cut era. After financial straits which saw the company raid its contingency budget to the tune of £2.2m in 2011/12, a rosier picture was presented by artistic director John Berry this morning, with 2013/14 showing a surplus 'due to stronger than anticipated box office sales and buoyant co-production partnerships'.
28 April 2014 Classical Music staff Julian Lloyd Webber to retire from performance Star cellist forced to abandon public performance due to a herniated disc in his neck, which will have a permanent effect on his bowing arm
25 April 2014 Michael Quinn Vänskä returns to Minnesota Conductor Osmo Vänskä has announced he is to return to the Minnesota Orchestra as its musical director just six months after resigning from the post.
Francesca King Sage Gateshead leadership to change Sage Gateshead has announced two major changes to its leadership. Anthony Sargent, general director of Sage Gateshead for fifteen years and Katherine Zeserson, who has been director of learning and participation at the venue since 2002 will stand down in early 2015 after the venue's tenth birthday in December.
Francesca King RSNO launches nationwide music programme for schools Next month, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) will provide the most comprehensive orchestra-led music access programme to primary and secondary schools across Scotland. In terms of scale and choice, RSNO Engage for Schools is the first of its kind in the UK, as education establishments can pick and choose the level of music education provision they require from over thirty options.
Phillip Sommerich Berlin Philharmonic launches own recording label The Berlin Philharmonic is launching its own recording label with the release on 23 May of a sumptuously packaged set of the Schumann symphonies conducted by the orchestra's principal conductor, Sir Simon Rattle.
24 April 2014 Classical Music staff Proms 2014 announced featuring ten international debut ensembles and War Horse Prom The centenary of the outbreak of the first world war is being commemorated with the matinée War Horse Prom, the Prom's first ever collaboration with the National Theatre. The 80th birthdays of Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies will also be marked across ten concerts.
Alex Stevens Music education campaigning steps up as councils pressured out of supporting music A consultation document on local education funding shows that central government expects local government to cease funding music in English schools from 2016. There is also little certainty over levels of music education funding after the current financial year.
Classical Music staff James Rhodes to present Channel 4 series on music in schools Channel 4 has commissioned production company Fresh One to make a three-part series in which pianist James Rhodes launches this country's biggest ever 'instrument amnesty', aiming to 'to get Britain playing again'.
17 April 2014 Francesca King MU champions Milton Keynes music co-operative The Musicians' Union (MU) is supporting its members who have set up Milton Keynes music co-operative, which launched this week.
Classical Music staff New choral course for JAM JAM, the John Armitage Memorial, is running a choral course, alongside its JAM on the Marsh festival in the Romney Marsh, Kent. The festival (11-20 July), curated by Judith Bingham, brings together musicians associated with JAM with the charity's education work in the area.
Music Teacher magazine Discord at the NCO A group of people connected with the National Children's Orchestras of Great Britain (NCO), calling themselves 'concerned stakeholders', have publicly aired grievances against the charity's board of trustees, and effectively called for a coup d'etat, albeit one with the organisation's founder at its forefront.
16 April 2014 Phillip Sommerich Success for Classical:NEXT Nearly 700 delegates have registered for the third outing of Classical:NEXT, the music industry expo, one month before its third outing opens in Vienna on 14 May.
15 April 2014 Francesca King Elgar Society awards Elgar Medal to Sir Andrew Davis On 12 April, Sir Andrew Davis was presented with the Elgar Society medal on stage at the Barbican in recognition of his 'significant contribution' to the wider appreciation of Elgar and his music.
11 April 2014 Francesca King Huw Humphreys appointed head of music at the Barbican The Barbican has announced the appointment of Huw Humphreys as its new head of music. The appointment follows the departure of Angela Dixon who was named director of the Saffron Hall Trust Essex from March 2014.
10 April 2014 Classical Music staff ENO appoints new executive director English National Opera has appointed Henriette Götz as its new executive director, replacing Loretta Tomasi who left the company at the end of 2013. Götz will be assuming her new role in May 2014, after leaving her current post as executive director at the Antwerp-based Vlaamse Opera, where she has been since 2009.
9 April 2014 Alex Stevens Maria Miller resigns as culture secretary after expenses furore Culture secretary Maria Miller has resigned from her position in the cabinet following a week of intense media, parliamentary and public pressure over her expenses.
Alex Stevens Sajid Javid appointed culture secretary to replace Maria Miller Sajid Javid, whose career was in banking before becoming MP for Bromsgrove in 2010, has been appointed to replace Maria Miller as secretary of state for culture, media, sport and equalities.
Francesca King Creative Scotland launches 'bold' 10-year plan Creative Scotland has announced a 10-year plan and revamped funding approach for Scotland's creative industries which will 'unlock the potential' of the country's arts, screen and creative industries and sets out 'clear ambitions' for the future.
8 April 2014 Phillip Sommerich Alain Lanceron named president of Warner Classics & Erato Alain Lanceron has been confirmed as president of Warner Classics and Erato following Warner Music Group's purchase of EMI and Virgin Classics' catalogues and recording contracts last year. One of his priorities, he tells CM, is signing new artists.
4 April 2014 Alex Stevens London International A Cappella Choir Competition: Tallis Scholars host tribute to Tavener Choirs from Estonia, Spain, Poland, the US, Sweden, Ireland and the UK will compete in the competition, which was conceived as a 70th birthday tribute to Sir John Tavener and will now be held in his memory.
2 April 2014 Phillip Sommerich Worldwide record industry is adapting to digital, says IFPI The fast-growing popularity worldwide of online streaming for music consumption is confirmed by the annual survey of international recording industry body the IFPI. Europe's six biggest markets ‒ France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK ‒ all registered positive revenue flow in 2013.
1 April 2014 Alex Stevens John O'Kane appointed executive director, RTÉ orchestras, quartet and choirs John O'Kane is a permanent replacement for Séamus Crimmins, who retired in July 2013. He arrives from a senior management position at Ireland's Arts Council to take responsibility for the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and RTÉ Concert Orchestra, RTÉ Philharmonic Choir and RTÉ Cor na nÓg, and ConTempo Quartet
31 March 2014 Francesca King Royal Opera House reveals 2014/15 season The Royal Opera House has announced its opera and ballet programme for 2014/15 for both the main stage and the Linbury Theatre. Highlights include Turnage's Anna Nicole, Giordano's Andrea Chenier, the Antonio Pappano Orchestral Concert and Philip Glass' The Trial.
27 March 2014 Susan Nickalls Scottish Chamber Orchestra announces 2014/15 season The Scottish Chamber Orchestra follows up its 40th anniversary year with a season of music that begins with Mahler's fourth symphony and ends with Haydn's Creation, including a focus on the music of Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa.
26 March 2014 Susan Nickalls RSNO reveals 2014/15 season The Royal Scottish National Orchestra's 2014/15 season is just one of many activities in an action-packed year for the orchestra which will see it move to its new home adjacent to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
25 March 2014 Alex Stevens Tony Hall announces new BBC Arts and Music strategy The BBC's director-general, Tony Hall, today announced a new strategy for the BBC's arts and music programming, with a new emphasis on collaboration both within the BBC and with national institutions and artists.
Alex Stevens Joanna MacGregor to lead Dartington International Summer School from 2015 Joanna MacGregor has been announced as the artistic director of the Dartington International Summer School from 2015, initially on a three-year contract.
24 March 2014 Alex Stevens Roger Wright to leave BBC for Aldeburgh this summer Roger Wright, controller of Radio 3 and director of the BBC Proms, is to leave the BBC at the beginning of this year's Proms season to become chief executive of Aldeburgh Music from September. The BBC said that recruitment for the posts would begin 'in due course'.
Phillip Sommerich San Diego Opera to close due to financial pressures 'After nearly 50 years as a San Diego cultural cornerstone providing world-class performances, we saw we faced an insurmountable financial hurdle going forward,' Ian D Campbell, the opera's general and artistic director, said in a statement.
21 March 2014 Michael Quinn Minnesota Orchestra chief to step down Michael Henson has announced his resignation as president and chief executive of the Minnesota Orchestra. He will step down after seven years in the post on August 31 following a period that brought the 111-year-old orchestra to the brink of closure.
20 March 2014 Keith Clarke Industry welcomes tax relief on production costs Arts Council England has welcomed a new scheme for arts and cultural organisations to claim specific tax relief on production costs, announced in Chancellor George Osborne's budget on 19 March. The tax break will apply to both commercial and subsidised productions and will include theatre, ballet, dance and opera, musicals and other live performance.
Susan Nickalls BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra announces 2014/15 season The BBCSSO continues its exploration of cutting edge contemporary music together with performances of much-loved classics in its 2014/15 season. 'Discovery' is one of the main themes throughout with audiences having the opportunity to hear some less familiar works
18 March 2014 David Kettle Edinburgh Festival looks to first world war in 2014 programme War, peace and artists' responses to them are the weighty themes behind the 2014 Edinburgh International Festival, Jonathan Mills has announced in his final year as the event's director.
12 March 2014 Classical Music staff First English-language performance of Rimsky-Korsakov opera University College Opera will perform the world's first English translation of Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snowmaiden at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London on 24, 26, 28 and 29 March.
6 March 2014 Simon Tait Analysis: What is the Arts Council's This England report all about? In its most formal sense, the report is simply ACE's response to the Commons Culture Select Committee's call for evidence as it looks into the regional funding balance. Actually, it is a defiant policy affirmation.
Michael Quinn Rosa Solinas resigns from Ulster Orchestra after 13 months Rosa Solinas has become the latest in a growing line of chief executives at the Ulster Orchestra to resign from the post before serving the full term of their contract.
5 March 2014 Alex Stevens Royal Marines Corp of Drums prepares for world's longest drum roll The Royal Marines Corps of Drums is to launch a world record attempt to make the longest group drum roll, with preparations currently underway for six teams to undertake an ambitious 64-hour drum roll from 30 April.
28 February 2014 Classical Music staff Arts council responds to regional balance debate Following the House of Commons' Culture, Media and Sport Committee's announcement on 10 January of an inquiry into the regional imbalance of funding in the UK, Arts Council England has published a formal response as well as a report entitled This England: How Arts Council England uses its investment to shape a national cultural ecology.
27 February 2014 Toby Deller Aurora's rise continues with three-album Warner deal The British chamber orchestra Aurora has signed a three-album deal with record label Warner Classics. The first release, scheduled for autumn 2014, will be entitled Road Trip and feature music by John Adams, Aaron Copland and Charles Ives alongside folksongs arranged by Nico Muhly.
25 February 2014 Alex Stevens 'By George!' reveals Handel's double role as composer and philanthropist The Foundling Museum in London has opened a new temporary exhibition examining Handel's music for royal occasions. Handel was a governor of the Foundling Hospital, which works today as the children's charity Coram.
21 February 2014 Phillip Sommerich Classical:NEXT expands exhibition as demand grows Classical:NEXT, the music industry expo that has its third outing on 14 to 17 May, has hurriedly expanded its exhibition area in the applied arts museum in Vienna, because demand for stands is already a third up on last year.
Classical Music staff Rhinegold Publishing launches Rhinegold LIVE, a new series of free rush-hour concerts Free series of concerts aims to bring music to all, removing the barriers to classical music and offering a unique take on the classical recital experience. Each concert will be followed by a Q&A with the artist and a complimentary drinks reception.
20 February 2014 Classical Music staff Wigmore Hall announces 2014/15 season and audience statistics London's Wigmore Hall sold a total 200,000 tickets in 2013, marking its highest ever attendance figures, and a 60% increase from 2005 (when John Gilhooly took over the artistic director role). A statement from the hall pinpointed the increase in the number of recitals broadcast by Radio 3, the international reach of releases on the Wigmore Hall Live label and a new tv relay partnership with Sky Arts as having contributed to rising audiences.
19 February 2014 Simon Tait Music industry worth £3.5bn to the UK economy, says report The music industry is worth £3.5bn a year to the UK economy, according to a new report from UK Music, an organisation which lobbies on behalf of live music.
14 February 2014 Classical Music staff Philip Pickett charged by City of London Police The City of London Police has charged early music specialist Philip Pickett with 15 historic offences, relating to nine separate victims, which allegedly occurred during his tenure as a freelance teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
12 February 2014 Alex Stevens London Mozart Players announce details of new structure Croydon-based chamber orchestra the London Mozart Players has announced details of what will become its new structure after its current managing director, Simon Funnell, leaves at the end of next month as the result of 'a major funding problem'.
10 February 2014 Classical Music staff Music Teacher Awards for Excellence 2014 announced The Music Teacher Awards for Excellence 2014 were announced on 7 February at the Music Education Expo in London's Barbican Centre.
7 February 2014 Alex Stevens Radio 3 in the Rajars: 'No pressure to increase audience' says Wright Wright: 'We do not chase ratings, but I am delighted that the station has experienced recent growth in its distinctiveness and audience appreciation figures and remains a vital part of the UK's cultural landscape.'
5 February 2014 Alex Stevens Southbank delays Festival Wing plans after mayor Boris punches hole in funding model Southbank Centre management are to conduct a final search for money from the public sector in an attempt 'to keep the Festival Wing redevelopment scheme alive', after London mayor Boris Johnson put his weight behind the skaters currently using the undercroft of the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
31 January 2014 Classical Music staff Choir of the Year 2014 opens for entrants Kallaway has announced the opening of Choir of the Year 2014. Auditions will take place around the UK from March to June in Middlesbrough, London, Bristol, Leeds, Basingstoke, Warwick, Norwich and Glasgow.
30 January 2014 Classical Music staff ABO/Rhinegold Award winners named The winners have been announced for the Association of British Orchestras/Rhinegold Awards 2014, presented at LSO St Luke's on 29 January as part of the ABO annual conference. The awards were inaugurated in 2011 to honour the backstage figures of the music business.
28 January 2014 Alex Stevens London Mozart Players to lose managing director and become player-run 'The London Mozart Players has a major funding problem that has necessitated a re-evaluation of the way in which the management of the orchestra operates.'
23 January 2014 Classical Music staff Southbank Centre looks to 21st century in 2014/15 season A varied 2014/15 classical season was announced by the Southbank Centre and its resident orchestras on 23 January, with particular attention drawn to 20 new works with London, UK and world premieres among them.
Alex Stevens Mark Wigglesworth to succeed Edward Gardner as ENO music director from 2015 Gardner is to leave after the 2014-15 season to take up the post of chief conductor at the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, an appointment which was announced in February 2013 ‒ although at the time it was said that he would be continuing in his role at ENO.
20 January 2014 Alex Stevens Claudio Abbado dies aged 80 One of the most respected figures in classical music, Claudio Abbado found early success and remained at the top of the industry for the rest of his life, holding prestigious positions in Berlin, Vienna and London. He also did much to encourage young musicians.
17 January 2014 Classical Music staff Music teacher pleads guilty to fake examinations fraud A music teacher has pleaded guilty to 16 charges of fraud, having lied about entering pupils in official music exams and instead keeping the fees for herself.
15 January 2014 Classical Music staff Minnesota Orchestra back on track as musicians and board reach agreement New collective bargaining agreement brings the organisation's lockout to a conclusion. The orchestra's first concert performances are anticipated in early February and will be announced shortly.
13 January 2014 Alex Stevens Ulster Orchestra appoints Rafael Payare as next chief conductor Venezuelan prizewinner and product of El Sistema will take over from JoAnn Falletta in September 2014. Further details will be released in March of 'plans to introduce the El Sistema programme to Northern Ireland'.
10 January 2014 Alex Stevens Commons committee to investigate ACE's remit, funding criteria and regional balance The Culture, Media and Sport select committee of the House of Commons is to conduct an inquiry into the work of Arts Council England. The inquiry will look across the organisation's scale, scope and remit, as well as the current weighting of its funding towards arts organisations in London.
Simon Tait Analysis: Arts council's use of lottery money further erodes principle of additionality Arts Council England is turning to the National Lottery to fill in gaps in its revenue funding after the government announced further cuts to all departments. In 2015/16 ACE's grants to its revenue clients are to be cut by 2%.
9 January 2014 Alex Stevens Bachtrack stats 2013: women conductors and composers notable by absence Listings website Bachtrack.com has published an analysis of its data from the last year's classical performances. It shows a surge in popularity for Britten, Valery Gergiev as the busiest conductor in the world, and a shocking paucity of women composers and conductors.
8 January 2014 Classical Music staff Barbican's Angela Dixon announced director of Saffron Hall Angela Dixon has been named director of the Saffron Hall Trust Essex from March 2014. She moves from the Barbican Centre, where she has been head of music since October 2011.
7 January 2014 Alex Stevens Sir Thomas Allen awarded Queen's Medal for Music Baritone Sir Thomas Allen has been awarded The Queen's Medal for Music 2013. The medal has been given since 2005 to 'an outstanding individual or group of musicians who have had a major influence on the musical life of the nation'.
6 January 2014 Phillip Sommerich Record industry in 2013: UK and US trends UK streaming sites broke £100m barrier for first time in 2013 and digital downloads continued to grow ‒ but downloads were marginally down in the US. Vinyl is on an undoubted upturn with highest UK unit sales since 1997.
3 January 2014 Michael Quinn Berlioz and Caruso become latest arts-themed Mercury craters Composer Hector Berlioz and tenor Enrico Caruso are to have craters on the planet Mercury named after them by the International Astronomical Union, the body in charge of naming planetary features.
Clare Stevens Declan McGovern leaves RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Declan McGovern has stepped down from his role as general manager of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland after just a year in post. RTE, Ireland's national broadcasting organisation, announced his departure in a statement issued on 23 December.
Alex Mills Rattle inducted into Order of Merit in New Year's Honours Sir Simon Rattle and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies lead a host of classical music figures recognised in the 2014 New Years Honours list.
20 December 2013 Sarah Lambie PRS for Music Foundation and British Council announce Musicians in Residence ‒ China Anna Meredith, Arun Ghosh, Oliver Coates, Sam Genders and Sid Peacock will travel to five cities across China from spring 2014.
Alex Stevens Derry launches £900,000 legacy plans as City of Culture year comes to an end The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Derry City Council have launched a £900,000 legacy fund 'to continue the cultural transformation of the city' as its year as the first UK City of Culture comes to an end.
18 December 2013 Alex Stevens The Rest Is Noise closes with final ticket sales of 124,644 The Southbank Centre's year-long The Rest Is Noise festival, which concluded on 14 December, sold 124,644 tickets across its entire run.
13 December 2013 Toby Deller Dobrinka Tabakova gains Grammy nomination for String Paths album An album of music for strings by the Bulgarian-British composer Dobrinka Tabakova has been nominated for a 2014 Grammy award. String Paths, recorded on the ECM label, has been shortlisted in the Best Classical Compendium category
12 December 2013 David Kettle El Sistema moves to Aberdeen with new Big Noise project Scotland looks set to get its third El Sistema-style children's orchestra project, thanks to backing from Aberdeen City Council. Big Noise Torry, based in the Torry area of the city, will be a partnership between the local authority and charity Sistema Scotland
11 December 2013 Michael Quinn Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra facing major funding crisis, while Minnesota Orchestra remains in deadlock The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is 'facing possible extinction' and announced a $5m (£3m) fund-raising campaign and a restructuring plan that will see redundancies for both musicians and administration staff.
6 December 2013 Classical Music staff NCA report on arts funding sees both ups and downs The National Campaign for the Arts has released its 2013 Arts Index – 'A measure of the vitality of Arts and Culture in England'. The index tracks changes in hope that policy makers can apply coherent bases to their decisions.
4 December 2013 Classical Music staff CBSO's Simon Webb to replace Richard Wigley at BBC Phil Simon Webb, who has been the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's director of orchestral management since 2008, will be joining the BBC Philharmonic as its new general manager in March 2014. He will be replacing Richard Wigley, who has held the post for ten years.
Classical Music staff British Composer Awards announced A ceremony at Goldsmiths' Hall in the City of London last night saw the announcement of the British Composer Awards presented by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (Basca) in 13 categories.
2 December 2013 Michael Quinn Ulster Orchestra in danger of having to give up Ulster Hall home Cuts to the Ulster Orchestra's annual revenue grant from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland have threatened the viability of it remaining in its Ulster Hall home.
Hannah Beynon Christmas from Sweden at Cadogan Hall Cadogan Hall will host an evening of Swedish and Swedish-inspired music on 23 December to celebrate Lilla julafton, the traditional Swedish 'Little Christmas Eve'.
Toby Deller Orchestra of the Swan awarded £50,000 for Antony and Cleopatra ‒ The Musical! The Orchestra of the Swan has been awarded £49,822 by the national grants programme The People's Millions for its schools project Antony and Cleopatra ‒ The Musical!
28 November 2013 Alex Stevens Austerity bears down on cultural funding as councils concentrate on statutory services In the four years since 2010/11, spending on 'cultural and related services' has been reduced by almost a quarter in real terms. Councils serving the most-deprived areas have borne the brunt of reductions in funding relative to spending.
26 November 2013 Ruth McPherson Battle of Ideas: Debaters battle it out over cuts to arts funding A satellite debate on the state of subsidy to the UK creative industries was held at the Cockpit Theatre on 14 November as an extension of the Battle of Ideas festival.
22 November 2013 Miriam Levenson Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards 2013 Seven UK music teachers across the UK have received honours at the fifteenth annual Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards. The presentations were made across three nights at the Music for Youth's Schools Proms.
21 November 2013 Clare Stevens Five take voluntary redundancy from Ulster Orchestra The Ulster Orchestra's administration team is currently undergoing substantial changes in the process of a restructuring by the orchestra's chief executive, Rosa Solinas.
18 November 2013 Phillip Sommerich Google warned of legal action over failure to stamp out music piracy sites UK recording industry body the BPI has announced issuing its 50 millionth 'take down' notice to Google seeking the removal from search results of illegal links to illegal music sites.
15 November 2013 Alex Stevens Music Education Hubs 'have done little to improve' music education, finds Ofsted Music education hubs have done little to improve the range in quality of music education across England, says a report released by Ofsted today, urging hub leaders to act more as 'champions, leaders and expert partners'.
14 November 2013 Alex Stevens Conference report: Orchestras Live, 'Taking Music Further', 7 November Orchestras Live's 7 November conference on 'Taking Music Further', held at Kings Place in London, brought much evidence of good practice to the attention of its 100-plus delegates, as well as a number of wakeup calls over barriers to access and outsiders' perception of classical music.
Michael Quinn Pleyel pianos shuts up shop after two centuries French piano maker Pleyel has ceased operations after 206 years and the manufacture of an estimated 250,000 instruments following 'repeated financial losses and a very low level of production'.
12 November 2013 Alex Stevens Sir John Tavener dies aged 69 Sir John Tavener, the British composer famous for works including The Protecting Veil and Song for Athene, has died aged 69. He is said to have died peacefully at his home in Oxfordshire.
11 November 2013 Alex Stevens Sally Groves to retire from Schott Music in summer 2014, succeeded by Intermusica's Sam Rigby Intermusica associate director Sam Rigby will succeed Sally Groves as Schott's London creative director from July 2014.
8 November 2013 Alex Stevens LGBT protests against Valery Gergiev before second LSO concert Gergiev: 'It is wrong to suggest that I have ever supported anti-gay legislation and in all my work I have upheld equal rights for all people. I am an artist and have for over three decades worked with tens of thousands of people in dozens of countries from all walks of life'
Alex Stevens The Space appoints Ruth Mackenzie as 'interim launch director' Ruth Mackenzie has been appointed interim launch director of online digital arts project The Space, 'to lead the development of the next phase'.
1 November 2013 Michael Quinn HMRC repeals NI ruling for entertainers The Government's decision to repeal current National Insurance regulations for self-employed musicians and entertainers has been welcomed by the Association of British Orchestras and the Musicians' Union.
Phillip Sommerich Record company launches new music disc Universal Classics has launched a new music disc but does not expect it to become a mass seller.
Alex Stevens Rebalancing Our Cultural Capital: Is arts money distributed fairly across England? Arts Council England and DCMS funding in 2012/13 was distributed in the ratio 15:1 per head of population between London and the rest of the country, says report. ACE has committed to address the issue in its next funding round.
Simon Tait Report reveals huge arts funding imbalance between capital and regions Londoners are getting 15 times as much arts funding per head as those living in the regions, according to a new report by three distinguished arts administrators.
31 October 2013 Alex Stevens Mohr-Pietsch 'ready for a lie-in' as Burton-Hill moves to Radio 3 Breakfast Radio 3 has announced a change in its weekday breakfast line up, with Clemency Burton-Hill replacing Sara Mohr-Pietsch from 2 December.
Alex Stevens ISM Conference 2014: Music in the 21st century The Incorporated Society of Musicians has announced the speakers at its 2014 conference, which will take place at Birmingham Conservatoire on 16 and 17 April.
30 October 2013 Alex Stevens Royal Philharmonic launches 'RPO Rewards' mobile ticketing The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has announced a new mobile app for Apple and Android smartphones which allows users to purchase tickets and earn points to contribute towards rewards when they buy tickets through the app.
29 October 2013 Alex Stevens Lang Lang named UN messenger of peace The pianist joins 11 other messengers of peace and one goodwill ambassador, who advocate on behalf of the United Nations and its projects across the world. Lang Lang has been designated in connection with secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's Global Education First project.
25 October 2013 Alex Stevens Malko conducting competition 2015: registration open With a first prize of €20,000 and a diary of 34 engagements worth another €150,000, the winner of the 2015 Malko conducting competition will find the competition a transformative moment in his or her career.
24 October 2013 Alex Stevens British Composer Awards 2013: Shortlist announced BASCA has announced the 39-strong shortlist for its 2013 British Composer Awards, including nominations for George Benjamin's Written on Skin and Gerald Barry's The Importance of Being Earnest. The winners will be announced at Goldsmiths' Hall on 3 December.
Alex Stevens Barbirolli oboe festival and competition to run in April 2014 The 3rd Barbirolli International Oboe Festival and Competition will take place at the Erin Arts Centre, Isle of Man from 5-12 April 2014. The planned festival and competition in 2012 had been cancelled in 2011 due to 'the loss of crucial grants'.
23 October 2013 Alex Stevens Gallery: City Music Foundation showcase concert The first award winner of the City Music Foundation, which aims to help performers at the beginning of their careers, took part in a showcase concert at the newly-completed Milton Court on 17 October.
18 October 2013 Alex Stevens JAM's Writing for Voices builds to 9 November concert The culmination of JAM's Writing for Music project, which has seen six composers and six poets working with six choirs in Oxford over the past year, will take place on 9 November with a concert at the University Church of St Mary, Oxford.
16 October 2013 Alex Stevens Wales sees 3% arts budget cuts, while Ireland stomachs 7% Both the Irish and Welsh arts sectors have been digesting news this week of funding cuts in 2014. The Arts Council of Wales is having its budget cut by 3%, while Ireland's Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has announced a 7% cut to the budget it receives from the exchequer
Alex Stevens Gramophone sold to Jazzwise publishers the Mark Allen Group Gramophone magazine has been sold by present owners Haymarket Media to the Mark Allen Group for an undisclosed sum in its 90th anniversary year.
Phillip Sommerich New Arts International signs up former Codaex labels for UK distribution Some 60 record labels that vanished from the UK market with the collapse of distributor Codaex last June are back with the emergence of New Arts International, which has teamed up with distributor Proper Note.
Alex Stevens Purcell School 'deletes' head of music role ‒ the background The posts of head of music and deputy head of music at the Purcell School have been abolished in a restructuring of staff announced by the headmaster, David Thomas, and chair of governors, Sir Roger Jackling, just before the start of the autumn term.
11 October 2013 Alex Stevens Tony Hall commits BBC to arts and music BBC director general Tony Hall has made a commitment to the BBC's coverage of and support for the arts. 'Arts programming sits right at the heart of the BBC and is a vital part of who we are ... but I want us to be much more ambitious.'
Alex Stevens Catherine Bott moves to Classic FM for 3-year Everything You Ever Wanted to Know… Catherine Bott is to present a new series for Classic FM, hailed by the station as the biggest in its 21-year history, after Radio 3's Early Music Show was cut by half in new weekend schedules.
10 October 2013 Alex Stevens Bath Phil composition prize: the audience will decide Three new pieces will be put to an audience ballot at the Bath Phil's season opener on 12 October, to decide which will be published by Schott. It is part of the Young Apollo festival, running throughout this weekend.
8 October 2013 Alex Stevens James MacMillan launches festival in home town of Cumnock Composer James MacMillan has launched a brand new music festival for southern Scotland, with the aim of bringing together international artists and local community and schools groups. The Cumnock Tryst will take place in October 2014 in the East Ayrshire market town and former mining community of Cumnock, where MacMillan grew up and attended three local schools.
3 October 2013 Alex Stevens Boston-bound Andris Nelsons to leave CBSO in 2015 'with heavy heart' Andris Nelsons is to leave the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in summer 2015. 'It's clear to everyone that we have very good taste in music directors' says CBSO chief exec Stephen Maddock
2 October 2013 Alex Stevens 70-year-old New York City Opera goes bust New York City Opera has announced it is to close and file for bankruptcy in its 70th anniversary year after failing to find the $7m (£4.3m) it needed to deliver its planned season for the year ahead. The company's ethos of making opera affordable to the city's residents had earned it the nickname 'The People's Opera'.
1 October 2013 Alex Stevens Osmo Vänskä resigns from Minnesota Orchestra 'I send my deepest thanks to everyone involved for what we have achieved together' says a statement released by Vänskä's management company. The conductor first threatened to resign in April this year during a still unresolved dispute over players' pay and conditions.
Alex Stevens German bands down tools in nationwide strike On the eve of talks about public sector pay at the start of October, German orchestral musicians switched their tailcoats for yellow strike vests.
27 September 2013 Alex Stevens Emmanuel Joel-Hornak leaves Scottish Opera high and dry Scottish Opera has released a statement announcing that French conductor Emmanuel Joel-Hornak has withdrawn from the position of music director at the company, which he was due to have begun in August taking over from Francesco Corti.
Alex Stevens Protest disrupts Met's Eugene Onegin first night The Metropolitan Opera's season-opening production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin on 23 September was disrupted briefly by a lone protester urging the house and its cast to take a public stand against Russia's repression of homosexuals.
Alex Stevens French horn players' attitudes to hearing loss 'generally poor', says study Academics from the universities of Queensland and Sydney received 144 completed questionnaires from the 350 delegates of the 2010 annual conference of the International Horn Society in Brisbane.
26 September 2013 Alex Stevens Yamaha piano selection days: returning to Southbank, and coming to Liverpool Following the success of last year's Yamaha piano selection sessions initiative, the company will be running sessions at London's Southbank Centre on 11&12 October and at Liverpool's St George's Hall on 17&18 January 2014.
24 September 2013 Alex Stevens Family Arts Festival puts orchestras centre stage The first UK-wide arts festival for families will take place 18 October-3 November with a programme covering music, theatre, dance, circus and visual arts.
20 September 2013 Classical Music staff ABO/Rhinegold Awards: Entries now open The third ABO/Rhinegold Awards will be presented at the ABO Conference dinner on Wednesday 29 January 2014. Nominations are now open for Orchestra Manager, Concert Hall Manager and Artist Manager of the year.
19 September 2013 Alex Stevens Unfit for purpose? Edinburgh's Queen's Hall in the spotlight The inadequacies of Edinburgh's Queen's Hall as a concert venue have once again come under scrutiny in a Music Sector Review commissioned by Creative Scotland.
Susan Nickalls Unfit for purpose? Edinburgh's Queen's Hall in the CS spotlight The inadequacies of Edinburgh's Queen's Hall as a concert venue have once again come under scrutiny in a Music Sector Review commissioned by Creative Scotland.
Phillip Sommerich Royal Opera House announces 2013/14 cinema season The Royal Opera House's Live Cinema Season will be seen at more than 1,000 cinemas in 40 countries in 2013-14, music director Sir Antonio Pappano has announced.
18 September 2013 Clare Stevens Analysis: New music curriculum for English schools becomes law Regulations for teaching music are included in the new national curriculum for state primary and secondary schools in England, which was published on 11 September and comes into force in September 2014.
Alex Stevens New-look Gramophones split opinion, as Kopatchinskaja and Eötvös win top prize A new venue and new format for the Gramophone awards ceremony on 17 September has won general approval from the recording industry. However, some executives complained about the ceremony's move from the Dorchester Hotel to the less salubrious LSO St Luke's.
Phillip Sommerich New-look Gramophones split opinion, as Kopatchinskaja and Eötvös win top prize A new venue and new format for the Gramophone awards ceremony on 17 September has won general approval from the recording industry. However, some executives complained about the ceremony's move from the Dorchester Hotel to the less salubrious LSO St Luke's.
17 September 2013 Alex Stevens Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Wigglesworth, Sudbin and Iestyn Davies: Critics' Circle awards Sir John Eliot Gardiner is to be presented with the Critics' Circle's Outstanding Musician award for 2013, and awards for exceptional young talent have also been awarded to conductor Ryan Wigglesworth, countertenor Iestyn Davies and pianist Yevgeny Sudbin.
13 September 2013 Alex Stevens Lake District Summer Music Festival confident for 2014 The Lake District Summer Music Festival will run in 2014, its 30th year, despite reports referring to a £150,000 shortfall in its funding, and will 'cut its coat according to its cloth'.
11 September 2013 Alex Stevens 'Next generation of leading development directors' selected for national fellowship programme The first 11 graduates have been selected for the Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy Consortium's new arts fundraising fellowship programme, which aims to ensure that the arts sector has the skills to 'get better at asking'.
10 September 2013 Alex Stevens Last-minute Night of the Proms: Iestyn Davies was called in as late replacement Original plans for a treble soloist in Bernstein's Chichester Psalms were abandoned due to legislation regulating performances by children, rules which the BBC described as 'completely outdated'. The countertenor was then called in from recording sessions as an emergency replacement.
6 September 2013 Alex Stevens Music Education Expo 2014: Free registration now open Free to attend for those who register online, Music Education Expo 2014 will again feature more than 50 seminars, workshops and debates, 150 exhibitors showcasing their products and services, and countless networking opportunities.
2 September 2013 Alex Stevens Sexist Vasily Petrenko comments 'offended both women and men' 'A sweet girl on the podium can make one's thoughts drift towards something else,' says chief conductor of National Youth Orchestra and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic to Norwegian newspaper.
Michael Quinn Sexist Vasily Petrenko comments 'offended both women and men' 'A sweet girl on the podium can make one's thoughts drift towards something else,' says chief conductor of National Youth Orchestra and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic to Norwegian newspaper.
Alex Stevens Restoration of Royal Festival Hall organ completed The RFH's 7,866-pipe organ has been unveiled, following a £2.3m restoration process funded by a £950,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant and the successful Pull Out All the Stops public fundraising campaign.
29 August 2013 Alex Stevens City Music Foundation names inaugural award winners Six soloists and two groups have been selected by the foundation, which aims to help performers at the beginning of their careers. They will perform at Milton Court on 17 October.
28 August 2013 Phillip Sommerich Google's Debussy Doodle brings bonus sales to Naxos and Warner Classics Debussy Doodle sees upsurge in recordings of Clair de lune, with entries at six and seven in the official classical singles chart. Select's Anthony Anderson said the upsurge was also felt by album sales, meaning 'consumers are therefore discovering lesser-known Debussy works'.
27 August 2013 Classical Music staff Kaufmann among pre-announced winners of 2013 Gramophone awards The magazine has announced winners in 11 categories before an awards ceremony in three weeks' time at LSO St Luke's in London. They also include Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir, Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé, and a nod for the BBCSO for the second year running.
Classical Music staff Ealing Autumn festival: Britten among friends, 11-27 October Running 11 to 27 October, the Ealing Autumn Festival returns for its fourth year, celebrating Britten's centenary with a series music, film, art, literature and heritage events.
23 August 2013 Classical Music staff Obituary: Richard Angas, 18 April 1942 ‒ 20 August 2013 Operatic bass Richard Angas collapsed earlier this week during a rehearsal. 'Richard was a giant of the opera world in every possible way,' said Opera North director Richard Mantle, 'a performer of great character and charisma, generous hearted and an incredible friend to all who knew and worked with him.'
20 August 2013 Alex Stevens Last-ditch £70,000 fundraising effort hailed as success for Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra will continue with its planned eight-concert 2013/14 season under music director Barry Wordsworth. It was on course to be disbanded, said organisers, and had been forced 'to rely on an injection of cash to guarantee its survival'.
19 August 2013 Michael Quinn Latest setback for Minnesota Orchestra dispute Proposals aimed at resolving the long-running feud within the Minnesota Orchestra by Senator George Mitchell, the American politician who helped broker peace in Northern Ireland, have been rejected by the orchestra's board despite its musicians signalling their approval of them.
Toby Deller New artistic director for Dartington Nicholas Daniel, whose appointment is initially for one year, takes over from John Woolrich, who leaves the post at the end of a three-year contract.
14 August 2013 International Piano Steinway sold for $512m after bidding war Private equity group Kohlberg & Co has dropped out of the bidding process for Steinway Musical Instruments, after it emerged that hedge fund manager John Paulson had made a higher offer for the grand piano maker
Phillip Sommerich Chicago Symphony offers free Verdi Requiem stream Chicago Symphony Orchestra is offering a global audience free tickets to its sold-out concert on 10 October that celebrates Verdi's 200th anniversary ‒ through the medium of online streaming.
9 August 2013 Alex Stevens Brighton Philharmonic rescue fund update: £40,000 of £70,000 raised in two days 'We've just hit £40,000,' said general manager Judith Clark. 'I'm very hopeful and very heartened by what has happened in the last 48 hours.' Earlier this week the orchestra stated that it would not be able to present its 2013/14 season, or meet certain committed payments, unless it could raise £70,000 in ten days.
Classical Music staff Operation Kiso: further arrest made over alleged rape charges A fourth man, named by the Guardian and Press Association as Malcolm Layfield, has been arrested over offences against three girls aged 16, 16 and 18, alleged to have taken place between 1980 and 1991, while the man was teaching at Chetham's.
8 August 2013 Phillip Sommerich Wigmore Hall's deal with Sky Arts is 'a first step' to greater broadcasting possibilities Wigmore retains the rights to broadcasts, beginning with Marc-André Hamelin on 12 August: 'Every arts organisation can now be its own broadcaster,' says John Gilhooly. 'The possibilities are endless.'
7 August 2013 Alex Stevens Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra launches 10-day campaign for £70,000 rescue fund 'Over the last couple of seasons there has been a reduction in the number of legacies received, making it difficult to make up the shortfall from ticket sales and current levels of sponsorship and donations,' said a statement.
5 August 2013 Classical Music staff Creative Scotland credit cards paid for £100,000 of fraudulent transactions Alleged credit card fraud of more than £100,000 over a period of eight months went unnoticed by staff at Creative Scotland between December 2010 and July 2011. 'We fully acknowledge weaknesses in our system at that time which led to the fraud going undetected,' said a statement.
2 August 2013 Phillip Sommerich Decca plans US compilations for dogs, truckers and gay weddings Universal Music's international CEO, Max Hole, plans marketing push on classical catalogue as UK staff advise on US releases. Decca US has conducted research into what dog lovers and pets favoured beyond the obvious Bach and Hugo Wolf.
David Kettle New plan announced for transforming Creative Scotland Creative Scotland, under its new chief executive Janet Archer, has taken a major step towards addressing concerns about the organisation with the publication of an Annual Plan for 2013-14.
1 August 2013 Alex Stevens Guildhall unveils new work by Martin Creed at Milton Court The Guildhall School of Music and Drama has unveiled Martin Creed's Work No. 1637: FEELINGS in the foyer of its new facilities at Milton Court. The artist said in a statement: 'I don't know how I feel'.
31 July 2013 Alex Stevens Tête à Tête ‒ The Opera Festival: Opening this week Highlights of this year's seventh festival will include a re-imagining of Madame Butterfly by Michael Finissy, two new operas from Size Zero Opera and a contemporary refurbishment of Pergolesi's La serva padrona.
Phillip Sommerich WMG resurrects Erato label for Virgin Classics catalogue Alain Lanceron is to stay on as Warner Music Group manages its recent acquisition of EMI Classics and Virgin Classics. Universal had retained the brand rights as part of the sale but has no current plans to use them.
30 July 2013 Kimon Daltas Verbier Festival celebrates 20th anniversary with star-studded gala Stars lined up to perform at a memorable concert, including Evgeny Kissin, Mischa Maisky, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Emanuel Ax and Yuri Bashmet in a secret programme that provided some unexpected delights.
29 July 2013 Alex Stevens Leith Hill Place, Vaughan Williams' former home, opens to public for trial period The childhood home of Ralph Vaughan Williams has been opened to the public by the National Trust for a trial season until 3 November. The house has not been restored and the NT is asking visitors to come 'with an open mind'.
26 July 2013 Alex Stevens ACE announces funding round to open in 2014 as Sir Baz gives vote of confidence to major organisations ACE chair Sir Peter Bazalgette gives vote of confidence to major organisations as Arts Council confirms it will make three-year commitment to next round of national portfolio organisations - even though ACE's own budget only goes to 2015/16.
25 July 2013 Classical Music staff North York Moors chamber festival: Focusing on the music 'The music is the key and the motivation is to make that one's focus, trusting that the performances will be excellent anyway,' says director Jamie Walton. Audiences do not know which players will appear at any given concert.
23 July 2013 Hannah Beynon 300-mile cycle ride brings Festival Hall organ campaign to a close The remaining £100,000 has now been raised for the 'Pull Out All The Stops' campaign to restore the Royal Festival Hall organ.
Hannah Beynon Musicians' Union celebrates 120th anniversary The Musicians' Union (MU) is celebrating its 120th anniversary today with the launch of a two-day conference in Manchester where the union was formed.
18 July 2013 Alex Stevens Loretta Tomasi, ENO chief executive, to step down at end of 2013 Tomasi said of the decision: 'This has been an immensely difficult decision to make but after ten fantastic years it is the right time for me to choose a new path.'
Classical Music staff RPO and Westminster Music Library launch WWI music project First world war composers and music are the focus of 'Behind the Lines', a new partnership between the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Westminster Music Library announced today.
David Kettle Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme announced An opera in an ice cream van, an international online choir and a site-specific birdsong project on a remote Scottish island are among the musical highlights of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme, announced earlier this week. The eclectic and wide-ranging project, with a budget of £4m, will bring arts events to the whole of Scotland...
16 July 2013 Hannah Beynon St Albans International Organ Festival: Semi finals The semi-finalists of the 2013 interpretation and improvisation competitions of the St Albans International Organ Festival have been announced, with the semi final rounds taking place today and tomorrow. The final is on 19 July.
11 July 2013 Phillip Sommerich Codaex UK appoints administrators in latest record distribution failure 'Circumstances beyond our control at our parent company ultimately decided our fate,' says MD Ginny Cooper, as statement blames industry rumours for exacerbating a difficult situation. New Arts International, a joint venture with Challenge, may rise from the wreckage.
10 July 2013 Phillip Sommerich Harmonia Mundi Iberica collapse: labels paid despite fall into administration All labels distributed by Harmonia Mundi Iberica have found agreement with the company for unpaid invoices, says Harmonia Mundi statement designed to reassure the industry.
Phillip Sommerich Academy of Ancient Music launches own label, AAM Records The label will initially release two albums per season, and will 'allow the AAM to take full control of its future recording catalogue, producing a range of recordings which match the artistic plans and development of the orchestra'.
8 July 2013 Alex Stevens Classroom music from 2014: the new National Curriculum The Department for Education today released details of the proposed new national curriculum from 2014. Following consultation it has added music technology and improvisation to what will be taught, with the musical canon remaining central to plans.
5 July 2013 Rachel Creaser AAM launches partnership with Guildhall School The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) has announced details of a new partnership with The Guildhall School of Music & Drama to provide students with opportunities to prepare for a career in professional performing.
4 July 2013 Alex Stevens Southbank granted time to rethink controversial Festival Wing plans Campaign by undercroft users pushes Southbank Centre to try again 'to find the best way of balancing everyone's needs in demanding financial times so we can achieve this ambitious project'. The neighbouring National Theatre has also objected to the planning application.
Phillip Sommerich Future of EMI Classics and Virgin Classics brands uncertain as Warner acquires PLG Warner Music Group officially acquired the catalogues and recording activities of EMI and Virgin Classics on 1 July as part of its £487m acquisition of the Parlophone Label Group. However, Warner did not acquire the EMI and Virgin Classics brands as part of the deal.
2 July 2013 Alex Stevens Durham to London in 24 hours: £100,000 final push for RFH organ The Southbank Centre's chairman and a team of friends will cycle the 266 miles from the Harrison & Harrison organ workshop in Durham to the Festival Hall in London in 24 hours, starting on 20 July.
Classical Music staff Steinway agrees takeover by Kohlberg & Co US piano maker Steinway Musical Instruments has agreed to be bought by private equity group Kohlberg & Co in a $438m deal. Steinway's board unanimously recommended the offer and expects to close the transaction later this year.
1 July 2013 Alex Stevens Cheltenham Festival: New music, talks and highlights The Cheltenham Music Festival begins this week, running 3-14 July with a wide range of chamber, orchestral and choral music both old and new, accompanied by a series of talks and discussions.
29 June 2013 Classical Music staff New music at the Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Music Festival runs 3-14 July, including a number of premieres and new works.
27 June 2013 Classical Music staff Southbank Centre strengthens links with In Harmony Lambeth The Southbank Centre has announced a closer partnership with Lambeth Council to run In Harmony Lambeth, and will host a 'nucleo' on the weekend 28-30 June.
Alex Stevens JAM Concert: Paul Mealor's The Farthest Shore The Farthest Shore, a new work by Paul Mealor commissioned by JAM (John Armitage Memorial) which premiered on 28 May at the St Davids Cathedral Festival will be performed on 2 July at St Bride's, Fleet Street and on 6 July at St Leonard's, Hythe alongside James MacMillan's Cantos Sagrados and Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb.
25 June 2013 Classical Music staff Robert Maycock Memorial Writer's Prize: £1,000 Calling all musically-engaged writers and bloggers under the age of 30. We are looking for a new voice in music criticism. Submit a review of a live event of not more than 300 words, evoking the event, conveying your interest in the music performed and informing a wider audience of its significance.
Hannah Beynon Buxton Festival gears up for 35th season The programme for this year's Buxton Festival has been announced. Running 5-21 July, this season's line-up includes a programme of opera, music, literature, family and free events.
20 June 2013 Classical Music staff All change at Musicians Benevolent Fund The Musicians Benevolent Fund has appointed Graham Sheffield as its new chairman, and has adopted a new name: Help Musicians UK. The 92-year-old organisation won't be dropping its old identity entirely, however, instead keeping it in the background as a reminder of its long history.
18 June 2013 Simon Tait Arts settlement 2015/16: what the numbers mean Arts Council England has won a ring-fenced 5% funding cut in the Comprehensive Spending Review for 2015/16, while the settlement for the Department for Culture Media and Sport is 8%.
17 June 2013 Classical Music staff Musicians honoured in Queen's birthday honours list CBEs for Aldeburgh's Jonathan Reekie and Sage Gateshead's Anthony Sargent, while Wigmore Hall's John Gilhooly, baritone Alan Opie and Opera North's Richard Mantle are awarded OBEs. Aled Jones is made MBE.
14 June 2013 Classical Music staff DCMS secures better-than-expected Spending Round settlement The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, led by culture secretary Maria Miller, is reported to have negotiated a cut of 8% for the period 2015/16, with a roughly 5% cut to be dealt to arts organisations and museums.
Toby Deller Three music buildings win RIBA awards The Bramall Music Building at the University of Birmingham, the Colyer-Fergusson Building at the University of Kent and the new development in Manchester for Chetham's School of Music are among the 43 UK recipients this year.
Alex Stevens ROH recommissions Benjamin and Crimp to follow Written on Skin Covent Garden has commissioned a second new opera from George Benjamin and Martin Crimp. It is the principal commissioner but expects to bring further companies on board.
Emma Findlow New Britten-Pears archive opens in Aldeburgh A new archive housing the world's most comprehensive collection of Benjamin Britten's work has opened in the grounds of the Red House, Aldeburgh, as part of a £4.7m redevelopment of the site. Dame Janet Baker will officially open the building today.
13 June 2013 Alex Stevens Love and leisure: The AAM at the National Gallery The Academy of Ancient Music will be resident ensemble at the National Gallery this summer, providing extensive accompaniment to the gallery's exhibition Vermeer and Music: The Art of Love and Leisure.
11 June 2013 Classical Music staff Opera Holloway: The Gingerbread Project Opera Holloway is running a week of workshops and rehearsals and performances in London, 30 July-3 August. The Gingerbread Project will see children aged 12-15 working alongside members of the Opera Holloway company in the lead up to two performances.
10 June 2013 Phillip Sommerich PPL announces increase in income despite declining record sales PPL, the UK-based organisation which licenses recorded music played in public, has revealed and increase in its income by 11% to £170.8m, despite a tough market and declining CD sales.
Phillip Sommerich IMZ ends three-decade association with Midem The IMZ, the leading international showcase of music and dance film and tv programmes, is ending a 30-year association with the Midem music industry trade fair and moving to Berlin.
6 June 2013 Susan Nickalls Creative Scotland appoints new chief executive After a long search, Creative Scotland has announced the appointment of Janet Archer as its new chief executive. She will be leaving her current post as director of dance at Arts Council England to join the Scottish organisation on 1 July.
Alex Stevens DCMS 'barely viable in current form', but cabinet representation should not be lost Dan Jarvis MP, shadow minister for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, has warned against disbanding the department and losing representation for the arts at the top levels of government.
5 June 2013 Alex Stevens Army Corps of Army Musicians Summer Academy, 4-10 August Army offers chance to sample life as a forces musician over week-long academy, with opportunities across the UK in 22 full-time bands, and 'golden hello' payments for music graduates.
4 June 2013 Owen Spottiswoode Is it possible to argue that classical music is good for the economy? A closer look at exactly where public money is spent reveals that classical music organisations are much more reliant on grant funding than other sectors of the arts world. Seven of the ten organisations receiving the largest funding grants from the Arts Council were opera, ballet or classical music companies, and collectively they received nearly a quarter of all the money handed out in 2011/12.
3 June 2013 Phillip Sommerich Record distribution: two down, more to follow? The decline in CD sales and high-street music retailers has led to the closure of two classical music distributors on opposite sides of the Atlantic, with the future of a third being questioned.
2 June 2013 Phillip Sommerich Classical:Next, day three: Concert hall and opera house design Opera houses and concert halls have stuck to horseshoe and shoebox shapes respectively for centuries, but today's needs are dictating new shapes, says David Staples, principal of Theatre Projects Consultants.
1 June 2013 Phillip Sommerich Classical:Next, day two: A Spotify spat A panel discussion differed over how much Spotify cannibalises other parts of the record industry, with claims that major labels received special revenue terms in exchange for buying stakes in Spotify.
Phillip Sommerich Classical:Next, day two: The market in China One session at Classical:Next provided a useful overview of the market in China, with important lessons for performers visiting the country.
31 May 2013 Phillip Sommerich Classical:Next, day one: Korea's classical market Tragic death of Joohoo Kim prevents him delivering keynote speech; but his text suggests a market with potential for growth made up of young and predominantly female audiences.
Phillip Sommerich Classical:Next, day one: Innovation in concert presentation, reversing audience decline A conference strand on how to reverse the decline in audiences for live music filled much of the first full day of Classical:Next.
30 May 2013 Alex Stevens DCMS may be scrapped, says shadow culture minister Labour's shadow culture minister, Dan Jarvis, has said that he believes the Department for Culture, Media and Sport could be scrapped as part of the forthcoming comprehensive spending review.
Alex Stevens Poetry in Sound: Britten at the British Library The British Library has produced a new exhibition, opening 31 May, to coincide with the Britten 100 celebrations.
Phillip Sommerich Daniel Hope keynote at Classical:Next The future of classical music lies not in taking it out of concert halls but bringing youth audiences into those venues, violinist and broadcaster Daniel Hope said in a wide-ranging and challenging keynote speech at the opening of the second Classical:NEXT industry forum.
29 May 2013 Alex Stevens Worcester to host pan-European singing festival Worcester International Festival for Young Singers (WIFYS) will see choirs from Belgium, Poland, Spain, the Czech Republic, Austria, Russia, Hong Kong, Germany, Lithuania and the UK giving concerts across the town and surrounding areas.
Classical Music staff LSO performs in Trafalgar Square The second of the London Symphony Orchestra's BMW LSO Open Air Classics concerts took place on 27 May, the LSO performing Berlioz to an audience of thousands.
28 May 2013 Alex Stevens Jesse Owens in song: The Sharecropper's Son, 6 July Baritone Njabulo Madlala, soprano Abigail Kelly and pianist William Vann will be the performers in the new cycle, adapted from Michael Stimpson's 2011 opera Jesse Owens.
24 May 2013 Hannah Beynon Lord Mayor of London launches City Music Foundation The Lord Mayor of London has set up a new fund to provide support to musicians at the start of their professional careers.
Richard Fawkes Choristers of the Coronation: Radio 4, 25 May The 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation will be marked with a documentary about the 200 boy choristers who took part in the service which is 'nothing more, nothing less, than the memories of those boy choristers.'
22 May 2013 Keith Clarke Henri Dutilleux, composer: 22 January 1916-22 May 2013 Henri Dutilleux: 'A fiercely independent composer steeped in the languid sensuousness of Debussy yet touched by the hand of modernism.'
21 May 2013 David Kettle Scottish Opera announces new season and refurbishment update A new Venetian-themed production of Mozart's Don Giovanni directed by Thomas Allen and a touring chamber version of Handel's Rodelinda are among the highlights of Scottish Opera's 2013/14 season, unveiled by general director Alex Reedijk on 21 May.
Alex Stevens Academy of St Martin in the Fields celebrates Britten: Cadogan Hall, 23 May Concert includes world premiere of Sally Beamish's Variations on a Theme of Benjamin Britten, a companion piece to Britten's Bridge Variations.
20 May 2013 Alex Stevens BBC Young Musician 2014: Open for entries Entries for the classical arm of the biennial competition close on 26 July. The final will be held on 18 May 2014 at Edinburgh's Usher Hall, with the BBC SSO under Kirill Karabits.
16 May 2013 Phillip Sommerich Exhibitors' 70% increase is vote of confidence in Classical:NEXT Delegate numbers are up 20% for the second outing of Classical:NEXT, the music congress that opens in Vienna on 29 May. More remarkably, the number of exhibitors is up 70% at nearly 130, selling out the exhibition area in the MAK (Museum of Applied and Contemporary Arts).
15 May 2013 Alex Stevens RCM awards fellowships, honorary memberships and inaugurates new award for community work The President's Award inaugurated for RCM students who have done outstanding work in the community.
Classical Music staff RPS Awards: Full winners The awards, for work in 2012, were presented by RPS gold medallist Dame Janet Baker at a ceremony hosted by Radio 3's Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Sean Rafferty.
14 May 2013 Alex Stevens Oldest surviving English grand piano goes on display at former home What is thought to be the oldest surviving English-manufactured grand piano has gone on display at the former home of its first owner, the Duke of Wellington.
13 May 2013 Robert Beale Hallé goes for matinées in 2013/14 The Hallé's season plans for 2013/14 at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester include a major switch in scheduling for its most popular series: the 'Opus One' concerts.
10 May 2013 Alex Stevens Abuse in music schools: Petition reopens after new press coverage and MP's support Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, has become the first MP to publicly support calls for an inquiry. Widespread media coverage into the issue this week has included an in-depth report by Channel 4 News.
Alex Stevens Southbank redevelopment hits Heritage Lottery Fund setback Six successful proposals stood out in latest HLF round 'because of their strong focus on regeneration and importance to their local communities'. Aberdeen's Cowdray Hall is part of plans to redevelop the Aberdeen Art Gallery area awarded a £10m grant.
9 May 2013 Alex Stevens Consortium to trial ways of encouraging audiences to support new commissions Sound and Music, London Sinfonietta, Café Oto and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival will run trials involving crowdfunding, mobile giving, online giving and cultivating mid-level donors, publishing the findings of a two-year project.
Michael Quinn Minnesota Orchestra: A season of silence The Minnesota Orchestra has announced the cancellation of the remaining two weeks of its current season. The decision means that the 110-year-old orchestra will not have played a note of music in public during the whole of its 2012-13 season.
8 May 2013 Alex Stevens Steve Martland, composer, 10 October 1959-6 May 2013 Composer who crossed genre boundaries dies aged 53. He was a former artistic director of the Society for the Promotion of New Music and ran the Strike Out summer composition course.
Classical Music staff Abuse in music schools: widespread press coverage as GMP investigation continues Greater Manchester Police continues its investigation into allegations of abuse at both Chetham's and the RNCM, revealed to encompass some 39 current and former teachers.
7 May 2013 Classical Music staff John Wallace to retire from RCS in 2014 John Wallace has announced that he will retire as principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in September 2014, after 12 years in the post.
1 May 2013 Classical Music staff ENO and Opera North announce plans for 2013/14 Britten has showing in both seasons, while ENO commissions new work by Julian Anderson. Both companies have made reference to fundraising in light of an increasingly difficult environment for public funding.
Glyn Mon Hughes Bryn Terfel among artists-in-residence in RLPO new season Four internationally-acclaimed musicians have accepted invitations to become artists in residence at Liverpool, following the announcement of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's new concert season. Bryn Terfel, Andrew Manze, Christian Lindberg and Simon Trpčeski will perform not only with the orchestra but will also become involved in all other aspects of the Liverpool Philharmonic, including the burgeoning learning programme.
30 April 2013 Alex Stevens NCEM 2013 composers award goes to Joseph Howard, 20, and Lilly Vandaneaux, 11 The National Centre for Early Music's 2013 composers award has been won by Lilly Vadaneaux (aged 11) in the 18 years and under category, the youngest entry and youngest winner of the competition to date, and Joseph Howard (20) in the 19-25 years category.
Rhian Morgan Leipzig Wagner Festival: composer's birthplace puts on a grand show Think Wagner, think Bayreuth. The 19th-century predecessors of the German Tourist Board did a fine job of pulling in the visitors to this home of Wagner opera. But now the city of Leipzig, 200km up the road, and city of Wagner's birth, is making a sterling attempt to compete in the year of the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth.
Alex Stevens Sound and Music announces new direction Susanna Eastburn, chief exec: 'Sound and Music has reformed itself, and now we can work with others to transform the future of new music.'
26 April 2013 Phillip Sommerich Warner/Parlophone deal set to strip EMI and Virgin Classics brand names from their catalogues Artists who have recorded for EMI and Virgin Classics could find their releases appearing under a new brand as a result of Warner Music Group's £487m purchase of the Parlophone group of labels.
Toby Deller New Music Biennial: 20 diverse commissions announced for 2014 Selected commissions represent greater range of genres than precursor in 2012, with 20 projects including collaborations with dancers, film-makers, poets, artists and skateboarders as well as musicians.
24 April 2013 Classical Music staff Maria Miller sets direction of travel: 'To hammer home the value of culture to our economy' 'We should value the arts for their own sake ... but in these tough economic times, we need to make a broader case.'
23 April 2013 Alex Stevens Emmanuel Joel-Hornak announced as Scottish Opera chief Joel-Hornak will join Scottish Opera in August, taking over from Francesco Corti, and is 'particularly thrilled' to settle into role after an international freelance career.
22 April 2013 Susan Nickalls New director for Edinburgh International Festival announced Fergus Linehan has been announced as the Edinburgh International Festival's director designate to become festival director and chief executive from October 2014. He will take up his post on a part-time basis from May this year to plan for his first festival in 2015.
18 April 2013 Alex Stevens Proms 2013 launch, with Barenboim Ring and audience-expanding initiatives Steve Lamacq and Tom Service unite for 6Music Prom in a concert featuring the London Sinfonietta and Laura Marling, while Urban Classic brings together the BBCSO and Laura Mvula, broadcast live on Radio 1 and 1Xtra.
17 April 2013 Keith Clarke Sir Colin Davis remembered Tributes pour in for great conductor, 'a man whose professional encounters were often as tempestuous as his private life'. The volume of tributes paid bears witness to his place in the genuine affections of many.
Clare Stevens NYCGB announces Royal Albert Hall partnership The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and RAH announce five-year partnership before concert which marked end of one era and beginning of next
16 April 2013 Alex Stevens Fazil Say given suspended 10-month sentence for anti-Muslim tweets Say: 'The fact that I have been charged with punishment despite being totally innocent is alarming not only on a personal level but in terms of freedom of expression and beliefs in Turkey.'
14 April 2013 Classical Music staff Sir Colin Davis dies Sir Colin Davis, veteran conductor and giant of the British classical music industry, died on the evening of Sunday 14 April. He was 85.
12 April 2013 Phillip Sommerich Global recording revenues rise for first time in more than a decade The global music industry is on the road to recovery after a decade of decline, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
Alex Stevens RPS music awards: nominees announced London 2012 Festival proved a catalyst for high-quality classical music as a number of events are nominated, and three big-hitting composers, Birtwistle, Anderson and Barry, go head-to-head in the large-scale work category. But there is no place for The Space, the BBC and Arts Council England's multi-platform arts service.
11 April 2013 Alex Stevens Richard Hallam takes up ISM presidency New president commits to cultivating unified voice in music and music education: 'Organisations too can work more effectively together for the greater good'
10 April 2013 Susan Nickalls Ways forward for Edinburgh's cultural development Edinburgh's cultural venues could receive a well-needed boast if any one of four hypothetical plans to develop an arts hub in Edinburgh were to go ahead.
9 April 2013 Classical Music staff Hallé victorious at BBC Music Magazine recording awards Live disc of Elgar's The Apostles named recording of the year as the Berlin Phil wins two and Malaysian pianist Mei Yi Foo is named best newcomer.
5 April 2013 Alex Stevens Martyn Rose announced as ENO chairman Millionaire businessman, who has strong links to Conservative party and policy, described by artistic director John Berry as 'a coup'.
4 April 2013 Classical Music staff Joint child protection inspection finds Chetham's to be underperforming While 'the vast majority of pupils said that they feel safe around the school', a number of procedures had not been followed or had been inconsistently applied.
2 April 2013 Glyn Mon Hughes Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on track for major facelift The proposed £12m refurbishment of Liverpool's art deco Philharmonic Hall has moved a step closer following the submission of a detailed planning application and listed building consent to Liverpool City Council.
28 March 2013 Classical Music staff Sounding Out: Stage Notes discussion on the future of opera: video Highlights from Sounding Out: Stage Notes, an afternoon of discussion on the future of opera organised by Sound and Music.
27 March 2013 Rachel Creaser Gregynog Festival joins REMA early music network The festival's invitation is the first offered to a Welsh organisation, and only the third in the UK.
26 March 2013 Classical Music staff Mike Brewer, former Chetham's and NYCGB director, sentenced to six years' imprisonment Brewer had been convicted of five counts of indecent assault while he was head of music at Chetham's School of Music in 1970s and '80s. His ex-wife, Kay Brewer, received a 21-month sentence for one count of sexual assault.
25 March 2013 Jack Flanagan Setting the stage for northern opera | Young Opera Venture A singing teacher has started up her own opera company to revitalise the operatic artform in North England, providing opportunities for young singers and instrumentalists
22 March 2013 Classical Music staff Blessed and Bremner throw weight behind Kickstarter Scheherazade Campaign lets supporters pre-order a graphic novel, buy signed copies of the CD and purchase exclusive ring tones of Brian Blessed and Rory Bremner delivering lines from the script.
Classical Music staff Trinity College London appoints head of teacher development Music Teacher editor Christopher Walters appointed to new role with responsibility for Certificate for Music Educators
21 March 2013 Classical Music staff Winners announced for the inaugural Music Teacher Awards On 20 March 2013 the winners were announced for the first ever Music Teacher Awards for Excellence. The awards were created by Rhinegold Publishing and Music Teacher magazine to celebrate excellence in the UK's music education sector
20 March 2013 David Kettle RSNO announces 2013/14 season Britten's War Requiem, Mahler's Symphony No 8 and Messiaen's Turangalîla-symphonie are among the musical monoliths that the Royal Scottish National Orchestra has announced for its ambitious 2013/14 season, its second with Peter Oundjian as music director.
Classical Music staff New Chilcott Passion premiere: Wells Cathedral, 24 March Major new work by the composer takes similar form to Bach's Passions for an hour-long work. Chilcott's St John Passion will be performed at Wells Cathedral, 24 March at 3pm.
19 March 2013 Alex Stevens Royal Opera House appoints new chief executive Alex Beard, deputy director at Tate, will take over before September; Sally O'Neill will continue as interim chief exec until then. He will be on £250,000 per annum.
18 March 2013 Classical Music staff Tallis Scholars release Whitacre premiere on iTunes only Sainte-Chapelle, a commission for the choir's 40th anniversary, is the group's first single release in nearly 30 years. Eric Whitacre is the first living composer recorded by the group since John Tavener in 1984.
15 March 2013 David Kettle Ticciati renews contract with SCO until 2018, as 2013/14 season announced Conductor commits to orchestra until at least 2018 as 40th anniversary is announced, to include a Schumann symphony cycle, new works from Peter Maxwell Davies and Martin Suckling, and a Far East tour that takes in China and Japan.
14 March 2013 Classical Music staff Sounding Out: Stage Notes, Royal Opera House, 16 March Professional development and networking afternoon at the Royal Opera House will feature librettists, composers, performers and producers including Huw Watkins, David Harsent and John Fulljames, ROH associate director of opera.
13 March 2013 Glyn Mon Hughes Petrenko signs open-ended Liverpool contract The musical future of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra has been strengthened following the announcement that chief conductor Vasily Petrenko is to extend his contract indefinitely.
Alex Stevens Royal Opera House reveals 2013/14 season Seven new productions will appear on the main stage, and the Linbury theatre is established as dedicated home for 'new or very recent work'. At the press conference, Sir Antonio Pappano ticked off the press for its reaction to casting changes in 2012's Robert le Diable.
Yasmeen Doogue-Khan City of London Festival announces 2013 programme The City of London Festival has announced its full programme, which will run between 23 June and 26 July, with more than 150 music, film, poetry and art related events to take place.
12 March 2013 Susan Nickalls Programme announced for 2013 Edinburgh Festival Beethoven in space, Berg in the Deep South jazz clubs and Dido meets Bluebeard are just some of quirky delights on offer at this year's Edinburgh International Festival. Unveiling a line-up that is not as theme-focused as in previous years, festival director Jonathan Mills said the 2013 festival will instead explore how technology has shifted artists' perceptions of the world.
11 March 2013 Rhian Morgan ABRSM's new chief executive vows to improve infrastructure Leslie East says his work in the immediate future will be on 'teacher support and working with the music services who are our life blood' following surprise resignation of Guy Perricone.
8 March 2013 Alex Stevens Westminster Council to cease arts funding and become lowest-tax borough Decision is cruel, joyless and ideological, says Samuel West, chair of National Campaign for the Arts, as council members cite 'tough choices'. Streetwise Opera and ENO's community choir, both set up to work with vulnerable people, will see a current funding stream cut.
7 March 2013 Alex Stevens Newcastle council votes to halt funding of arts organisations Classical will still be well served by The Sage Gateshead across the river, but are councils sliding towards providing only statutory services?
6 March 2013 Simon Tait British Council increases arts investment The British Council, which five years ago had scrapped its arts funding and reinstated it after government intervention, is increasing its arts investment by £14m over two years. The announcement came as BC chairman Sir Vernon Ellis unveiled Mark Wallinger's The White Horse, commissioned by the artist at a cost of £100,000. Ellis said the increased investment underlined that 'the arts are at the heart of the British Council and define who we are as seen from overseas'.
Kimon Daltas Major building plan announced for Southbank Centre's 'Festival Wing' The Southbank Centre has announced a major renovation and new building project, aimed at rationalising the areas around the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery and creating a large rehearsal space. A new foyer will connect the spaces of the Festival Wing, and the 'glass box' rehearsal space will form a dramatic addition to the South Bank skyline.
5 March 2013 Fiona Clampin Lancaster University students discuss options following closure of music programme Students at Lancaster University are holding an emergency meeting today (Tuesday, March 5) to discuss the future of music and other arts subjects on campus. It follows a decision by university management to end the study of single and combined honours music. There will be no new intake in September this year.
4 March 2013 Glyn Mon Hughes Liverpool International Music Festival: A cheaper alternative New venture will save the city £320,000, a 40% saving over the 20-year-old Mathew Street Festival, and will have 'broader appeal'. The opening concert will be given by the RLPO.
1 March 2013 Classical Music staff Music Teacher Awards for Excellence: Nominees announced The awards will be held at a gala dinner on 20 March hosted by Classic FM presenter Margherita Taylor, as part of the inaugural Music Education Expo which is held at London's Barbican Centre on 20 and 21 March.
28 February 2013 Alex Stevens Guy Perricone resigns from ABRSM as East and Abbotts step up Executive director Leslie East has been appointed to succeed Perricone as chief executive and Lincoln Abbotts, who joined the ABRSM last year as teaching and learning development director, is to take up the newly created post of director of strategic development.
Alex Stevens Van Cliburn, pianist, 12 July 1934-27 February 2013 Van Cliburn, the American pianist, has died aged 78. He was awarded the US's National Medal of Arts in 2010 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003, and was one of the world's best-known performers of classical music.
27 February 2013 Alex Stevens Michael Berkeley awarded life peerage Composer will serve as cross-bench peer and is 'particularly pleased that the appointments commission was keen to increase representation in the field of music and the arts'.
26 February 2013 Classical Music staff Abuse in UK music schools: More than 1,000 musicians call for inquiry Petition organiser says music schools and colleges 'should not have anything to hide' and so should support the petition's calls for an inquiry into 'sexual and other abuse at Chetham's School of Music and other specialist music institutions'.
Hannah Beynon Music Theatre Wales announces plans for anniversary season Music Theatre Wales has announced a year-long season of work to mark its 25th anniversary, including two UK premieres. In 2014 the company will give the world premiere performance of Philip Glass's The Trial, in a co-production with the Royal Opera House and Houston Grand Opera.
21 February 2013 Classical Music staff Peregrine's Pianos offers exclusive tour of Schimmel factory Ask the questions you've always wanted to ask and tour Schimmel's purpose-built factory in Braunschweig. The price of the tour will be discounted against the purchase of a Schimmel piano.
Alex Stevens Taunton's Brewhouse Theatre closes doors and enters administration 'Our boarded up building in the centre of the county town will be the most visible sign of the disintegration of the cultural landscape in our beautiful county', says artistic director Robert Miles.
20 February 2013 Classical Music staff Malcolm Layfield leaves 'untenable' RNCM position Joint statement: 'Professor Malcolm Layfield has left his post as Head of School of Strings at the Royal Northern College of Music, his position at the College having become untenable.'
18 February 2013 Alex Stevens Sally Groves awarded RPS Leslie Boosey Award The Royal Philharmonic Society has awarded the Leslie Boosey Award to Sally Groves, Schott's London lynchpin, for 'her outstanding contribution to the furthering of contemporary music in Britain'.
15 February 2013 Classical Music staff Chet's: Further allegations emerge as arrest is made Great Manchester Police confirms the arrest of a man on 14 February, in a week when many allegations have brought the culture at Chetham's in the 1980s and 1990s into question.
Phillip Sommerich iTunes Essentials:Classical hailed as breakthrough The first week of iTunes' Essentials:Classical campaign has been hailed by recording companies as a dramatic success not only in converting classical collectors to downloaders but also in opening up new markets.
14 February 2013 David Kettle Moray council in 100% arts cut Moray council in north-east Scotland has become the first Scottish authority to cut its arts budget by 100%, provoking outrage from the cultural community and criticism from the Scottish government.
11 February 2013 Classical Music staff Further allegations bring culture at Chet's in 80s and 90s into question Further revelations in the Guardian following the trial of director of music Mike Brewer suggest he may have presided over a more general culture of abuse and misogyny.
8 February 2013 Classical Music staff Michael Brewer found guilty of sexual abuse of former pupil who committed suicide during trial Choirmaster and former teacher Michael Brewer has been found guilty of the sexual abuse of a girl while she was 14 and 15 and was a pupil at Chetham's School of Music, where Brewer was head of music.
Phillip Sommerich Warner/Parlophone deal: what now for EMI & Virgin Classics? A ruling from European competition regulators has resulted in the richest archive of British classical music being sold to Warner Music Group of the US. The £487m that Russian-born, London-resident industrialist and WMG owner Leonard Blavatnik paid for Parlophone will be a welcome addition to Universal's coffers but the deal may not be good news for classical consumers.
7 February 2013 Alex Stevens Gove abandons EBacc plans as arts campaigners hail success English Baccalaureate plans abandoned: music GCSE to include 'a balance between performance and appreciation', says Gove, as Bacc for The Future campaign hails success.
5 February 2013 Music Teacher magazine Cardiff and Newport music services face losing funding Cardiff City Council is proposing to end its subsidy of music lessons in schools by cutting its £151,000 grant to the Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan Music Service. Meanwhile, neighbouring Gwent is facing similar cutbacks, with Newport City Council proposing to withdraw its funding for Gwent Music Support Service.
Classical Music staff Sir Peter Maxwell Davies visits Purcell School before 11 March concert Sir Peter Maxwell Davies visited the Purcell School in January to work with some of the school's composers and performers before the school's concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London, on 11 March, where Sir Peter will be guest of honour.
4 February 2013 Classical Music staff Sound and Music relaunches two awards for composers Sound and Music has relaunched two initiatives for the promotion and support of composers: the George Butterworth Prize of £1,500, and the Francis Chagrin Awards, which will provide composers with financial support to help meet costs associated with composing and disseminating new work.
30 January 2013 Alex Stevens Win a pair of tickets to hear pianist Alice Sara Ott Enter a prize draw to win a pair of tickets to see Alice Sara Ott at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 12 February.
29 January 2013 Andrew Stewart Analysis: Much ado about Rattle Sir Simon Rattle's announcement that he will leave in 2018 has provoked a storm of rumour and gossip, not least that he is leaving thanks to 'growing strains' in his relationship with the orchestra ‒ reported by news organisations from Santiago to Sydney. The orchestra has moved to correct factual inaccuracies in some reports.
28 January 2013 Richard Fawkes Aled Jones leaves The Choir chair vacant After seven years presenting Radio 3's weekly choral programme The Choir, presenter Aled Jones, who moved to ITV's Daybreak sofa last year, has left the programme. The presenter gap left by Jones' departure is being filled this month and next by six distinguished luminaries of the choral world, each of whom will present a special one-off programme that focuses on their particular choral interests.
25 January 2013 Phillip Sommerich HMV failure: Hilco takeover provides some hope for classical Corporate takeover firm Hilco has taken control of HMV by paying £40m for its debt ‒ providing some hope that at least some of its high street presence will remain. But most classical sales had already moved online.
23 January 2013 Classical Music staff ABO/Rhinegold awards honour UK's backstage talent Awards go to Britten Sinfonia's David Butcher, Orchestra Manager of the Year; Artist Manager of the Year James Brown of Hazard Chase; and Concert Hall Manager of the Year Kevin Appleby of Turner Sims in Southampton. The Royal Philharmonic Society was given the ABO Award.
Alex Stevens Gergiev appointment at Munich confirmed The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra has formally announced the appointment of Valery Gergiev as its principal conductor from 2015 ‒ while his current employer, the LSO, talks up the strength of its relationships with previous chief conductors.
22 January 2013 Alex Stevens Gergiev move to Munich Phil looks likely LSO: 'We cannot comment on any other plans which Valery Gergiev may have. What is clear is that his relationship with the LSO is strong and it will sustain.' Gergiev is expected to become chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic from 2015.
Classical Music staff ABO/Rhinegold awards to take place at ABO conference The second ABO/Rhinegold Awards will be presented by violinist Nicola Benedetti at the ABO Conference dinner on 23 January, in the categories Orchestra Manager of the Year; Concert Hall Manager of the Year; and Artist Manager of the Year. CM will announce the details online after the ceremony.
18 January 2013 Kimon Daltas Pappano presented with ISM's Distinguished Musician Award Sir Antonio Pappano was presented with the award at a small ceremony in the Royal Opera House's Conservatory room yesterday. The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) established the award in 1976 with the stated aim 'to recognise outstanding contributions to musical life in the UK'.
17 January 2013 Alex Stevens Southbank Centre announces 2013/14 programme The Southbank Centre has announced its classical season for 2013/14, with highlights including Antonio Pappano's Orchestra and Chorus of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, the first UK performance of Claudio Abbado's Orchestra Mozart and the return of the Festival Hall's newly refurbished organ
16 January 2013 Glyn Mon Hughes Welsh rights dispute: BBC and PRS accused of price fixing Dafydd Roberts asks 'whether the BBC-PRS agreement is price fixing' as Welsh musicians' dispute with PRS rumbles on.
15 January 2013 Alex Stevens ENO halves reserves to pay for £2.2m deficit English National Opera's accounts for 2011-12 show a £1.2m fall in ticket sales set against a £1.4m increase in cash spent on productions and a drop in its Arts Council grant. The results 'reflect the cut in ACE funding in 2012 and the impact of a very difficult economic environment on ticket sales', says the company.
14 January 2013 Classical Music staff Metronomic appeal: the Reich stuff Town Hall and Symphony Hall Birmingham launch hunt for mechanical metronomes and their owners to take part in a performance of Ligeti's Poème Symphonique.
11 January 2013 Simon Tait Change ahead at National Campaign for the Arts Rumours that the National Campaign for the Arts is closing have been firmly denied by its new chairman ‒ but the organisation will change, said the actor and director Sam West who has written to subscribing members to set the record straight.
Robert Beale Linda Merrick new RNCM Principal Linda Merrick ‒ clarinettist, academic and administrator ‒ has been appointed principal of the Royal Northern College of Music.
Alex Stevens Royal Opera House focuses on risk-taking new work and co-productions The Royal Opera House has announced its plans for new opera until 2020, building to a series of four full-scale new commissions inspired by questions developed with philosopher Slavoj Žižek, and including new projects with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Aldeburgh Music, Music Theatre Wales, Opera North and Sound and Music.
10 January 2013 Kimon Daltas Welcome to the new Classical Music website Welcome to the new Classical Music website, and thank you for visiting. We hope you find the changes we have made useful, helpful and easy to navigate, but we thought some key directions in the early stages wouldn't go amiss.
Classical Music staff Sir Simon Rattle sets date for Berlin Phil departure Sir Simon, who took over from Claudio Abbado as principal conductor of the orchestra in 1999, has announced that he will not be renewing his current contract, and the 2017/18 season will be his last in Berlin.
7 January 2013 Toby Deller 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.
4 January 2013 Michael Quinn Ulster Orchestra appoints Rosa Solinas as permanent chief executive The Ulster Orchestra has appointed Rosa Solinas, currently head of music at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, as its new chief executive.
Alex Stevens Sir Richard Rodney Bennett | 29 March 1936 ‒ 24 December 2012 Sir Richard Rodney Bennett CBE, the British composer whose respected output was more diverse than any of his generation, has died aged 76 in New York.
3 January 2013 Phillip Sommerich Classical labels upbeat in face of CD market's steep decline Classical independent labels are upbeat about prospects for 2013, in contrast to two reports that digital downloads are not gaining ground fast enough to offset the decline in CD sales.
30 December 2012 Alex Stevens New year honours 2013: classical music awards In a new year honours list dominated by sporting personalities, a number of figures from the classical music world were also recognised, including CBEs for Ruth Mackenzie, director of the Cultural Olympiad, for services to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Michael Berman, chairman of the Southbank Sinfonia, for services to music and philanthropy.
20 December 2012 Alex Stevens Venu Dhupa steps down from Creative Scotland after year to forget Venu Dhupa, Creative Scotland's director of creative development, has resigned from the body just weeks after chief executive Andrew Dixon also gave notice of his departure. The body has come under sustained criticism in recent months over new funding arrangements, management style and its corporate ethos.
19 December 2012 Alex Stevens PLG 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.
18 December 2012 David Kettle Creative Scotland ends 2012 in uncertainty As 2012 draws to a close, green shoots may be appearing for Creative Scotland. But the Year of Creative Scotland was just that, as its chief executive prepares to depart in the new year following his recent resignation
12 December 2012 Simon Tait Autumn Statement brings more arts cuts The arts are to take a further funding cut because the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England have been so pared down themselves that they say they are unable to sustain the new reductions announced in chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement.
Alex Stevens Ravi Shankar, sitar player, 7 April 1920-11 December 2012 Ravi Shankar, the sitar player and composer described by George Harrison as 'the godfather of world music', has died at the age of 92. He was a three-time Grammy award winner and collaborated with Philip Glass and, extensively, with Yehudi Menuhin
10 December 2012 Phillip Sommerich Midem moves to boost classical offering Celebrity guests, cut-price deals and a networking lounge have been drafted in by organisers of Midem, the Cannes-based music industry trade fair, to stem an outflow of classical delegates.
6 December 2012 Michael Quinn Ulster Orchestra consults over future 'to preserve this orchestra' The Ulster Orchestra has entered into a consultation process with staff and stakeholders that interim chief executive Ed Smith says may lead to 'some losses to the core orchestra and administrative staff'.
5 December 2012 Fiona Clampin Lancaster University suspends music degree course A spokesperson for Lancaster University said: 'This course has experienced significant decline in undergraduate applications in recent years and has reached a point that is unsustainable in terms of undergraduate activity.'
Alex Stevens ABO/Rhinegold industry awards: nominations close 7 December Nominations for the ABO/Rhinegold classical music industry awards close on Friday 7 December.
Alex Stevens Jonathan Harvey, composer, 3 May 1939-4 December 2012 Jonathan Harvey, one of the foremost British composers of his generation, has died aged 73.
3 December 2012 Kimon Daltas British Composer Awards announced The British Composer Awards 2012 ceremony was held at the Goldsmith's Hall in the City of London last night, with some familiar and some new names in among the winners.
David Kettle Andrew Dixon stands down from Creative Scotland Creative Scotland is looking for a new chief executive following the resignation of Andrew Dixon. Over the past year the arts quango has attracted intense criticism from the arts community prompting the board to initiate two internal reports which were completed prior to Mr Dixon's resignation.
30 November 2012 Toby Deller Peter Moores Foundation goes out with a bang The Peter Moores Foundation is concluding half a century of support for the arts – including performance of neglected operas – with a spectacular Swansong Project.
29 November 2012 Kimon Daltas Comments from arts world are 'close to pure fiction' says Maria Miller Culture secretary Maria Miller has written a strongly-worded article for the Evening Standard on 28 November in which she responded to comments by Sir Nicholas Hytner, Danny Boyle, Stephen Fry and Stephen Daldry during the Standard Theatre Awards on 25 November.
27 November 2012 Kimon Daltas Southbank launches Rest Is Noise, a year-long modern music primer The Southbank Centre has announced programme highlights for 'The Rest Is Noise: the Soundtrack of the 20th century', a yearlong cultural festival inspired by New Yorker music critic Alex Ross' multi-award-winning book.
22 November 2012 Alex Stevens Lord Hall, Royal Opera House chief exec, appointed BBC director general Tony Hall, chief executive of the Royal Opera House since 2001, has been appointed director general of the BBC. He will take over the role in March.
21 November 2012 Glyn Mon Hughes Grant to study community impact of Liverpool's In Harmony An international research project has been awarded a grant to examine the impact of Liverpool's In Harmony project on the community. The Institute of Cultural Capital, a joint venture between the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, received the grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
20 November 2012 Alex Stevens ENO could sell naming rights to London Coliseum English National Opera has contracted brand and sponsorship agency Capitalize to develop its corporate partnerships and sponsorship opportunities ‒ with naming rights to the London Coliseum, ENO's home since 1968, potentially available to the right bidder.
18 October 2012 Susan Nickalls Scottish Opera Orchestra forms co-op for hire Musicians in the Orchestra of Scottish Opera have set up Scotland's first music co-operative following the restructuring of the company last year which resulted in all of its players going on to part-time contracts.
16 August 2012 Simon Tait Royal Opera House closes ROH2 contemporary opera programme The Royal Opera House is closing its commissioning and contemporary music and dance arm, ROH2, as part of an internal reorganisation. However, commissioning and producing new work is to continue, with productions continuing to be staged in the Clore Studio and the Linbury Theatre, now firmly associated with contemporary work and new commissions. In a gradual process, works commissioned by ROH2 which have not yet been produced will still appear under the ROH2 banner.
30 March 2012 Alex Stevens Sound and Music responds to open letters Following two open letters published this week, signed by some 350 composers, criticising Sound and Music, the organisation's trustees have issued the following response.
Alex Stevens Young composers write further letter to Sound and Music & ACE Following the publication of a highly critical open letter sent to Sound and Music and Arts Council England from 255 composers, performers and other music industry figures, a second open letter will be sent today, signed by 90 young composers 'actively engaged in contemporary music in the United Kingdom'.
27 March 2012 Alex Stevens Composers and artists sign open letter condemning Sound and Music An open letter which severely criticises the work of contemporary music organisation Sound and Music (SAM) was sent today to SAM and its funding body, Arts Council England.
9 March 2012 Alex Stevens Export ban on Britten manuscript buys time to hear from UK bidders A complete draft score of Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, one of two known such items and the more significant of those, has been placed under an export ban.