May 2010

photo: Marco Borggreve

Stuttgart Opera has announced Sylvain Cambreling as their new General Music Director, from the 2012/2013 season. Incoming Artistic Opera Director Jossi Wieler was proud to announce his and Sylvain Cambreling's new collaboration with both looking forward to a successful and exciting long-term partnership. Sylvain Cambreling brings a wealth of experience to this role having been Music Director of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Artistic Manager and Music Director of the Frankfurt Opera, as well as conductor at the Salzburg Festival and at the Opéra National de Paris. Speaking to Opera Now, Sylvain explained that ‘After I left Frankfurt in 1997 I decided I would never take on an opera house again – it was too much work. But that was as General Artistic Director, and being a Music Director is very different. I love theatre music and even when I am busy conducting other repertoire I am first and foremost an opera conductor. So I am very excited to be trying again.’

photo: Sheila Rock

Focusing this month on developments in Japan we have exciting news about Semyon Bychkov, Sylvain Cambreling, and the Philharmonia Orchestra. In May and early June, VWM will tour the Philharmonia Orchestra to Japan with their Principal Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen – their first Asian project. Following an opening concert in Hyogo’s Performing Arts Theatre, the orchestra then performs four concerts in central Tokyo in three separate venues, including Suntory Hall and then end the visit with a concert in Nagoya. With Hilary Hahn as the soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, other works performed on the tour include the conductor’s own composition Helix, Sibelius’ Symphony No 2, Bartok’s The Miraculous Mandarin Suite and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique.

As reported in our February newsletter, Semyon Bychkov spent three weeks in Japan with NHK Symphony Orchestra. His concerts were an outstanding success and have resulted in an immediate re-invitation to Tokyo in 2013 when he will conduct French repertoire and also the Verdi Requiem. Sylvain Cambreling began his three year tenure as principal conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo last month with programmes of Beethoven, Mahler and Schoenberg. Performances continue in the 2010/2011 season with 13 concerts in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya.

photo: Céline Gaudier

The SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg has announced that François Xavier Roth will become the new Chief Conductor from 2011/2012 season. Born in 1971, Roth takes over the position from Sylvain Cambreling who has held it since 1999. SWR- Intendant Peter Boudgoust commented: ‘François Xavier Roth is a high calibre appointment and his visionary ideas will strengthen the position of the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, which has a central goal of attracting listeners to contemporary music.’ François Xavier Roth said that he was ecstatic with the appointment and very honoured. He continued, ‘the SWR Symphony Orchestra is one of the best in the world for contemporary music - but not only, as their experience in classic and romantic repertoire will help us to give a new perspective about our music.’ It was an instant love affair between the SWR and Roth, who first conducted the orchestra in a programme of Rihm, Dukas and Schubert on 13 March 2009.

photo: Mathias Bothor

Congratulations to Semyon Bychkov whose CD of Wagner’s Lohengrin has picked up both Disc of the Year and the Opera Award at the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2010. The other artists are Johan Botha, Adrianne Pieczonka, Petra Lang, Kwangchul Youn, Falk Struckmann, Eike Wilm Schulte; WDR Radio Choir, Cologne; NDR Choir; Prague Chamber Choir; WDR Sinfonieorchester, Cologne.

Gustavo Dudamel received US$75k McDermott award last month at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston for his ‘excellence in the arts’. The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT is bestowed upon individuals whose artistic trajectory and body of work indicate that they will achieve the highest distinction and become leaders in their fields. Dudamel will use the prize to buy instruments for his Sistema projects around the world.

Finally, Nicholas Collon and the Aurora Orchestra have been nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society’s music award in the Ensemble category alongside the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and London Sinfonietta.

photo: Benjamin Ealovega

Javier Perianes returns to Caracas to perform with the Simon Bólivar Orchestra of Venezuela to play Chopin’s Piano Concerto No 2 under the baton of Diego Mathuez, who similarly to Gustavo Dudamel is a product of El Sistema, the music education program of Venezuela. In addition, Daniel Barenboim has invited Javier to play a recital in Ramallah on 20 May. He will appear later in the month with Orquesta de la Comunitat Valenciana conducted by Zubin Mehta performing Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor.

photo: Delahaye Photographie

Laurent Pelly’s new and highly-anticipated production of Massenet’s Don Quichotte opens at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels in early May. The performances are conducted by Laurent’s long-time collaborator Marc Minkowski, and sets are designed by Barbara de Limburg. The production features José van Dam’s in the title role (in his farewell to La Monnaie) and Silvia Tro Santafé.

photo: Simon Butterworth

Ilan Volkov joins forces with Juho Pohjonen to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4 with Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya. The programme further includes Martinu’s Frescoes of Piera della Francesca and Schubert’s Symphony No 4.

Ilan Volkov and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra have released a new CD on Hyperion of Stravinsky’s The Fairy’s Kiss and Scènes De Ballet. ‘In the wrong hands, The Fairy’s Kiss can sound prolix when performed without the attendant choreography and scenery, but Volkov has a sure ear for the ballet’s momentum, colour and dynamism, and the BBC SSO plays it with precision and eloquent character.’ The Telegraph

photo: Thomas Mueller

The Borodin Quartet has a new CD release on the Onyx label. They perform Borodin’s String Quartet No 1, Stravinsky Concertino and Myaskovsky Quartet No 13. The quartet has recently returned to Russia after a critically acclaimed and extensive 65th anniversary tour to Australia and New Zealand, ending with a concert at the Lincoln Center in New York.

photo: Jorgen Gomnes

Eivind Aadland, as Principal Conductor of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra tours with them to China with concerts in Beijing, Suzhou and Shanghai. Programmes include Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No 1, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto No 2 with soloist Henning Kraggerud and Dvorak’s Symphony No 9 New World.

photo: Nicolas Ruel

In Montréal, Kent Nagano is performing the complete Beethoven symphonies cycle with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. He closes the season with performances of Strauss’ Four Last Songs with Karita Mattila and Mahler’s Symphony No 9.

photo: Jaroslaw Deluga-Gora

Also performing Strauss’ Four Last Songs this month is Antoni Wit who conducts the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra in their home City. The programme also includes Beethoven’s Cantata on the death of Emperor Joseph II with the choir of the Kracow Philharmonic and soloists Christiane Libor, Catherine Ho?ysz, Tomasz Rak and Wojciech Gierlach.

photo: Holger Schneider

In his last week as Principal Guest Conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in Edinburgh, Olari Elts conducts Sibelius’ Symphony No 3, Ligeti’s Romanian Concerto, Tüür’s Symphony No 8 and a new commission by the composer.