Carmen

Event date: 06-15-09
Despite her deceitful nature, Carmen still remains one of the most loved women in the operatic literature. This Spanish beauty who works in the local cigar factory seduces several man which eventually will lead to her death. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Mariss Jansons will provide the musical atmosphere for this production of de Nederlandse Opera (the Netherlands Opera) with a cast that includes Nadia Krasteva as Carmen, Yonghoon Lee as Don José, Kyle Ketelsen as Escamillo and Genia Kühmeier as Micaëla.
City:Amsterdam, Country:Netherlands Read full article about Carmen

Waldbühne 2009

Event date: 06-21-09
The summer is coming and that means that the cultural season is over. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, as usual, end their season in the Berlin Waldbühne, with a grandiose out-door concert. Sir Simon Rattle will conduct his orchestra in a program that includes the first act from Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker, Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto - featuring Yefim Bronfman - and Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps. A wonderful way to end the season and start the summer!
City:Berlin, Country:Germany Read full article about Waldbühne 2009

Dvorák Festival

Event date: 06-11-09
Chicago's very own Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Mark Elder, plays an all Dvorák program tonight. This concert is part of a grand season finale: the Dvorák Festival, which pays a tribute to the life and works of this Czech composer. On the program tonight is one of the pieces the composer himself conducted when he visited the orchestra in 1893, his Symphony No. 8. Also appearing on the concert stage is Alisa Weilerstein, the 26-year old virtuoso cellist who will be performing Dvorák's Cello Concerto. A beautiful way to end a beautiful season!
City:Chigago, Country:United States Read full article about Dvorák Festival

A War Requiem

Event date: 06-13-09
An impressive performance of Benjamin Britten's 'War Requiem' will be witnessed by those happy few that have managed to grab a seat at the Avery Fisher Hall today. Lorin Maazel will lead his New York Philharmonic and an all-star cast - featuring Nancy Gustafson, Vale Rideout and Ian Greenlaw - through this emotional piece. The peice was commissioned for the reconsecration of the Coventry Cathedral in 1962, which was bommed in 1940 and left a ruin. Britten was inspired by this commission and decided to compose a piece for soprano, tenor, baritone, a chorus, a boy's choir, organ, a full orchestra and a chamber orchestra, using the setting of the traditional Latin Mass, interwoven with nine works of the English poet Wilfred Owen, who died in battle during the First World War. Britten quotes Owen on the title page of the score: “My subject is War, and the pity of War / The Poetry is in the pity … / All a poet can do today is warn.”
City:New York, Country:United States Read full article about A War Requiem

Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble

Event date: 05-25-09
The Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble is one of the oldest chamber music formations of the orchestra and stands out due to its all-round performance. They can produce the festive sounds of a Renaissance and Baroque composition but also the entertainment music we know today is in their repertoire. They will perform works by Pergolesi, Bach, Handel, Elgar, Gade, Gershwin plus the premiere of 'Out of Black Dust' by Mark-Anthony Turnage, a piece commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic together with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Barbican London.
City:Berlin, Country:Germany Read full article about Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble

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Stravinsky by Gergiev

Event date: 05-25-09
The legendary conductor Valery Gergiev is paying a visit to Vienna and its fenomenal orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Together they will perform Sibelius' Symphony No. 1 and a suite from Stravinsky's 'The Firebird' in the Musikverein's magnificent 'Goldener Saal'
City:Vienna, Country:Austria Read full article about Stravinsky by Gergiev

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Elektra in Oslo

Event date: 05-29-09
The tragic story of Richard Strauss' Elektra is to be seen and heard tonight in the Oslo Opera House. Elektra's father Agamemnon was murdered by her own mother Clytemnestra and her lover - Agamemnon's brother - Aegisthus. Elektra swears revenge but when she tells her ideas to her sister Chrysothemis, her sister refuses to cooperate. She now turns to her brother Orestes who is in exile, but bad news arrives: Orestes has been killed under his own horse. At the end of her despair, Elektra decides to do the dirty deed herself...
City:Oslo, Country:Norway Read full article about Elektra in Oslo

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The walk to the Paradise Garden

Event date: 05-30-09
Hong Kong is in for a treat this night since conductor Edo de Waart and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra are playing three beautiful and memorable pieces. The evening begins when De Waart raises his baton for Delius' 'The walk to the Paradise Garden', from his opera 'A Village Romeo and Juliet', which tells us about the love between Sali and Vreli, whose story is just as dramatic as that of Romeo and Juliet. Next is Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral', a true celebration of nature. The evening is concluded by Olivier Latry, the organist of the Notre-Dame de Paris, who gives the Grand Organ of the Hong Kong culture Centre a real workout in Jongen's 'Symphony-concertante for organ and orchestra'.
City:Vienna, Country:Austria Read full article about The walk to the Paradise Garden

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Classical Brit Awards

Event date: 05-14-09
The Royal Albert Hall will be filled with some of today's most prominent classical musical artists and devotees tonight, who are anxious to find out who will be the winners of this years Classical Brit Awards. This 2009 edition is hosted by Myleene Klass and one thing is for sure: the great tenor Jose Carreras will receive a Lifetime Achievement of the Year Award this evening.
City:London, Country:UK Read full article about Classical Brit Awards

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Rhapsody in Blue

Event date: 05-14-09
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Kevin Cole is no less than " A piano genius…. who would have had Vladimir Horowitz smiling with envy". Tonight this genius can be heard in George Gershwin's immortal tribute to botch classical and jazz, Rhapsody in Blue, accompanied by Marvin Hamlisch and the Seattle Symphony.
City:Seattle, Country:USA Read full article about Rhapsody in Blue

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Celebrating Mendelssohn

Event date: 05-15-09
When it comes to the classical music world, 2009 is definitely a year of anniversaries. One celebrator of his anniversary is the centre of tonight´s attention: Felix Mendelssohn. In his 200th year of birth, the Berlin Philharmonic will perform his oratorio ' Elijah' tonight, under the baton of Seiji Ozawa. Annete Dasch, Matthias Goerne, Gal James, Nathalie Stutzmann, Anthony Dean Griffey, Silvia de la Muela, Paul O' Neill, Viktor Rud and Fernado Javier Rado will perform the vocal parts, together with the Boy Sopranos from the Tolzer Knabenchor and the Rundfunkchor Berlin.
City:New York, Country:USA Read full article about Celebrating Mendelssohn

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Nordic coolness in Vienna

Event date: 04-30-09
A Nordic coolness will sweep over Vienna during this concert, since Jukka-Pekka Saraste is bringing his Oslo Philharmonic to the Musikverein. Together with violin virtuoso Anne-Sophie Mutter they will perform Mendelssohn's beautiful violin concerto in e minor, before switching to Bartok's 'The wooden Prince' and Ravel's 'La Valse'.
City:Vienna, Country:Austria Read full article about Nordic coolness in Vienna

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The Damnation of Faust

Event date: 04-29-09
Sir Simon Rattle leads the Philadelphia Philharmonic through Hector Berlioz' major choral-orchestral masterpiece: 'The Damnation of Faust'. The French composer used the age-old tale of greed, lust, and fulfilment to explore humanity's capacity for love, forgiveness, and redemption. Marking an imaginative course midway between orchestral tone-painting and operatic spectacle, 'The Damnation of Faust' presents an invigoratingly fresh look at man's search for meaning in life. Featuring Magdalena Kozená, Eric Owens, Giuseppe Sabbatini and Thomas Quasthoff.
City:Philadelphia, Country:USA Read full article about The Damnation of Faust

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Villazón visits Berlin

Event date: 04-30-09
To celebrate their recent recording of some of Handel's finest arias, the world renowned Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón and the Gabrieli Consort are giving a series of performances throughout Europe. Tonight they will stop in the Berlin Philharmonie to perform arias from the operas 'Tamerlano', 'Rodelinda', 'Serse', 'Ariodante'.
City:Berlin, Country:Germany Read full article about Villazón visits Berlin

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Discover Gustav Mahler

Event date: 04-23-09
The life and the works of Gustav Mahler will be explored during this all-day event at Carnegie Hall. Get to to the bottom of Gustav Mahler's works and join the panel discussions, talks and performances, together with Mahler specialists Henry-Louis de La Grange and Sedgwick Clark, and Mahler devotee Gilbert Kaplan.
City:New York, Country:USA Read full article about Discover Gustav Mahler

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A kid's concert

Event date: 04-30-09
Hear grandfather grumble at everything, Peter walking down the lane, the roars of the wolf and at last the gunshots of the hunters in this performance of Prokofiev's fabulous composition 'Peter and the Wolf'. The composer completed one of his most known pieces in only four days and since its premiere in 1936 it has introduced numerous children into the world of classical music. Benjamin Britten's 'The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra' is another piece known for its music educational qualities. Both pieces are being performed in the Gewandhaus, the perfect afternoon for everyone!
City:Leipzig, Country:Germany Read full article about A kid's concert

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Requiem for a Young Poet

Event date: 04-23-09
The programme of this concert centres around the 'Requiem for a Young Poet', written by Bernd Alois Zimmermann. Composed a few months before his death, this composition requires a huge quantity of musicians: a narrator, two vocal soloists, three choruses, a full orchestra, two pianos, one Hammond organ and a jazz combo. Speeches from historical persons, including Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Joseph Goebbels, are sprinkled throughout the piece. Zimmermann was inspired by Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde' and 'Hey Jude' from the Beatles and used text from poets who committed suicide, such as Vladimir Mayakovsky and Sergei Esenin. The Requiem is a very serious and black piece and due to its size and difficulty not very often performed, so don't miss out on this concert!
City:Berlin, Country:Germany Read full article about Requiem for a Young Poet

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Bach & Ballet

Event date: 04-25-09
A unique event takes place in Zürich tonight. Musicians and dancers will perform Bach's violin sonata BWV 1001, Flute partita BWV 1013, two cantatas, Brandenburg Concerto no.3 and parts of the Magnificat in D major, choreographed by Heinz Spoerli. Spoerli has been a highly influential choreographer for many years now and the Zürich Ballet's artistic director since 1996. The orchestra is conducted by Mark Minkowski.
City:London, Country:UK Read full article about Bach & Ballet

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Hilary Hahn performs Sibelius

Event date: 04-23-09
The Musikverein has it all tonight; Mendelssohn's overture "Die Hebriden", op. 26, Jean Sibelius' magnificent Violin Concerto and after the break: Shostakovich's Sixth Symphony. Performing Sibelius' violin concerto is violin virtuoso Hilary Hahn who, despite being only 29, is one of the greatest violinist alive. Maestro Yakov Kreizberg will accompany her together with the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra.
City:Vienna, Country:Austria Read full article about Hilary Hahn performs Sibelius

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Harnoncourt in Amsterdam

Event date: 04-24-09
It's an evening filled with Mendelssohn tonight in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, honorary guest conductor, returns to the Amsterdam stage to lead the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a performance of Mendelssohn's 'Wie der Hirsch schreit Psalm 42' and his famous 'A Midsummernight's dream'.
City:Amsterdam, Country:The Netherlands Read full article about Harnoncourt in Amsterdam

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YouTube Symphony Orchestra

Event date: 04-15-09
Tonight Michael Tilson Thomas will conduct the long-awaited premiere of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. According to Tilson Thomas, the project "could be described as something between a summit conference, scout jamboree or musical get-together. It'll be the first time that people from so many countries will have a chance to discover one another". The work which this unique orchestra will be performing was written especially for this occasion by the Japanese composer Tan Dun: Internet Symphony no.1 'Eroica'.
City:New York, Country:US Read full article about YouTube Symphony Orchestra

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Lang Lang Piano Extravaganza

Event date: 04-18-09
Learn to play the piano from one of the greatest master alive during this unique master class. Virtuoso Lang Lang visits London to teach a group of 100 amateur pianists how to perform Schubert's 'Marche Millitaire'. In the afternoon he will switch to the more advanced pianists as conducts a master class with aspiring pianists from the Guildhall School.
City:London, Country:UK Read full article about Lang Lang Piano Extravaganza

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The Journey to Reims

Event date: 04-16-09
An illustrative and attractive crowd gathers in the Hotel of the Golden Fleur-de-lis to attend the crowning of King Charles X in Reims. Hostess of the spa hotel, Madame Cortese, and her personnel try to please this collection of European aristocrats, which proves to be quite a challenge. This joint La Scala and Rossini Opera Festival production of Gioachino Rossini's 'Il viaggo a Reims' is sung by Patrizia Ciofi, Daniella Barcelona, Juan F. Gatell Abre and José Carbó.
City:Country:Italy Read full article about The Journey to Reims

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Children's opera workshop

Event date: 04-15-09
For all the children who want to be in an opera: it's your lucky day! The Berlin based Staatsoper Unter den Linden offers children from 6 to 10 a chance to dress up as Bünhilde or Don Giovanni and sing the day away: a real treat for all young heroes and primadonnas!
City:Berlin, Country:Germany Read full article about Children's opera workshop

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Don Giovanni Workshop

Event date: 03-14-09
on Giovanni, no woman can resist him, no matter which age or background. Always dreamed about becoming, the womaniser of opera? The Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden offers you this chance with an unique workshop. Through playing and singing, contestants will learn about the opera's characters, Mozart's music and the story. If you want to really experience the opera, don't miss this opportunity.
City:Berlin, Country:Germany Read full article about Don Giovanni Workshop

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An easy Sunday Morning

Event date: 03-15-09
Sunday morning has never been better with this concert in the famous Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Conductor Jan Willem de Vriend and the Wiener Concertverein present a wonderful program, starring the Dutch violinist Liza Ferschtman in Beethoven's beautiful Romance no.2 in F and his restored Violin Concerto in C. They conclude the concert with Mozart's Symphony No.40 K 550. What else could you wish for?
City:Amsterdam, Country:Netherlands Read full article about An easy Sunday Morning

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Jansons in Carnegie Hall

Event date: 03-13-09
Another guest in Carnegie Hall this evening: the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich's finest, is visiting New York. They are bringing an extraordinary program and soloist with them: the world renowned pianist Emmanuel Ax will shine in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25. The orchestra concludes the evening under the baton of Mariss Jansons, with Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony.
City:New York, Country:United States Read full article about Jansons in Carnegie Hall

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No adults allowed

Event date: 03-13-09
The London Symphony Orchestra plays especially for the little ones today. This concert proves to be lots of fun for the under-fives. A popular children's story is re-told by a special LSO presenter, and accompanied by a musical mix of traditional and original songs, played by LSO musicians. No unaccompanied adults allowed!
City:London, Country:UK Read full article about No adults allowed