2019 BBC Proms Premieres
The Proms programme always raises debate. This year the focus has been on the number of female composers represented—whilst there is a better male/female balance, the most substantial commissions have…
Cheltenham Music Festival Preview
Cheltenham Music Festival (5th–14th July, venues in Cheltenham, UK), this year celebrating its 75th birthday, remains one of the UK’s most imaginative not to mention prestigious music festivals. This year’s programme…
Ib Nørholm (1931–2019)
More sad news with the death of Danish composer and organist Ib Nørholm, who died on Monday aged 88. Nørholm was born in Søberg, Denmark. He began his study of…
Sven-David Sandström (1942–2019)
Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström died on Monday. He was 76. Following studies of art history and musicology, Sandström studied composition with Ingvar Lidholm at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm.…
Tête à Tête 2019 (24th July—10th August)
Tête à Tête, one of the the best places to experience new opera, has just announced its 2019 festival programme. Always responsive to the artistic environment, themes this year include…
Mark Grey Interview
I talk to U.S. composer Mark Grey. Hot from the world premiere of his grand opera Frankenstein in La Monnaie, Brussels, he is now working on a new chamber opera,…
Derek Holman (1931–2019)
The death has been reported of British-Canadian composer Derek Holman. Born in Cornwall he was educated at Truro School, the Royal Academy and the University of London. Various teaching posts…
Three June Festivals
The Holland Festival (29th May–June 23rd) The Holland Festival explores cutting edge dance, film, music, opera, theatre, visual arts and multidisciplinary collaborations. This year Stockhausen is very much on the menu,…
New report into the effects of Brexit on the music profession
The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) has released a new report entitled ‘Impact of Brexit on Musicians’: The main findings were: -Almost 50% of respondents identified an impact on their…
Dominique Lawalrée (1954–2019)
Belgian composer Dominique Lawalrée has died. He was 64. Lawalrée was born in Brussels, studying at the Institut Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie in Namur. He began composing in…