Tag Archives: News

mid-week news roundup

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newspaper

  • Some very sad news from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, whose Principal trombonist, Steven Witser, died of a heart attack at the age of 48 on Monday night.
  • The Ying Quartet is losing its first violinist, resulting in a quartet that will not be all siblings.
  • The Baltimore Symphony musicians have given $1 million in voluntary wage/benefit concessions and are involved in an extensive fundraising drive for the orchestra.
  • Interesting article in NewMusicBox about the efficacy of pre-concert lectures.
  • Krystian Zimerman creates a furor with his politically-based anti-US concert remarks and apparent self-imposed ban on future US performance.

lang lang watch

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Lang Lang - photo: Felix Broede

Since the piano sensation Lang Lang is coming to play a Gala performance with the Oregon Symphony in October 2008 (Friday, October 3, to be exact), I thought that keeping you Portland classical music and piano fans apprised of his activities might be in order.

So, here’s the first Lang Lang watch – enjoy.

eschenbach to national symphony?

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Apparently the rumor mill at the Philadelphia Orchestra is buzzing with news that Christoph Eschenbach is due to be named music director of the National Symphony – Peter Dobrin of ArtsWatch reports:

That’s been the backstage rumor lately at the Philadelphia Orchestra – that the Washington, D.C. ensemble is set to name Eschenbach its next music director. It certainly added credibility to the rumor that Nigel Boon, the National’s artistic chief, recently stopped by the Kimmel Center to hear several Eschenbach concerts. Now, lots can happen between courting time and sign-on-the-dotted-line time. But Eschenbach will conduct the National in February in a special benefit concert; that might be a good time to expect an announcement.