Sofie Von Otter News

After four years of construction, Carnegie Hall's Judith and Burton Resnick Education Wing opens to the public this weekend, providing a new home within the Hall's landmark building for a wide range of music education and community programs created by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) and Ensemble ACJW.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's 60th anniversary season continues with Capriccio, starring Renée Fleming and conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, longtime collaborators in performance and colleagues as Lyric's creative consultant and music director respectively. Richard Strauss's final opera “reunites Renée in a signature role with Sir Andrew, in a lovely production previously seen here in 1994,” says Anthony Freud, Lyric's general director.

In celebration of the Rameau year, Grammy®-nominated harpsichordist Jory Vinikour opens the season with an all-Rameau recital at the Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium.

This September, Carnegie Hall's Judith and Burton Resnick Education Wing opens to the public, providing a new home within the Hall's landmark building for a wide range of music education and community programs created by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) and Ensemble ACJW. Young musicians, families, students, and teachers can have the opportunity to share musical experiences in 24 new inspirational spaces dedicated to music education on Carnegie Hall's upper floors. Activities housed in the new 61,000-square-foot wing will include interactive and educational musical events for families; programs for New York City students and music teachers; rehearsals and training for Ensemble ACJW fellows; workshops and master classes for young musicians; and professional development activities for educators, WMI teaching artists, and performers.

This Monday morning sees Nicola Benedetti with an ensemble of her regular collaborators performing Brahms and Shostakovich in the first concert of BBC Radio 3's series of Festival 2014 live broadcasts.

Today, at a press conference in Edinburgh, Director Jonathan Mills revealed the artists, companies and work from around the world which will fill the stages of Edinburgh's annual cultural celebration. Over 2,400 artists from 43 nations have been invited to Edinburgh to perform in the annual showcase of the world's great performing artists.

Summer is just around the corner, and we are looking ahead in anticipation to the start of Carnegie Hall's 2014-2015 season! Listed below are classical music highlights at Carnegie Hall, including details on UBUNTU: Music and Arts of South Africa, a three-week festival from October 10 to November 5, featuring an exciting array of events to be presented at Carnegie Hall and partner venues throughout New York City, inviting audiences to explore the incredibly dynamic and diverse culture of South Africa.

Pianist Brad Mehldau will replace pianist Andre Previn at Blue Note Jazz Club, today, June 6 through Sunday, June 8, as part of the 2014 Blue Note Jazz Festival. Previn was initially scheduled to perform with bassist Christian McBride during that time frame and has had to postpone the engagement due to unforeseen circumstances.

Pianist Brad Mehldau will replace pianist Andre Previn at Blue Note Jazz Club, Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 8, as part of the 2014 Blue Note Jazz Festival. Previn was initially scheduled to perform with bassist Christian McBride during that time frame and has had to postpone the engagement due to unforeseen circumstances.

Two of the most renowned artists active in historical performance today have chosen Salon/Sanctuary Concerts as the presenter for their only New York recitals of the 2014-2015. The recitals will take place in the beautiful and acoustically resonant Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium.

From May 12 to 16, Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute will present a workshop for young jazz instrumentalists led by renowned Latin jazz artist Paquito D'Rivera. The prolific composer, conductor, clarinetist, and saxophonist teams up with members of his ensemble to mentor these young jazz musicians during an intensive weeklong workshop, co-designed by acclaimed bassist and educator Oscar Stagnaro, that culminates with a concert in Zankel Hall on Friday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. During the concert, the young musicians will perform music composed by D'Rivera and other Latin jazz works alongside D'Rivera himself, Stagnaro, and other members of the Paquito D'Rivera Ensemble including pianist Alex Brown, percussionist Pernell Satuemino, trumpeter Diego Urcola, and drummer Mark Walker. See below for program information.

The Celebrity Series of Boston announced its 2014-2015 season today, marking 76 years of bringing the world's greatest performing artists to Boston. The season opens on Sunday, October 5, 2014 with Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini in recital. In total, the 2014-2015 season will include 46 music, dance and entertainment engagements. The 2014-15 season is sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger.

The April broadcasts of The New York Philharmonic This Week — the weekly radio series of concerts and recordings by the New York Philharmonic, hosted by Alec Baldwin — begin with Music Director Alan Gilbert leading the Orchestra in Beethoven's Coriolan Overture; Korngold's Violin Concerto, with soloist Leonidas Kavakos; Nielsen's Symphony No. 3, Sinfonia espansiva, with soprano Erin Morley and baritone Joshua Hopkins; and Nielsen's Symphony No. 2, The Four Temperaments. This recording of the two Nielsen symphonies was selected by The New York Times as one of the Best Classical Music Recordings of 2012. The following week Alan Gilbert leads the Philharmonic in Nielsen's Flute Concerto, with Principal Flute Robert Langevin as soloist, and Violin Concerto, featuring Nikolaj Znaider, as well as Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2, Little Russian.

Today, at a press conference in Edinburgh, Director Jonathan Mills revealed the artists, companies and work from around the world which will fill the stages of Edinburgh's annual cultural celebration. Over 2,400 artists from 43 nations have been invited to Edinburgh to perform in the annual showcase of the world's great performing artists.

Lyric's annual Subscriber Appreciation Concert, which this year features renowned soprano and Lyric creative consultant Renee Fleming and celebrated tenor Jonas Kaufmann, has only a few seats left. Tonight's program, which begins at 7:30 pm, is a thank-you performance for Lyric's more than 25,000 subscribers. The concert with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Lyric Music Director Sir Andrew Davis includes selections by Verdi, Massenet, Gounod, and others.

Lyric's annual Subscriber Appreciation Concert, which this year features renowned soprano and Lyric creative consultant Renee Fleming and celebrated tenor Jonas Kaufmann, has only a few seats left. The Wednesday, March 19 program, which begins at 7:30 pm, is a thank-you performance for Lyric's more than 25,000 subscribers. The concert with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Lyric Music Director Sir Andrew Davis includes selections by Verdi, Massenet, Gounod, and others.

This April, Lorin Maazel conducts the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in two concerts of works by Richard Strauss at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. On Friday, April 11 at 8:00 p.m., the orchestra performs Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30, and Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28, and is joined by pianist Emanuel Ax for Burleske. The following evening, Saturday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m., soprano Karita Mattila sings the composer's Four Last Songs. Also on the program is Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40, and the Der Rosenkavalier Suite. The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra last performed at Carnegie Hall in 2002.

World renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann makes his Carnegie Hall recital debut tonight, February 20 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage with pianist Helmut Deutsch. The German tenor sings selections from Schumann's Zwolf Gedichte as well as his Dichterliebe. Also on the program is Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder, Op. 91; and Liszt's Tre sonetti di Petrarca.

Lyric Opera of Chicago announced its 2014-2015 season today, which is set to include eight operas, a world premiere new opera, a one night only piano concert with internationally acclaimed pianist Lang Lang, and special family performances. Lyric's 2014-15 subscription season will offer 68 performances of eight different operas Saturday, September 27, 2014 through Sunday, March 15 , 2015. Lyric will also present 17 performances of a new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel in April 2015, continuing the company's American Musical Theater Initiative.