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International News and Reviews   

The Berlin Phil - live in your own front room   

The Berlin Philharmonic has launched the world's first digital concert hall, which will broadcast its performances live on the internet and has the potential to widen the audience from a few hundred to millions around the world.

18.12.2008 / The Guardian


A Conversation With: Violinist Gil Shaham   

Elgar’s Violin Concerto and the music of Pablo de Sarasate figure prominently into acclaimed violinist Gil Shaham’s fall 2008 season. His recording of the Elgar work with the Chicago Symphony will enjoy an early iTunes digital release on Nov. 4.

06.11.2008 / Playbill Arts


Bernstein in Beijing: China's Classical Music Explosion   

Long Yu has come a long way since the day in 1976 when he accidentally killed a duck. The duck was going to die anyway, but not until it had been properly fattened up in the breeding factory where Long, then 12, was required to work in the waning days of China's Cultural Revolution. The ducks were force-fed through a tube operated by a foot-pedal — a single pump per meal. One day Long got careless and accidentally pumped twice. End of duck.

06.11.2008 / Time Online


Violin echoes the Holocaust   

It survived, broken but not destroyed, a remnant of a World War II Nazi concentration camp. Then, for more than 60 years, the violin emblazoned with a Star of David was silenced....

06.11.2008 / Cincinnati.com


Double Booking Problem at Ottowa National Arts Centre   

The National Arts Centre has hit the same sour note with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra -- for the second time. The prestigious Toronto Symphony Orchestra comes to the NAC on Nov. 13 with a repertoire that includes Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten -- the same piece that the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra will perform four days later in the very same room, Southam Hall.

06.11.2008 / Ottawa Citizen


Los Angeles Philharmonic Gives Online Tribute To Esa-Pekka Salonen   

As a major component of the special projects honoring Esa-Pekka Salonen in his final season as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Music Director, the LA PHIL launches the “Celebrate Salonen” microsite. The comprehensive and multi-layered site, a living tribute to Salonen’s legacy, is an exploration of his 17 seasons with the LA PHIL. Through images, as well as on-demand audio and video components, it showcases him as both composer and conductor as well as a champion of music of our time.

06.11.2008 / Huliq News


Royal Opera House stars strip naked for charity   

The male and female artists, along with an assortment of backstage staff, posed entirely naked for the project to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. They include Royal Ballet dancer Sian Murphy, 30, photographed in one of the boxes at Covent Garden wearing nothing but diamonds. To read this article try: Login email: info@concert-hall.com: Password proklassika

06.11.2008 / Telegraph.co.uk


Opera Pacific closes down, likely for good   

Three days after its final performance of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville," Santa Ana-based Opera Pacific, the county's only major opera company, announced Tuesday that it will cancel the remainder of its 2008-2009 season and will likely close down operations for good.

06.11.2008 / OCRegister


Canadian Opera Company posts surplus for 2007-08 season   

TORONTO — The Canadian Opera Company had a surplus of $41,000 for the 2007-08 season, COC president David Ferguson announced Tuesday. It was the company's sixth consecutive surplus.

06.11.2008 / Canadian Press


Highest Pedigree Yields No High Bids for Cello   

It was a remarkable cello, with an equally remarkable pedigree, and by all accounts it was primed to draw a record price as serious bidding began Friday morning on the Web site of Tarisio (tarisio.com), auctioneers of fine stringed instruments and bows. Sure enough, the cello, made in 1717 by Antonio Stradivari and named after Amaryllis Fleming, the half sister of Ian Fleming, quickly attracted a record bid of $1.35 million. But then, silence. To read this article try: ID Login: opus1classical Password: proklassika.

06.11.2008 / New York Times