Category: music

“A substantial increase in contributed revenue made it possible for the MSO to balance the budget. Fueled by two challenge grants, the MSO received $12.1 million in contributed income for fiscal year 2011, a 13.8% increase over 2010.” That figure included “the highest amount of contributed revenue raised for operations in its history: $8,074,972.”

“Workers at La Scala opera house in Milan have rescinded a strike threat, meaning a concert performance of Beethoven’s “Fidelio” there on Friday by the Vienna Staatsoper will go on, a spokesman for the company said on Thursday.”

“Efforts to honor musically those who died on 9/11 began almost immediately, initially through concerts that relied on existing works, like Brahms’s Requiem. But pieces written specifically to commemorate the tragedy soon followed.”

“Siemens became involved four years ago hosting public screenings of performances which were also broadcast on the Internet on ‘Siemens Festival Night’. A company spokesman said the events had enjoyed success but ‘the baby has grown up and learned to walk on its own, and now we wish to pursue other projects’.”

“The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has spent the last year trying to balance its books and fill its coffers.” After cutting $1 million from its administrative budget, the orchestra struck an agreement with musicians that will raise salaries by only 1% over the next two years.

“A cloud has cleared for the opening on Wednesday of the new concert hall: The MSO and their musicians, who have been playing without a contract for a year, have reached an agreement. The musicians will get a 10.5-percent increase, a notch more than the 10 per cent they originally asked for, but over four years rather than two.”

“Government of the province of Quebec announced Wednesday morning that the hall will be called La Maison Symphonique de Montreal. During a tour of the facility the same day, representatives of the orchestra and the architectural and design teams could not agree about what the official English translation will be.”

“It’s the greatest in the world. There’s no question about it. Acoustically it’s the hall that every other one aspires to. You can’t make an ugly sound in this hall.”

“This anachronistic fest – which is dwarfed by state-of-the-art soirees in San Francisco and Montreal – long has needed an overhaul.”

“Trade unionists at La Scala opera house in Milan on Friday announced a strike that will force the cancellation of next week’s much-awaited performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fidelio by the prestigious Vienna Staatsoper.”