Limelight: INSIDE THE SHANGHAI ORCHESTRA ACADEMY
“I’m enjoying every part of it – but I’m not enjoying the winter, that’s for sure!” laughs horn player Mindy Chang, who has moved north from the warmer climes of Singapore to take part in the Shanghai Orchestra Academy in China, an intensive orchestral training program run by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.
Limelight
Angus McPherson
“I’m enjoying every part of it – but I’m not enjoying the winter, that’s for sure!” laughs horn player Mindy Chang, who has moved north from the warmer climes of Singapore to take part in the Shanghai Orchestra Academy in China, an intensive orchestral training program run by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.
She has just stepped out of a masterclass with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Horn, Han Chang Chou, who is coaching the horn students – in Chinese, with some English and German thrown in – on the audition excerpts they will have to master in order to one day win a job in an orchestra.
Chang’s first exposure to the Shanghai Orchestra Academy program was through an exchange with her university in Singapore last year, she tells Limelight, and seeking further learning opportunities after finishing her undergraduate degree, she enrolled, particularly keen to learn from the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Horn Peter Solomon. “I feel like he really has a lot to give,” she says. “That was actually the main reason that I came here. Peter really ticked all the right boxes.”
The SOA program, which has just celebrated its fifth anniversary, was established in 2014, evolving out of a 2012 exchange between the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic in the USA. “That was the year when maestro Long Yu [Shanghai Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director] started a discussion,” Doug He, Executive Director of the Shanghai Orchestra Academy, tells Limelight. “We all realised that for Chinese orchestras’ development, we needed a lot of good leadership from the musicians’ side.”
To read more about the Shanghai Orchestra Academy, click here.
Ludwig van: Azrieli Foundation Announces New Call For Proposals From Orchestras
The Azrieli Foundation has announced a call for proposals for a brand new funding stream within its Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) program.
The Azrieli Music Prizes Performance Fund (AMP-PF) is a new and annual funding stream that offers support for professional ensembles to prepare and perform works that have won the Azrieli Music Prize. Orchestras that receive funding would perform the AMP winning works in their 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons.
Ludwig Van
Anya Wassenberg
The Azrieli Foundation has announced a call for proposals for a brand new funding stream within its Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) program.
The Azrieli Music Prizes Performance Fund (AMP-PF) is a new and annual funding stream that offers support for professional ensembles to prepare and perform works that have won the Azrieli Music Prize. Orchestras that receive funding would perform the AMP winning works in their 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons.
According to a media release, the AMP-PF has been established to provide performance opportunities for the works that have won the Azrieli Music Prize, representing an important next step for new compositions.
The Foundation is accepting proposals from orchestras to request support ranging from $5,000 CAD to $25,000 CAD. The funding is intended to help orchestras with the nuts and bolts of preparing for a performance, including score rentals, soloist fees, rehearsal time, and promotions. Funding can also be requested in order to host the AMP Laureates at the concerts of their own prize-winning works.
To read more about AMP’s new call for proposals, click here.
The New York Times: Long Yu and Haochen Zhang with NY Phil in Concerts to See
The New York Times
David Allen
Our guide to the city’s best classical music and opera happening this weekend and in the week ahead.
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC at David Geffen Hall (Jan. 28 and 30, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 31, 11 a.m.). Ring in the Lunar New Year with the Philharmonic’s annual celebration on Tuesday, with Long Yu conducting a program that includes Gil Shaham as the soloist in Chen Gang and He Zhanhao’s “The Butterfly Lovers” and Haochen Zhang at the piano in Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
To read more, click here.
Limelight: Yo-Yo Ma Caps Off YMCG 2020 with Bach Marathon
Limelight
Angus McPherson
“The only way to play music is: when we are on stage, we are all equal,” Yo-Yo Ma told the audience after emerging from the nether regions of the orchestra’s cello section. The superstar cellist addressed the audience in Xinghai Concert Hall in both English and Chinese at the closing concert of Youth Music Culture Guangdong, a ten-day event which saw young musicians from around the world – from countries including Australia, Hungary, Italy and Japan – gather in Guangzhou, China, for an intensive period of musical and cultural exchange centered around the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
To read more about the concert, click here.
Blogcritics: Pianist Haochen Zhang on NYC Lunar New Year Concert
Blogcritics
Jon Sobel
The New York Philharmonic will present a Lunar New Year concert at Lincoln Center on January 28, 2020. Conducted by Long Yu, the program will include pieces by Chinese and Chinese-American composers, but also music by South Korean composer Texu Kim – and by George Gershwin. In his debut with the New York Philharmonic, Chinese-American pianist Haochen Zhang will be the featured soloist on Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Blogcritics
Jon Sobel
The New York Philharmonic will present a Lunar New Year concert at Lincoln Center on January 28, 2020. Conducted by Long Yu, the program will include pieces by Chinese and Chinese-American composers, but also music by South Korean composer Texu Kim – and by George Gershwin. In his debut with the New York Philharmonic, Chinese-American pianist Haochen Zhang will be the featured soloist on Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Haochen spoke with us in advance of the Lunar New Year concert.
There’s no mention of Gershwin on your website or, for that matter, your Wikipedia page. Have you performed Gershwin before? You’ve described your style as somewhat introverted, but Rhapsody is splashy music. Does this piece, with its jazziness, speak to you differently than that of other composers?
I have performed the Rhapsody only once before. It’s true that this piece is not in any way “introverted”; however, I don’t believe “splashiness” is the only way to interpret it, either. The organicity and spontaneity in its jazziness is, to me, the core of its beauty and charm, and therefore, as someone who is always fascinated by intricate nuances, this piece always speaks to me in a very instinctive way.
To read the complete interview, click here.
Colbert Artists Management Launches New Era
Newly appointed Colbert Artists Management President & CEO Lee Prinz announces the first step in his vision for the company with the hiring of industry veteran Martha Bonta as Vice President & Artist Manager.
Colbert President Lee Prinz Announces Team Expansion
Colbert Artists Management (left to right: Christine Putnam, Martha Bonta, Mike Gaertner, Lee Prinz, Robert Scott, Michelle Zarco)
Newly appointed Colbert Artists Management President & CEO Lee Prinz announces the first step in his vision for the company with the hiring of industry veteran Martha Bonta as Vice President & Artist Manager.
Lee Prinz comments, “Colbert Artists Management has an extraordinary history of representing some of the greatest artists of all time. Becoming the fifth President of this company and leading its next chapter is an incredible honor and responsibility, and I am very excited for what is to come. I could not be more thrilled that Martha Bonta is joining our team. Her creativity, professionalism, and experience will certainly contribute to our next successes.”
Martha Bonta adds, “Colbert Artists Management’s stellar reputation, storied history, and first-class roster have made the company an integral and much-respected partner to artists and performing arts organizations around the world, and I am thrilled to be joining the team at this exciting time I look forward to working with the amazing artists on the Colbert roster, and I am grateful to President Lee Prinz and Vice President Christine Putnam for their trust and confidence in me.”
Colbert Artists Management started 2020 with new President & CEO Lee Prinz. Long-time Colbert Artists President, Charlotte Schroeder stepped down on December 31, 2019, and “handed over the keys” to Lee. In an open letter announcing her departure, Charlotte Schroeder commented, “Lee joined the management in 2003 and immediately became an invaluable addition to the booking staff, rising to his current [now former] position as Senior Vice President for Artist Management and Booking. He has, in fact, been leading the company for the past months with his characteristic joy, enthusiasm, and superb professionalism. And he is loved by all! I could not be happier nor more confident for the future of Colbert Artists.”
About Colbert Artists Management
Ann and Henry Colbert started Colbert Artists Management in 1948. Their connections to Europe led to the creation of an enviable roster of singers, conductors, chamber ensembles, and instrumental soloists, such as Dame Joan Sutherland, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Sir Georg Solti, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Christa Ludwig, Juilliard String Quartet, Quartetto Italiano, Hungarian Quartet, Mieczysław Horszowski, Alfred Brendel and János Starker. Many of these artists remained with Colbert Artists Management for the entirety of their careers.
After the passing of Mr. Colbert, Mrs. Colbert and Agnes Eisenberger, Vice President, directed a formidable artist management business with Ms. Eisenberger taking over in 1991. Eleven short years later, Ms. Eisenberger unexpectedly passed away on December 26, leaving Charlotte Schroeder, the steadfast employee who had evolved from receptionist to artist manager, as the company owner and leader.
Charlotte Schroeder imbued the company with her values of respect, kindness, accountability, and class for 17 years. In 2019, she decided to transfer the company to Lee Prinz, a transition that was formally completed on January 1, 2020. This succession continues the legacy of a devoted team member taking the Colbert President’s reins.
Today, in its 71st year, Colbert Artists Management, Inc. continues the legacy set by the Colberts by combining a nod to the traditions of the past while embracing the future and representing a distinguished roster of conductors, soloists, vocalists, and chamber groups.
About Lee Prinz
Lee Prinz is the President & CEO at Colbert Artists Management in New York City. Lee has worked at Colbert for 16 years, and his previous position was Senior Vice President for Artist Management & Booking.
A native of Connecticut, Lee trained as a baritone beginning with pre-college studies at the Hartt School of Music and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and received a Bachelor of Music in Voice from the Eastman School of Music.
Upon graduating from Eastman in 1998, he began work at Columbia Artists Management, Inc. before creating a roster of young singers at Trawick Artists in 2000 and joining Colbert Artists in 2003. He is a 15-time marathoner and lives in Newark, NJ with his husband, bass-baritone Jason Grant.
About Martha Bonta
A seasoned classical music executive, Martha Bonta joins Colbert Artists with deep experience in artist management, classical music curation, strategic planning, and event production. Martha previously worked at New York’s WQXR as an executive producer and at IMG Artists as a vice president and artist manager. Martha was also the Director of Artistic Planning and Touring at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and she spent several summers on the staff of the Marlboro Music Festival.
Martha has managed some of the most sought after artists of our time, including the Emerson String Quartet, Leif Ove Andsnes, and Murray Perahia. She graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and also studied music theory and piano performance at the Evening Division of the Juilliard School. She is married to the writer Mark Rotella; they live in New Jersey with their two children.
WQXR Presents "20 For 20": Nicolas Namoradze Named an Artist To Watch
Today, WQXR proudly introduces their “20 for 20,” including pianist Nicolas Namoradze. From Afghanistan to Iceland, via South Korea, Bulgaria, and our very own New York City, these are 20 singers, instrumentalists, ensembles, and conductors who are redefining what classical music can be, and doing so in diverse and thrilling ways.
WQXR
Clemency Burton-Hill
Today, we are proud to introduce you to our “20 for 20.” From Afghanistan to Iceland, via South Korea, Bulgaria, and our very own New York City, these are 20 singers, instrumentalists, ensembles, and conductors who are redefining what classical music can be, and doing so in diverse and thrilling ways.
Nicolas Namoradze
2018 was a breakthrough year for the dazzling 27-year-old pianist, starting with all the attention he received after winning the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition. That’s a fine credit, and it pairs well with an Emmanuel Ax cosign, who said of Namoradze that he’s “Set to become one of the truly important artists of his generation.”
To read more, and to see WQXR’s complete list, click here.
Top 19 for '19
8VA’s Top 19 for ‘19
January 7, 2019 –
Mahan Esfahani and Anne Akiko Meyers named WQXR's "19 for 19" Artists to Watch.
January 16, 2019 –
The Telegraph highlights Grand Teton Music Festival as a "best opera and music holiday" destination for 2019.
January 28, 2019 –
Olga Kern, Anne Akiko Meyers, and Patricia Price featured in J. Jill's "Inspired Women" campaign.
February 7, 2019 –
The Washington Post raves about the Juilliard Quartet's Kennedy Center recital, "Decisive and uncompromising... Juilliard’s confidently thoughtful approach, rhythmic acuity and ensemble precision were on full display."
February 10, 2019 –
Honens winner Nicolas Namoradze wows at sold-out Carnegie Hall debut. "It was playing very much in the mold of that Hungarian master [Sir András Schiff] (read: the best currently possible), though by no means was it a copy." (ConcertoNet)
April 2019 –
Gramophone cover with Long Yu and an in-depth look at the growing classical music in China including Youth Music Culture Guangdong and Shanghai Orchestra Academy.
April 29, 2019 –
Anderson & Roe featured in the #1 mixology magazine, Chilled, with their Amadeus Affair.
May 2019 –
Shanghai Quartet featured on the cover of The Strad in celebration of their accomplishments through 35 years together.
July 2019 –
Gerard Schwarz's exploration of America's Forgotten Symphonies featured as Gramophone's cover story.
July 5, 2019 –
Haochen Zhang's debut concerto album with Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Dima Slobodeniouk is released receiving universal acclaim. "Zhang tames a beast and pours new wine into old bottles." (Limelight Magazine)
July 8, 2019 –
Shanghai Orchestra Academy celebrates 5th Anniversary.
August 14 & 16, 2019 –
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Long Yu bring 140-year tradition to the United States at Wolf Trap (The Washington Post review) and Ravinia (Chicago Tribune preview) with cellist Alisa Weilerstein.
August 28, 2019 –
The New York Times spotlights Lara Downes in Clara Schumann mega-feature.
September 3, 2019 –
The Strad shares insights from editor Charlotte Smith's visit to Bravo! Vail.
October 16, 2019 –
Strings Magazine focuses on Qigang Chen's violin concerto, La joie de la souffrance.
October 22, 2019 –
Marc-Andre Hamelin dazzles in Carnegie Hall recital. "Mr. Hamelin played both works with technical dazzle and wondrous subtleties." (The New York Times)
November 1, 2019 –
Classical Voice North America reports from the "prestigious" Beijing Music Festival.
November 7, 2019 –
Azrieli Foundation awards three prizes to Keiko Devaux, Yotam Haber, and Yitzhak Yedid as part of their biennial Azrieli Music Prizes.
December 15, 2019 –
Julian Schwarz plays at WQXR Holiday concert.
The Violin Channel: Interview with David Stern
The Violin Channel
The Violin Channel recently caught up with 2020 Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition Co-Chairman, Mr. David Stern.
Applications for the 2020 competition are to be received by the 20th of January, 2020.
Hi David. Why was it important to the Stern family to be involved with this competition?
“Isaac Stern devoted his life to performance but also to helping young talent. He firmly believed in the hope of youth and the power of music to make a greater future for all civilizations.”
To read the full interview with David Stern, click here.
WQXR: Haochen Zhang in Best Recordings of 2019
WQXR
Zev Kane
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
A decade after winning the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Zhang continues to electrify. He infuses this pair of well-worn concert hall staples with sorely needed vitality and wit.
To see WQXR’s complete list, click here.