Killian Farrell appointed GMD in Nuremberg starting 2027–28
Irish conductor Killian Farrell has been named Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatstheater Nürnberg starting in the 2027–28 season. He will lead the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg as it transitions to its new venue in the Kongresshalle.
Farrell is currently Generalmusikdirektor at Staatstheater Meiningen. He began his career at Theater Bremen and later served as Erster Kapellmeister at Staatsoper Stuttgart, conducting a wide repertoire from Monteverdi to Prokofiev. He has led performances at houses including Semperoper Dresden, Irish National Opera, and Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, and worked with orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
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JULY 29, 2025
Jacob Lipham, principal timpanist of the Charlotte Symphony, has died
The Charlotte Symphony has announced the death of Jacob Lipham, who had served as the orchestra’s principal timpanist since 2020. In addition to his role with the orchestra, Lipham was known for his work with the CSO Youth Orchestras, where he mentored young musicians with dedication and care.
In his memory, his family has donated his marimba — the instrument through which he first found his musical voice — to the youth orchestra program. The symphony described him as a generous and uplifting presence whose legacy will continue to inspire.
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JULY 23, 2025
La Scala Philharmonic returns to Asia with Myung-Whun Chung
This September, the Filarmonica della Scala embarks on an eight-concert tour across South Korea and Japan, marking its first return to Asia since 2008. The orchestra will be led by Myung-Whun Chung, its Principal Guest Conductor since 2023 and future Music Director of Teatro alla Scala.
The tour runs from 17 to 28 September, with performances in Seoul, Busan, Sapporo, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, and Osaka. Pianists Nikolai Lugansky and Mao Fujita will appear as soloists in Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, with Lugansky performing in South Korea and Fujita in Japan. The programme also features Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony and the overture to Verdi’s La forza del destino. A second programme in Tokyo includes Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Brahms’s Symphony No. 4.
The tour is supported by Allianz and UniCredit, longtime partners of the orchestra. The Filarmonica’s ties with Asia date back to its founding, which was inspired during La Scala’s first Japanese tour in 1981.
More info here
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JULY 23, 2025
Estonian National Opera ends collaboration with José Cura
The Estonian National Opera has announced it will no longer collaborate with director José Cura. The decision follows the Estonian Ministry of Culture’s position that artists who perform in Russia should not appear on Estonian stages. According to the company, Cura declined to condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine explicitly or to sever ties with the country—criteria both management and staff consider essential for cooperation.
At the company’s request, Cura submitted a written statement, in which he expressed his desire “to stay away from polemics and simplistic answers to complex questions,” adding that “humanity is above ideologies and that art should be a vehicle of union and not of separation.” However, the company found the response insufficient, citing the lack of a clear stance on the ongoing war.
As a result, the premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes, originally scheduled for 26 September 2025, has been canceled. A concert version of the opera will instead be presented on 26 and 28 September. Ticket holders for these dates may attend the concert or request a refund by 5 September. Tickets for later performances may be exchanged or refunded through the same date.
The staged production of Peter Grimes is expected to be rescheduled in a future season.
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JULY 21, 2025
Renée Fleming debuts as opera director in Aspen
Soprano Renée Fleming, one of the most acclaimed singers of her generation, has made her directorial debut at the Aspen Music Festival and School, leading a new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte at the Wheeler Opera House.
Presented by Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS, the staging reimagines the opera in the early 1980s, with gym settings and Jane Fonda-style aerobics. Fleming, who starred as Fiordiligi earlier in her career, guides a cast of young singers, offering both musical and dramatic insights drawn from her decades on stage.
“It’s taken less than a week to discover just how much concentration it takes,” she told The New York Times, which featured the project in a profile published July 20. “You’re responsible for everything.” The production marks another step in Fleming’s broadening career, which now includes work in arts and health advocacy, recent performances in The Hours, and new roles in leadership and mentorship.
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