MAY 23, 2025
Cecilia Bernardini named concertmaster of the Netherlands Bach Society
The Netherlands Bach Society has appointed Cecilia Bernardini as its new concertmaster, starting with the 2025–26 season. She succeeds Shunske Sato, who held the position until June 2023.
Well known to the ensemble, the Dutch-Italian violinist has regularly performed as guest concertmaster in recent years, including in the 2024 St Matthew Passion under Johanna Soller, the Bach Society’s recently appointed artistic leader. The ensemble noted a strong artistic connection between Bernardini and Soller, calling it a promising foundation for future collaborations.
Recognized for her versatility and historically informed performance practice, Bernardini is currently associate artistic director of the Freiburger Barockorchester and concertmaster of the B’Rock Orchestra. She has previously led ensembles such as the Dunedin Consort and Pygmalion and continues to perform with groups including Camerata Salzburg, Vox Luminis, The King’s Consort, and the Bach Collegium Japan.
Alongside her orchestral work, she is active as a chamber musician, performing frequently with her father, oboist Alfredo Bernardini, and with Trio Marie Soldat. Her repertoire spans from early music to contemporary works, including a 2010 premiere of Philip Glass’s Double Concerto at the Residentie Orkest.
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MAY 23, 2025
Angela Mallinson appointed Chair of Britten Pears Arts, Sir Simon Robey named President
Britten Pears Arts has named Angela Mallinson as its new Chair, succeeding Sir Simon Robey, who becomes President of the organisation alongside Lord Stevenson and Colin Matthews.
A trustee since 2020, Mallinson brings more than four decades of experience in artist management, having represented leading musicians including Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar. She co-founded Sulivan Sweetland and is a director at Maestro Arts, with a focus on emerging talent and interdisciplinary collaborations.
During Sir Simon Robey’s tenure, Britten Pears Arts expanded its artistic and community work, acquired the Snape Maltings site in 2015, and completed its 2020 merger with the Britten–Pears Foundation. Robey, who also serves as Chair of the Royal Academy of Music, was knighted in 2016 for his contributions to music.
Angela Mallinson will now lead Britten Pears Arts alongside CEO Andrew Comben, continuing to advance the legacy of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears through artist development, community engagement, and the promotion of music as a transformative force.
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MAY 21, 2025
Kate Soper premieres new work with New York Philharmonic
Composer and soprano Kate Soper returns to center stage this week as the New York Philharmonic unveils the world premiere of her latest work, Orpheus Orchestra Opus Onus, a mythologically inspired piece that explores the figure of Orpheus. Soper will perform the soprano solo herself in the premiere, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, the Philharmonic’s Music and Artistic Director Designate.
The new work is part of a program that also includes Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements — originally commissioned by the NY Phil — and Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 11, premiered in 2017 on the composer’s 80th birthday. Performances run from May 22 to 27 at David Geffen Hall.
A Pulitzer finalist and Guggenheim Fellow, Soper is known for her theatrical, exploratory music and her frequent dual role as composer and performer. She is a longtime member of New York’s Wet Ink Ensemble, where her genre-defying voice and compositional style have helped define the group’s distinctive sound. In Orpheus Orchestra Opus Onus, she continues her practice of merging virtuosic vocal writing with literary and philosophical themes.
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MAY 21, 2025
Festival d’Aix-en-Provence awarded 2025 Birgit Nilsson Prize
The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence has been named the recipient of the 2025 Birgit Nilsson Prize, becoming the first cultural institution to receive this prestigious international award. The Prize — the largest in classical music — is awarded every three years to recognize outstanding achievements in opera, concert, or vocal music.
According to the Birgit Nilsson Foundation, the Festival was selected “for its exceptional artistic achievement and its commitment to creating and commissioning new opera productions.” The award acknowledges Aix’s bold programming, international reach, and dedication to both tradition and innovation.
In a statement, the Festival dedicated the award to its late general director Pierre Audi, who had been informed of the prize shortly before his passing. Audi, who led the Festival from 2018 until his death earlier this month, was a driving force behind its artistic vision.
Previous laureates of the Birgit Nilsson Prize include Plácido Domingo, Riccardo Muti, Nina Stemme, and the Vienna Philharmonic.
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MAY 19, 2025
Marin Alsop named honorary conductor of ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
The ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra has named Marin Alsop its Honorary Conductor, recognizing her artistic leadership and international impact since becoming Music Director in 2019. The musicians conferred the title in a ceremony on May 19, praising her commitment and the orchestra’s milestones under her direction — including a Grammy nomination, an ICMA Award, and debuts at the BBC Proms and major venues across Japan, Spain, and France.
Alsop, who concludes her tenure at the end of this season, will continue collaborating with the ensemble through concerts and recordings planned for 2025/26. Markus Poschner is set to take over as Music Director in 2026.
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MAY 19, 2025
Toronto Symphony receives $1 million gift to support new music
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has received a $1 million gift from long-time patrons Peter and Margie Kelk, providing multi-season support for new music commissions. The donation will fund creative programming and premieres by composers such as Francisco Coll, Bekah Simms, and emerging voices from the NextGen Composers program, including Darren Xu, Jesse Plessis, and Sophie Dupuis.
The announcement coincided with the world premiere of Daníel Bjarnason’s I Want to Be Alive – Trilogy for Orchestra, performed in full for the first time at the TSO’s May 7 concert. The work was co-commissioned with orchestras in Iceland, Cincinnati, and Helsinki.
The Kelks’ support continues their commitment to contemporary music, following their patronage of composer Alison Yun-Fei Jiang, among others. “This gift ensures that the TSO continues to be a catalyst for creativity,” said TSO CEO Mark Williams. Music Director Gustavo Gimeno praised the donation as a “profound commitment to the future of our art form.”
Toronto Symphony Orchestra/PH: Allan Cabral
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MAY 16, 2025
Simon Rattle to use Siemens Prize funds to support Baroque ensemble
British conductor Simon Rattle, who will formally receive the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize this Saturday, May 17, in Munich, has revealed how he intends to use the €250,000 award. Rather than keeping the funds for personal use, Rattle will invest them in period instruments for a new Baroque ensemble he founded within the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO), where he has served as chief conductor since 2023.
The ensemble, called BRSO hip (Historically Informed Performance), aims to expand the orchestra’s repertoire by enabling performances of early music on period instruments. Recent programs have included Bach cantatas conducted by Rattle and a concert of works by Veracini, Handel, and Vivaldi led by Andrea Marcon.
“I’m very happy that this extraordinary prize will help support this project financially,” Rattle said in an interview with BR Klassik.
The award ceremony will take place at Munich’s Herkulessaal, with Rattle and the BRSO performing Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 1. The event will also feature the Riot Ensemble, recipients of a Siemens Prize in 2020, presenting works by this year’s composition awardees: Ashkan Behzadi, Bastien David, and Kristine Tjøgersen.
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