APRIL 24, 2025
Ryan Fleur appointed president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts
The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts has named Ryan Fleur as its new president and CEO, effective immediately. Fleur had been serving as interim CEO since January 2025, following the departure of Matías Tarnopolsky, who left to become president and CEO of the New York Philharmonic.
Fleur has held leadership roles with the Philadelphia Orchestra for over a decade and played a central role in its 2021 merger with the Kimmel Center, forming one of the largest performing arts institutions in the United States.
His appointment comes ahead of the Orchestra’s 125th anniversary season and the 25th anniversary of the Kimmel Center in 2026. A former executive director of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Fleur has also held positions at the Boston Ballet, New York Philharmonic, and Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra.
During his tenure in Philadelphia, Fleur has led major digital initiatives, international partnerships—including a return tour to China in 2023—and helped launch the Digital Stage during the pandemic. In 2022, the Orchestra won its first GRAMMY® Award for its recording of Florence Price’s symphonies.
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APRIL 22, 2025
Holly Hyun Choe receives 2025 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award
The Solti Foundation U.S. has announced Holly Hyun Choe as the recipient of the 2025 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, one of the most prestigious grants for emerging American conductors. The award includes $30,000, industry mentorship, and support at a pivotal stage in a young conductor’s career.
Born in Korea and raised in the United States, Choe is currently Principal Conductor of Ensemble Reflektor, Associate Artist with the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, and was recently named Principal Conductor and Musical Advisor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, a position she will assume in 2026. She is also a 2024–25 Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Choe received a Career Assistance Award from the Solti Foundation in 2020. On social media, she described the recognition as “life-changing,” and a “promise… to continue striving towards an utmost dedication to the arts.”
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APRIL 22, 2025
La Filarmónica Madrid announces 2025–26 season with Argerich, Pires, Currentzis, and more
La Filarmónica concert society has announced its 2025–26 season in Madrid, featuring leading soloists, orchestras, and conductors across 14 symphonic concerts and a series of chamber events. Highlights include appearances by Martha Argerich, Maria João Pires, Pinchas Zukerman, and Emmanuel Pahud.
Teodor Currentzis and musicAeterna will return with two large-scale programs: El anillo de Rameau and Wagner’s Der Ring ohne Worte. Other featured ensembles include the Camerata Salzburg, SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne, and Mozarteum Salzburg, with conductors such as François-Xavier Roth, Trevor Pinnock, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, and Alain Altinoglu.
The Cuarteto Casals will continue its Shostakovich cycle in the Sala de Cámara, and pianist Fülöp Ránki will make his Madrid debut. All concerts will take place at the Auditorio Nacional.
Full program available at lafilarmonica.es
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APRIL 15, 2025
Pergolesi and Scelsi meet in Geneva in a new project with Hannigan, Orliński, and Castellucci
From May 10 to 18, the Grand Théâtre de Genève presents a site-specific staging at the Cathedral of St. Peter, pairing Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with works by Giacinto Scelsi in a production directed by Romeo Castellucci. The program explores themes of grief, compassion, and sonic ritual through sacred texts and sound-worlds spanning three centuries.
Barbara Hannigan will both conduct and sing, joined by countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński, with performances by Il Pomo d’Oro and Ensemble Contrechamps. Hannigan wrote on X:
“Finally fulfilling one of my life dreams: to work with director Romeo Castellucci, and on such an incredible Stabat Mater project with Jakub Orliński – Countertenor, Il Pomo d’Oro and Ensemble Contrechamps.”
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