MARCH, THURSDAY 6
Bach Archive receives historic donation for its 75th anniversary
The Bach Archive in Leipzig has received a landmark gift to mark its 75th anniversary: the most valuable section of the world’s largest private collection of Bach family documents. New York-based collector and music researcher Elias N. Kulukundis, who has spent decades assembling this collection since the 1950s, has donated 130 significant pieces, valued at approximately $10 million (€9.34 million).
As part of this extraordinary donation, 20 of the most important documents are now on display in the Bach Museum’s treasury. The special exhibition Bach’s Sons – The Kulukundis Collection features rare manuscripts, including the long-lost autograph score of Johann Christian Bach’s opera Zanaida. Also on view are letters from Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach to Johann Nikolaus Forkel, the first biographer of J.S. Bach, along with writings from Johann Christian and Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, hand-colored aria collections, and 18th-century personal albums.
Founded in 1950, the Bach Archive is dedicated to preserving and researching the legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach and his extensive musical family.
MARCH, TUESDAY 4
Toshio Hosokawa wins BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award
Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa has been awarded the BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Music and Opera for his ability to bridge Japanese musical tradition and Western contemporary aesthetics. The jury highlighted his “deeply expressive” compositions, which draw from Zen philosophy and integrate traditional instruments like the shakuhachi and koto.
Hosokawa’s operas Hanjo (2004) and Matsukaze (2011) have been recognized as landmarks of contemporary music. His works also reflect on Japan’s nuclear tragedies, as in Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima and Stilles Meer. Currently, he is the composer-in-residence at the Orquesta de València, where he recently premiered his violin concerto Genesis.
MARCH, MONDAY 3
Alexander Liebreich appointed Chief Conductor of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra
The Taipei Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has named German conductor Alexander Liebreich as its next Chief Conductor. He will officially take on the role in the 2026 season while continuing as Music Director of the Orquestra de València in Spain, a position he has held since 2022.
Liebreich has worked with the TSO since 2008, and his appointment marks the continuation of this long-standing collaboration. His three-year tenure will follow that of maestro Eliahu Inbal.
In addition to symphonic concerts, Liebreich and the TSO will present a new staging of Tristan und Isolde in 2026.
MARCH, MONDAY 3
Natalie Chee appointed Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) has announced that Australian violinist Natalie Chee will join as its next Concertmaster, starting in January 2026.
Chee has been Concertmaster of the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne since 2019 and previously held the same position with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and Camerata Salzburg. Originally from Sydney, she has also worked as a guest Concertmaster with various European orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
MSO Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor Jaime Martín welcomed her appointment, saying: “Natalie is a wonderful musician and a great colleague. Ever since she first worked with the MSO, I felt a strong musical connection; now I look forward to sharing this collaboration with our audience in Melbourne, Australia, and abroad.”
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