Claudio Abbado News

“I am blessed to be in a city that is changing so fast”

Berlin Philharmonic chief conductor Simon Rattle unveiled Tuesday the orchestra's programme for the coming 12 months with its release coming at a critical time in his career with what is often judged to be the ... via Earth Times

This year is a landmark for the famous Greek mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa as it marks an anniversary: In 1968, she made her first appearance as Cherubino in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, at the Frankfurt Opera ... via EKathimerini

From the 17th century's adventuresome Heinrich Biber right up through today, composers have been fascinated with our fine-feathered friends, and have used their songs as a source of inspiration. via NPR

This year also marks the 400th anniversary of the world's first opera. For the rest there's a wonderfully varied musical tapestry with works by both classical composers - Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Lizst, ... via Jerusalem Post

“Through his music, of immense depths, Kancheli has become a source of worldwide influence, most especially on the younger generation of composers”

Two musical septuagenarians, Italian conductor Claudio Abbado and Georgia-born composer Giya Kancheli of Belgium, will share the $100,000 Wolf Prize for the Arts, Education Minister and Wolf Prize Foundation ... via Jerusalem Post

The ongoing changes in the recording industry have really influenced the classical field this year, with organizations and individual musicians marketing performances on their own labels, and digital downloads ... via Daily Herald

Shark in Parsifal: an opera best staged in the imagination. Several 'best of' lists appeared in today's Guardian, including a number from the paper's classical critics that ranked the achievements of Claudio ... via MediaGuardian.co.uk

Claudio Abbado has never been one to shock. Quite the opposite, hes Mr. Conciliatory. When he conducts Arnold Schoenberg, the music looks backward to Brahms. via The Philadelphia Inquirer

With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra having proved its mettle once again to cheering audiences in Italy and elsewhere in Europe recently, it seemed only fitting that Chicago should play host to one of the best symphonic orchestras Italy has to offer: Milan's La Scala Philharmonic, in its U.S. debut tour, Sunday afternoon at Symphony Center.

One could not fail to note that Riccardo Muti, who conducted the CSO's latest sweep across the continent, had been the philharmonic's principal conductor before he stormily departed La Scala in 2005. Circumstance can make for some interesting ironies. Read more

One of the world's finest and most-respected conductors, Claudio Abbado is legendary - having held the post of musical director with La Scala in Milan from 1968 to 1986, with the Vienna Opera from 1986 to 1991, ... via The Arts Channel