Latest news with #orchestra
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
English National Opera's new director takes job share in New Zealand
English National Opera is facing calls to cancel the contract of its incoming music director after it emerged that he has also accepted another music directorship in New Zealand. ENO announced in May that André de Ridder, a German conductor, would be its music director designate from September, taking up the post in Autumn 2027. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) announced this week that Mr de Ridder would be its music director designate, formally starting in September 2027. 'I am very excited and feel truly honoured to have been chosen to become this orchestra's next music director and to learn about and contribute to New Zealand's unique musical and cultural scenery,' he said in a statement posted on the NZSO's Facebook page. But Norman Lebrecht, a leading music expert and former Telegraph columnist, dismissed the dual appointments as 'absurd' because of the huge distance and an 11-hour time difference. He told The Telegraph: 'New Zealand is the other side of the clock. Basically, you can't communicate. 'With a company in crisis, as ENO is, you absolutely need a firm hand on the tiller. You've got to have a decision-maker there.' If the second job was in the same time zone, ENO could call its music director, Mr Lebrecht said, adding: 'But if he's in New Zealand they can't actually have proper discussions because it'll be 11 o'clock at night there or 11 o'clock at night our time. 'The whole position is absurd.' Writing on his Slipped Disc website, Mr Lebrecht said: 'This ought to be an easy commute, right? And if something goes wrong in London or Auckland, Ridder will be right there to put it right… ENO should terminate his contract before they look like a total shambles.' 'Unmitigated piffle' Observers argued that although international conductors take different posts, an opera company leaves little time for a second job. ENO has lurched from one crisis to another, despite the award-winning excellence of many of its productions. Years of turmoil have seen strikes and protests over cutbacks, while fears for its survival were sparked by Arts Council England 's plan to pull its funding unless the company found a base beyond the capital. ENO's forthcoming season, beginning in September, will feature 12 productions and concerts in London and Manchester, both new productions and revivals. Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's political satire, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, will be staged in 2026, marking Mr de Ridder's first engagement as music director designate. He is currently general music director of Theater Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He previously conducted for ENO the premieres of Gerald Barry's The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant in 2005, described by The Telegraph as 'a repellent opera', and Michel van der Aa's Sunken Garden in 2013, dismissed by this newspaper as 'unmitigated piffle'. Mr de Ridder's representative, Anna Wetherell of HarrisonParrott, the classical music agency, said the two jobs 'don't really coincide'. She added: 'New Zealand have their winter festival, which is in August each year, when ENO is not operating. 'With New Zealand, he has signed up to three seasons - [from] March to December 2027, 2028 and 2029 - so he probably will do… two weeks at the start of the year, three in the middle and three at the end.' Asked where his home will be, she said: 'It's unclear for now. He might move somewhere in the UK.' Mr Lebrecht described ENO as 'a shadow of its former self' and noted that the previous music director had said the job is untenable: 'This is the music director of English National Opera. English. 'Yet ENO had to go to Germany because we don't have any conductors who are unemployed and rather good.' John Allison, the editor of Opera magazine and a Telegraph music critic, said: 'People may say that running a national company leaves little time for anything else. Sadly, through little fault of their own, ENO is not exactly the busiest national full-time opera company. 'But it's not a vote of confidence either in where André de Ridder thinks ENO might be in a couple of years time when he starts in New Zealand. It's not impossible for him to do both jobs, but it's not necessarily an ideal look. 'ENO hasn't been out of crisis for a very long time. It's a different kind of a crisis at the moment because nobody quite knows where it's going, allegedly to Manchester. But, who knows if the Arts Council, which imposed this on them, will still be here in 2029 when the move is supposed to take place? It's certainly got an identity crisis and it needs vision.' 'Strong leadership' An ENO spokesman said Mr de Ridder was appointed 'following a rigorous process', adding: 'We are all looking forward to working together with him over the coming years. 'It is absolutely standard for leading conductors to have more than one post internationally. 'It is simply not true that ENO is in a state of crisis. With strong leadership in place, and a clear plan for the future delivering programmes in both London and Greater Manchester, as we announced in May, ENO is moving forward with an exciting 2025/26 season. 'This includes 12 productions and concerts across London and Manchester, expansion of our work through new broadcast partnerships and learning and participation programmes and the extension of our offer of free tickets for under 21s.'
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘I'm Not That Into Classical Music. But I'm Into Dudamel.'
Sketch Pad 'I'm Not That Into Classical Music. But I'm Into Dudamel.' A few hundred New Yorkers took in an evening of the New York Philharmonic and fireworks at Cunningham Park in Queens. Share full article
CBS News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Colorado musicians will play a major role in "Some Like It Hot" shows at Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Find out how the sounds of "Some Like it Hot" will come together on the stage in Denver Find out how the sounds of "Some Like it Hot" will come together on the stage in Denver Find out how the sounds of "Some Like it Hot" will come together on the stage in Denver A musical take on the classic movie "Some Like It Hot" is on its way to Denver, with shows playing the Buell Theatre July 8-20. The show, which takes place in the era of mobsters and big bands, features an orchestra largely made up of Colorado musicians. "'Some Like It Hot' is a jazz age, Depression-era, Prohibition era-show," said Mark Binns, music director for the tour. "The show is just filled with the sounds of (the 1930s) era. The big band jazz-type sound you're used to hearing." Mark Binns, music director for the tour CBS Binns said being a part of the production was an easy decision due to his love for the sounds of that decade. "I got the call to do 'Some Like It Hot' and I jumped at it because jazz really is the music in my soul," Binns said. "I love getting to do jazz. There normally isn't a show that is this heavy with jazz and swing on Broadway, it is rare when a show like this comes along." However, the tour only has four full-time musicians. The four travel the nation with the rest of the cast and crew. However, to make the sound as authentic to the era as possible, there is a need for more musicians. So, the tour sends out a team to each city in advance to hold auditions to be a part of the orchestra in each stop of the tour. "We pick up seven local horns in every single city. So, we have two trumpets, two trombones and four reed doublers. And, we pick up a local bassist," Binns told CBS News Colorado's Dillon Thomas. "So, that is eight musicians, which is double than the number that actually tour it and play it all the time." However, the touring members of the show don't even meet the musicians they will play with in each city until the first night of the first show in each respective city. So, the music is sent to each person who auditions and is selected to play for "Some Like It Hot" in advance as a way to prepare for the live shows. "So, as you can imagine, it gets pretty complicated at times," Binns said. "Because we move in on a Tuesday in a new city, we rehearse for 5 hours, we sound check and we open." Thomas was given an exclusive advanced preview of the production during its visit to Philadelphia. There, Thomas said he never knew the band had just met each other, as the music was seamless and upbeat throughout. To help make sure there isn't much of a learning curve, Binns said the musicians in each city are also given access to visual assets to help them prepare for the musical. "We send them a conductor cam. So, a shot of me conducting the show so they can follow along with it and practice," Binns said. "And you just hope they can come in, knock it out and play a few hours later in front of a couple thousand people." "Some Like It Hot" plays the Denver Center for the Performing Arts starting July 8. For more information on tickets visit CBS Colorado is a proud partner of the DCPA.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘A certain nostalgia': Winnipeg orchestra brings video game music to life
Dann Bjornson and James Paluk share how the Winnipeg Video Game Orchestra brings iconic game soundtracks to the stage.
Entrepreneur
5 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Why the Best Leaders Don't Yell the Loudest
Most founders try to play every instrument, but the ones who scale learn to lead like conductors — setting the tempo, building harmony and letting others shine. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Are you The Wizard of Oz or The Great Gatsby? Behind the curtain or in front of the crowd? Most founders pause when I ask them this. Some smirk. All of them get it. Early on, you have to be both. You're pulling the strings and selling the show. But eventually, the lines blur. And it becomes critical to know your zone of genius (and more importantly, your blind spots). Every time I meet with an early-stage founder, I'm looking for two things: self-awareness and clarity. Not just "what's your product" or "how big your market is," I want to know if they've taken the time to really learn themselves. I've learned my strengths and weaknesses over the years. That is one of the best things that a founder can do for themselves (and their investors). It's not glamorous, but it's the work that lasts. The faster you admit what you're not good at, the faster you can build a company that doesn't depend on you doing everything. A business is an orchestra. A founder is a conductor. Conductors know the notes. They don't play them all. Conductors aren't guessing up there. They know the music. They've studied every instrument. They could jump in and play. But they don't. Their job is to lead the performance. The same goes for founders. You might know how to code. Sell. Market. Fundraise. But that doesn't mean you should do it all forever. You're not supposed to be a solo act. You're the one setting the tempo and keeping the vision clear. Making sure everyone hits their mark. If you're the smartest person in every room, you've stopped growing. Hire people who play their parts better than you ever could. Then trust them to deliver. Startups don't die from a lack of hustle. They die from a lack of harmony. Leadership isn't about control. It's about coordination. Related: 8 Tips for Running a Startup Like a True Leader Music isn't just a sound. It's a story. My company's named after Van Morrison and Bob Seger. My daughters are named after Phil Collins and Don Henley. Music has always been personal for me. It's not just what I listen to. It's how I lead. Every album tells a story. Every track carries a truth. Music is storytelling. Every lyric is a snapshot. A single thought. One moment frozen in time. Yet somehow, millions of people hear the same song and make it their own. That's leadership. You don't need to yell louder. You need to say something real. The best founders don't just build companies. They write stories people want to be part of. There's a reason some brands have lifelong fans and others get forgotten in six months. It's not about ad spend. It's about resonance. My favorite thing about music? Music is the great equalizer. You step into a concert, and everything else fades. You're not a CEO. Not a parent. Not a whatever-your-resume-says. You're just a person in a crowd, feeling something. It doesn't matter who you worship or what you believe. When the lights go down and the music hits, you're part of something bigger. Cheesy? Sure. True? Definitely. That applies directly to business. Create something that lets people belong. Build something they can feel. Lead in a way that brings people together. That's how you build brand loyalty, not with transactions, but with transformation. Don't confuse the spotlight with the sound You've got to decide something early on: Do you want the attention, or do you want the impact? Both are possible. But chasing one often kills the other. The conductor isn't louder than the orchestra. He's not front and center, chest out, hands in the air. He's present. Tuned in. He guides from where he's needed most. Same with great founders. You don't have to be the loudest in the room. You just have to know how to lead one. The right tempo is quiet confidence. It's not about being seen. It's about being felt. No one remembers perfect. They remember powerful. Have you ever left a concert and remembered one off-key note? Didn't think so. You remember the emotion. The silence before the beat dropped. People don't follow you because you're perfect. They follow you because you make them feel something. If your team trusts you, if your brand has rhythm, if your vision makes people stop and listen, you've already won. Founders who obsess over perfection miss the point. People connect with the real. Not rehearsed. Founders who succeed don't try to play every part. They conduct. They know the song. They build the team. They guide the energy. They lead so others can perform. You don't need to be everywhere. You need to be in sync. Great Gatsby or Wizard of Oz? A little bit of both? Either way, be well-rehearsed when it comes to balancing life behind the curtains, in the pit, or on the stage. Mic drop.
