Met Orchestra member Violist Ron Arron has died. The Met orchestra announced the news via social media and said “We are saddened to learn of the passing of violist Ron Arron. Ron was a violist in our orchestra for 20 years, after having been the assistant principal viola of the Cincinnati Symphony for 18 years. Ron was always smiling, joking, {…}
Metropolitan Opera Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin surprised audiences on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 with a special concert at Little Island. The famed conductor was joined by a quartet of Met Orchestra horn players including Erik Ralske, Roy Femenella, Javier Gándara, and Barbara Jöstlein Currie to present a program curated by Dov Scheindlin. Among the pieces performed were “Nessun Dorma” from {…}
Every Friday, Polina Lyapustina delivers a short essay on some of the most sensitive topics in the industry with the intent of establishing a dialogue about the opera world and its future. “Real music is right in the heart of what we struggle. Our task is not to be a leisure activity, but to go the places where no political {…}
The standoff between the Metropolitan Opera and its Met Opera orchestra has escalated into a war of words with a recent set of leaked emails revealing the open hostility between the two parties. Slipped Disc recently leaked an email sent by the Met Opera general manager Peter Gelb to the members of the orchestra and a corresponding response from the {…}
The MET Orchestra, one of the greatest in the world, is in jeopardy. Read that again. The MET Orchestra, one of the greatest in the world, is in jeopardy. That’s not just an opinion. As reported in multiple news outlets, including this one, none other than the iconic conductor, Maestro Riccardo Muti, unequivocally stated just that. In his letter dated {…}
The MET Orchestra has received generous donations to support its members after being furloughed with no salary since April 1, 2020. The Spring Point Partners donated $150,000 to the orchestra’s 501(c)3 fund that supports The MET Orchestra Musicians, Associates, Music Staff and Librarians through needs-based grants. In a statement C. Graham Berwind III, a Director of Spring Point Partners said, {…}
On Nov. 22, 2020, the MET Orchestra Musicians will present the premiere concert of its Spotlight Series. The opening showcase is set to include the beloved opera aria “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s “Turandot” arranged for four horns; Tchaikovsky’s tour de force for string sextet “Souvenir de Florence;” and the genre-bending string quartet Strum by one of the hottest young composers {…}
On Thursday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m until 2:00 p.m., Lincoln Center, in partnership with Food Bank for New York City, will host a pop-up food pantry. Musicians from the New York Philharmonic, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and Met Orchestra Musicians will provide music for those standing in line to receive fresh produce and shelf-stable items. New York’s premiere culture {…}
Since the members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra were furloughed, the orchestra has launched a fundraising initiative in order to channel its energy into education and engagement through teaching and performing. The fundraising campaign was created in order for the orchestra to be able to do outreach programs and to create new events and concerts during these times of COVID-19. {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera) The MET Orchestra has launched its fundraising initiative and will channel its energy into education and engagement through teaching and performing. The orchestra’s website has been redesigned and it is leaning on its 501(c)(3) status to accept donations for its musicians, which have been furloughed since April 1, 2020. The orchestra is using the {…}