Metropolitan Opera Orchestra violinist Sarah Vonsattel will perform at a New York polling station on Nov. 5 election day. In a statement to Reuter, Vonsattel said, “We all listen to music, many children sing before they speak. It’s an important part of the human experience. So it’s something that we share. I think right now it’s really easy to focus {…}
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra has announced a new Second Horn Player. The orchestra took to social media and said, “We’re thrilled to announce our new Second Horn, Roy Femenella! After a grueling three day audition process with highly talented horn players, we finished with a final round consisting of two fine hornists: Roy and David Alexander. We couldn’t be happier {…}
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra has named Mitchell Kuhn acting principal Oboist. The instrumentalist took to social media to announce the news and said, “I am so thrilled (and still a little schocked) to announce that I’ll be joining the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra as acting principal oboe. I’m so incredibly lucky to have had such incredible teachers, and I could never {…}
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra violinist Shirien Taylor-Donahue has died at the age of 62. Taylor-Donahue was principal second violin of the orchestra from July 1987 to May 2016 and was married to Met Master Electrician Paul Donahue. In a tribute to the violinist, many Met orchestra members wrote about Taylor-Donahue. Colleague Caterina Szepes noted, “We cried on each other’s shoulders during {…}
(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera) On. Oct. 1, 2021, former Metropolitan Opera Orchestra concertmaster Raymond Gniewek died at the age of 89. Born in East Meadow, New York on Nov. 13, 1931, he began his musical education in New York City. He would later study at Eastman School of Music under Andre de Ribaupierre and Joseph Knitzer. He became {…}
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra has announced a rally “We are the Met!” The rally, scheduled for May 13, will be held at noon in front of Lincoln Center. In a statement on social media, the orchestra said, “The pandemic has shown the need for our community to leverage our collective power as a union to make sure ALL fellow musicians {…}
(Credit: Koichi Miura/Metropolitan Opera) The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and Music Director Fabio Luisi (Louise W. & Edmund J. Kahn Music Directorship) have announced a joint concert with members of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The collaboration event will benefit the MET Orchestra Musicians Fund and the DFW Musicians COVID-19 Relief Fund and it will be {…}
The Munich Philharmonic is showing solidarity with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. In a tweet responding to the Vienna Philharmonic’s open letter, the orchestra said, “We want to join the Vienna Philharmonic in expressing our solidarity with our fellow orchestra colleagues at Met Orchestra in New York!” The orchestra is the latest entity to throw its support behind the Metropolitan Opera {…}
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 {…}
(Photo: Dmitry Lyapustin) 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. The way you enter the New Year sets the tone for the whole year ahead, the old superstition said. And I wonder whether we should {…}