(Credit: BBC Proms) Thomas Adès has received the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal. The composer received the honor after the U.K. premiere of Adès’ new orchestral work “Aquifer” conducted by Sir Simon Rattle with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks at the BBC Proms Festival. During the presentation Rattle said, said, “The words outrageously gifted might have been invented for Tom, {…}
(Photo credit: Tom Hurley) Composer Alexander Goehr passed away on August 26, 2024 at the age of 92. The German-born English composer and academic was born on August 10, 1932, in Berlin. His mother Laelia was a classically trained pianist, and his father Walter Goehr, a pupil of Arnold Schoenberg, was a conductor and composer. He studied composition at the {…}
Photo credit: Agathe Poupeney-OnP Thomas Adès’s “The Exterminating Angel” is one of the most successful contemporary operas of the century. Beyond its many productions—the Parisian one being the best of them all—, the opera quickly entered the symphonic repertoire with a very well-crafted symphonic suite. The opera, based on Luís Buñuel’s homonymous film, follows its source material: more than a {…}
((c) Hogan Media Shutterstock) The Ivors Academy revealed the winners of the Ivor Novello Awards at The Ivors Classical Awards. The 11 winners were announced during a ceremony hosted by BBC Radio 3’s Hannah Peel and Tom Service at the British Film Institute in London. Winners in opera and classical voice categories are Thomas Adès, Brett Dean, Tansy Davies, Brian {…}
Photo credit: Tom Stephens/Hallé The Hallé has announced Kahchun Wong as its new principal conductor and artistic advisor, as well as Thomas Adès as an artist in residence for two years. September will mark the start of Wong’s initial five-year contract. For the first time since the announcement, Wong will conduct the Hallé at Bridgewater Hall on June 24 as {…}
The Ivors Academy has announced the 20th Composer Awards nominees. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be solely on classical composers. In the Chamber Ensemble category, the nominees include Robin Haigh for “AESOP 2” for untrained recorder soloist and 13 players and electronics; “Laurence Osborn for Essential Relaxing Classical Hits” for solo soprano and six players; Brett {…}
Photo: Andrea Macchia Situated within easy reach of the Dolomites and the Alps lies the small Tyrolean city of Bolzano. Formally part of the Austrian Empire, it was ceded to Italy at the end of World War I, and despite Mussolini’s subsequent attempt to Italianize the town, it still retains much of its Austrian heritage, with a quarter of the {…}
The Ivor Composer Awards has announced its 2021 nominees. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be on operatic and vocal composers. The Vocal or Choral Composition category features Michael Zev Gordon’s “Baruch – Ten Propositions of Baruch Spinoza for Tenor and Piano;” Thomas Adès’ “Gyökér” for mezzo-soprano and four percussionists; Howard Goodall’s “Never Forget” for SATB Choir {…}
PENTATONE has announced the organization have been awarded as the International Classical Music Award’s 2020 “Label of the Year,” as well the ICMA “Vocal Music” prize for their recording of Schubert’s “Winterreise” with Ian Bostridge and Thomas Adès. While the ceremony was intended for April at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Spain, the accolades were instead given out at {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera) “The Exterminating Angel,” one of British composer Thomas Adès’ most popular operas, premiered on July 28, 2016, at the Salzburg Festival followed by premieres at the Royal Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera a year later. Known for its large ensemble cast and a particularly challenging soprano role, Adès’ third opera is based on {…}
(Credit: Lorenzo Gaudenzi) “Powder Her Face” by Thomas Adès premiered at the Cheltenham Music Festival on July 1st, 1995. While the opera was well-received by music critics, “Powder Her Face” became notorious for its sexually explicit content. With a libretto by Philip Hensher, the opera tells the story of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, a famous British socialite of the twentieth {…}