Author: Ginger Dolden

“Latin American conductors of classical music … are making it big in an industry that has been mostly white and European since its beginnings,” writes Marina E. Franco in Saturday’s (3/19) Axios.com. Colombian American conductor Lina González-Granados “was recently named the resident conductor for the Los Angeles Opera…. She will make her LA debut in September. First, she’ll conduct ‘The Barber of Seville’ at the Dallas Opera in a guest stint this weekend….‘There are and have been Latinos in classical music for a long time, but it’s such a competitive field and we’re up against 200 or 300 years of tradition, so of course it’s taken a while,’ González-Granados said. ‘But now you can see Latin Americans on huge, huge stages and … on smaller stages as well.’ ” Other conductors cited in the article include Gustavo Dudamel (LA Phil), Jessica Bejarano (San Francisco Philharmonic), and Glenn Garrido (Houston Latin American Philharmonic). Lina González-Granados is a member of the League of American Orchestras’ Board of Directors.

“The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Friday announced a special ‘Concert for Peace’ to support humanitarian relief for Ukraine, set to take place April 2 in Heinz Hall,” writes Jeremy Reynolds in Friday’s (3/18) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “The performance will feature music director Manfred Honeck leading the orchestra in works by Ukrainian composers, plus Shostakovich, Dvořák and more. The Duquesne University Voices of Spirit, Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, Pittsburgh Opera resident artists and piano soloist Leif Ove Andsnes will also perform at the concert, which will be live streamed on the PSO’s digital platform and broadcast on WQED-FM (89.3)…. There is no charge to attend, but the symphony is asking listeners to donate to United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania for Ukrainian relief. Every dollar will support Ukrainian refugees.” Pittsburgh Symphony President and CEO Melia Tourangeau said, “We offer this Concert of Peace as an expression of solidarity with the people of Ukraine and to support through both music and resources for humanitarian aid the universal values of freedom and human rights that are under violent attack in Ukraine.”

The Eugene Symphony will perform the West Coast premiere of guest conductor Carlos Izcaray’s Under the Shadows, An Immigrant’s Journey on its March 17 concert at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Izcaray, a native of Venezuela, notes that he has emigrated four times in his life; Under the Shadows, he says, is “structured as a journey from darkness to light, from one single note to a full multilayered harmonic sound world that could be viewed as representing our plural contemporary society. An Immigrant’s Journey is also a love letter to the orchestra, a migrating entity itself, and in my case a vessel that has taken me on a wild ride across five continents.” The concert will also feature Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Soyeon Kate Lee, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). Carlos Izcaray is music director of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, which performed the world premiere of Under the Shadows in January 2022, and of the American Youth Symphony, which will perform the work in March.

“Trinity Wall Street Church has fired its music director, the influential composer and keyboardist Julian Wachner, as it investigates a claim that he sexually assaulted” a woman named Mary Poole, writes Jake Offenhartz in Monday’s (3/14) Gothamist (NYC). “The church … announced the termination of Wachner …  on Monday…. Wachner was placed on leave [following] a New York Times report that he had allegedly assaulted a former Juilliard employee in 2014. Wachner has denied the accusation. ‘The investigation is ongoing, and thus the investigator has not yet made any determination about the veracity of the 2014 allegations,’ the church’s statement read. ‘Still, we have concluded based on recent information that Julian has otherwise conducted himself in a manner that is inconsistent with our expectations of anyone who occupies a leadership position. For this reason, Trinity has decided to end Julian’s employment with Trinity as of today.’… Mary Poole … said Wachner assaulted her during a music festival in South Carolina eight years ago. She alleged that he ‘pushed her against a wall, groped her and kissed her, and that he ignored her demands that he stop.’ … Andrew Miltenberg, an attorney for Wachner, said that his client ‘continues to dispute the nearly decade old, misleading and untrue allegations.’ ”

“A director of the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra says it has been taken aback by the backlash against its decision to remove the Russian composer Tchaikovsky from its forthcoming program because of the conflict in Ukraine,” writes Ben Quinn in Saturday’s (3/12) Guardian (U.K.). “Members of the orchestra … voiced reservations about playing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture—which celebrates Russia’s defense against the invasion of Napoleon and is notable for featuring a volley of cannon fire…. The 1812 Overture was due to be included in the orchestra’s Tchaikovsky concert at St. David’s Hall on 18 March, but the entire program has been abandoned because of events in Ukraine…. Linda Robinson, a teacher who is one of the directors … rejected what she said had been a depiction by some critics of the decision as ‘anti-Russian.’ In fact, three concerts this year will include work by Russian composers…. ‘It was nothing to do with Tchaikovsky being Russian. It was much more to do with us deciding that it was inappropriate at the present time,..’ said Robinson…. Other factors included consideration for an orchestra member with a Ukrainian-born partner who has family members in Ukraine.” The Cardiff Philharmonic will perform works by Dvořák, John Williams, and Elgar at the concert.

“The Peoria Symphony Orchestra announced the retirement date of its executive director Friday,” writes Sean Lisitza in Friday’s (3/11) WMBD-TV (Peoria, IL). “According to a PSO press release, Executive Director Susan Hoffman will be retiring on April 30. Hoffman has previously worked as President and CEO of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra in Michigan and as Director of Patron Relationship Management with The Cleveland Orchestra. She has been the executive director of the PSO since 2012. Hoffman said it has been her honor to serve in the position for the last decade…. Board President of the PSO Brian Buralli said he was thankful for her years of leadership. ‘A steadfast and strategic leader, Susan has guided the PSO since 2012, during which she has been instrumental in continuing the standard of excellence the PSO has had for the last 124 years,’ … Buralli said. Hoffman’s replacement is expected to be announced later this month.”

“The San José Chamber Orchestra, joined by the Delphi Piano Trio, will give the world premiere of … two commissioned works at its March 20 concert,” writes Iris Kwok in Sunday’s (3/13) San Francisco Classical Voice. “On the program are A Story of Mermaids, a new triple concerto composed by Brazilian American composer Clarice Assad, Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56, and nonbinary composer Ahmed Alabaca’s Unbreakable…. The SJCO has [commissioned] an impressive 12 new works for its 2021–2022 season…. Assad’s A Story of Mermaids … is a direct response to Beethoven’s imposing triple concerto. The work, [Music Director Barbara Day] Turner says, exemplifies how new music can feel right at home when placed next to the old…. Assad’s concerto explores mermaid mythology from around the world…. The concerto can also be interpreted as one that explores female empowerment and agency … For [Delphi Trio violinist and San José Chamber Orchestra Concertmaster Liana] Bérubé, having the opportunity to bring to life new music written by women composers with a group of ‘fairly formidable’ female musicians is something quite special. ‘Personally, there’s an element of reclaiming my own identity … or even encouraging it to emerge more,’ Bérubé says.”