October 7, 2007

It’s this week in classical music, an update on what’s happenning in the classical music world, I’m Randy Kinkel.

Scottish Conductor Donald Runnicles is returning home after many years making a name for himself in concert halls in Europe and the US.  Runnicles, born in Edinborough 52 years ago, has been named the new Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, replacing Ilan Volkov, who is 20 years younger.  said Runnicles, “"I am privileged to have made music with them over the past five years, and I am deeply privileged to embrace the future at the helm of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra."

Add Angela Gheorgiu’s name to the list of difficult Divas in the Opera world.  She was fired last week from the Chicago Lyric Opera production of “La Boheme” for missing rehearsals and fittings.  General Manager William Mason said, “Miss Gheorgiu has missed six of 10 rehearsals, including the piano dress rehearsal and the staging rehearsals with the Orchestra... she missed one of the most critical stage Orchestra rehearsals when she left the city for New York without permission, a direct violation of her contract.:  Gheorghiu said she just wanted to be there for her husband, Tenor Roberto Alana, who was singing at the Met, and since she had sung Boheme hundreds of times, she thought missing some rejearsals would not be a problem... but it was, and her understudy Elaine Alvarez stepped in and reportedly did a very good job as Mimi.

German Violinist Julia Fischer recently won the “Artist of the Year” award at the Classic FM Gramophone Awards.  This year's ceremony, held at Dorchester Hotel in London, was dedicated to the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti.  24-year-old Fischer said she felt energized by her win: "I am very happy to receive this award, especially in the UK where I began my career by winning my first competition when I was eleven years old. I deeply appreciate the belief of everyone who voted for me."  the awards are voted on by 15 classical radio networks in 13 different countries.

For more information on these and other items and events, go to the KBAQ website at KBAQ-dot-org.… be listening every week at this time for another update, and join me at noon every weekday for the Mozart Buffet, an hour of music by Mozart and his contemporaries, … I’m Randy Kinkel, for KBAQ’s  “This week in Classical Music”…  on 89-five KBAQ, K-B-A-Q Phoenix, a service of Rio Salado College and Arizona State University.