Bay Ledger News Zonebill@blnz.comtag:www.blnz.com,2009:topics/orchestral_musictag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/04/Japanese_maestro_conduct_Beethoven_Korea_94e1

A veteran Japanese maestro will conduct Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in North Korea, his spokesman said Tuesday, in a rare cultural exchange amid lingering mutual suspicion between the two nations.

2013-03-05T03:59:26ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/02/27/pianist_Cliburn_Cold_music_hero_10cc

US pianist Van Cliburn, who won a world competition in Moscow at the height of the Cold War and whose music transcended the decades-long standoff, died at age 78 on Wednesday, his foundation said.

2013-02-27T21:41:38ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/02/27/pianist_Cliburn_whose_music_thawed_e1dc

US pianist Van Cliburn, who won a world competition in Moscow at the height of the Cold War and whose music transcended the decades-long standoff, died at age 78 on Wednesday, his foundation said.

2013-02-27T20:54:30ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/02/24/Celebrated_German_conductor_Wolfgang_Sawallisch_e7f8

Wolfgang Sawallisch, one of Germany's greatest conductors, has died at the age of 89, the Bavarian State Opera, where he was general music director and manager for 20 years, announced on Sunday.

2013-02-24T23:46:06ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/02/21/works_dancers_promise_bright_future_bb51

The future looks strong for the Vienna Ballet following an evening of premieres Wednesday that featured a completely original work and promising last-minute casting.

2013-02-21T10:58:02ZAFP Global Editionby Sim Sim Wissgotttag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/02/20/works_dancers_promise_bright_future_bb51

The future looks strong for the Vienna Ballet following an evening of premieres Wednesday that featured a completely original work and promising last-minute casting.

2013-02-21T01:51:22ZAFP Global Editionby Sim Sim Wissgotttag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/02/18/Japanese_maestro_Ozawa_make_August_5047

Acclaimed Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa is to return to the podium this year, officials said Tuesday, after more than a year out of the limelight during his battle with cancer.

2013-02-19T03:40:38ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/02/14/Vienna_Philharmonic_lines_shows_Toronto_1df5

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra announced Thursday it will perform a series of concerts in Toronto and New York starting later this month.

2013-02-14T22:15:03ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/02/04/Khalife_enthralls_Qatar_with_Arab_8e9a

Famous Lebanese composer Marcel Khalife enthralled a Qatari audience with his Arab Spring-inspired suite "Oriental" in Doha, presented in collaboration with the Philharmonic Orchestra he helped set up in 2007.

2013-02-04T21:59:53ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/01/23/Munich_Philharmonic_names_Russian_star_6406

Charismatic Russian maestro Valery Gergiev will take over as chief conductor of the prestigious Munich Philharmonic from 2015, local officials announced on Wednesday.

2013-01-23T15:57:23ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/01/10/Simon_Rattle_quit_Berlin_Philharmonic_11a3

Britain's Simon Rattle said Thursday that he would quit as chief conductor of the world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra after his contract expires in 2018.

2013-01-10T16:34:51ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/12/30/Vienna_Years_concert_rings_2013_deba

Wagner, Verdi and a myriad of waltzes will broadcast live to 81 countries when the Vienna Philharmonic kicks off 2013 with its traditional New Year's Concert on January 1.

2012-12-30T21:03:21ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/11/11/rabbis_call_release_jailed_Cuba_4fe1

The wife jailed US contractor Alan Gross took part in a Florida protest Sunday seeking her husband's release from a Cuba prison, as some 500 rabbis from around the world appealed to Havana on his behalf.

2012-11-11T22:56:22ZAFP American EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/11/06/avant-garde_composer_Carter_dead_2f17

Avant-garde composer Elliott Carter, who won the Pulitzer Prize twice in a career spanning nearly eight decades, has died in New York at the age of 103, a music publisher said Tuesday.

2012-11-06T13:59:59ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/10/18/Acclaimed_Turkish_pianist_trial_blasphemy_ea6b

World-renowned Turkish pianist Fazil Say went on trial on Thursday on charges of insulting Islam and offending Muslims in a series of provocative comments on Twitter, in a case that could revive fears of the Islamisation of Turkish society.

2012-10-18T14:54:12ZAFP Global Editionby Nicolas CHEVIRONtag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/10/18/Turkish_pianist_Fazil_tried_blasphemy_19f8

World-renowned Turkish pianist Fazil Say went on trial Thursday before an Istanbul court on charges of insulting Islam and offending Muslims in comments he made on Twitter.

2012-10-18T08:44:26ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/10/15/Maestro_Zubin_Mehta_handed_Israel_1e94

International maestro Zubin Mehta was on Monday presented with a medal of honour by Israel's Shimon Peres for his decades of work with the Israel Philharmonic, dubbing him the "conductor of our hearts."

2012-10-15T14:12:02ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/09/29/Russian_theatre_shelves_offensive_Jesus_75af

A theatre in southern Russia has stopped selling tickets to the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" after prosecutors launched a probe into whether it is offensive to devout Christians, officials said Saturday.

2012-09-29T20:40:26ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/09/29/Russian_theatre_shelves_offensive_Jesus_684b

A theatre in southern Russia has stopped selling tickets to the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" after prosecutors launched a probe into whether it is offensive to devout Christians, officials said Saturday.

2012-09-29T16:59:22ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/09/21/Brussels_Philharmonic_hits_high_note_d44f

The Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra has hit a high note by offering free ringtones from its classical repertoire that were downloaded 10,000 times in three days in what it terms an "unexpected success."

2012-09-21T13:33:38ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reporter