July 8, 2024

Hungarian composer György Kurtág, at the venerable age of 98, is this year's Wolf Prize in Music honoree. The citation praises his profound impact on music and his deep exploration of the human soul. At 98, Kurtág proves that true artistry only gets better with age.

Heads up: We're taking a short break to recharge (🏖️) but will return nicely tanned, rested and sharper than ever. Ludwig Van. 🏴‍☠️

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In this week’s email:

The big idea: Carolina Uccelli to receive a modern revival
Opera world: Greek National Opera lands 11 Million Euro Grant
Making news: 27-year-old Nova Scotian appointed National Arts Centre Orchestra’s first resident conductor
Laugh of the week
Around the web: The importance of finding a third place, why you should write things down, news for minimalists, plus more curious internet finds.

CLASSICAL CHARTZ

Weekly selections are based on sales numbers and albums we simply love and think you NEED to hear!

For the complete top 20, tune into Classical Chartz with the New Classical FM’s Mark Wigmore every Saturday from 3-5 pm EST!

THE BIG IDEA

Carolina Uccelli to Receive A Modern Revival

Carolina Uccelli (1810-1858) is a name few might recognize, but her contributions to bel canto are nothing short of remarkable. Unlike many female composers of her time, Uccelli wasn't a nun or part of a musical dynasty. Born into a minor aristocracy near Florence, she showed musical promise early, impressing with her singing, piano improvisations, and compositions. Despite societal constraints, she carved a path through sheer talent and determination, pursuing a bold career in theater composition.

A Modern Revival

Fast forward to today, Uccelli’s opera, Anna di Resburgo, is set to make its modern debut courtesy of New York’s Teatro Nuovo on July 20 and 24. Conductor and musicologist Will Crutchfield, who unearthed the opera in a Neapolitan archive, leads this revival. Uccelli married a doctor at 17 and, after his death at 22, defied expectations by pursuing a professional music career.

Praised by Rossini and Mayr, Uccelli's work reflects her extraordinary orchestral talent. Anna di Resburgo, composed between 1833-1835, was overshadowed by Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. However, thanks to Crutchfield, Uccelli's work is getting a second chance to shine.

Why it matters

This revival isn't just about unknown opera. Uccelli's story is a powerful reminder of the many talented female composers whose works have been overshadowed. Plus, who doesn't love a good comeback story?

Catch Anna di Resburgo at Montclair State University on July 20 or at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater on July 24. The season also includes I Capuleti e i Montecchi on July 21 and 25. More details at Teatro Nuovo. — MV

TOUR DE HEADLINES

(L) Sharon Corr performing at the Brussels Summer Festival 2012 (Photo: Eddy Berthier/Wikipedia/CC BY 2.0) (R) Image via Ryan Air.

The Corrs Violinist Left ‘Humiliated’ After Ryanair Refuses to Let Her Board With Violin — Sharon Corr, violinist of The Corrs, claimed she was humiliated after Ryanair refused to let her board a flight from Madrid to Dublin with her violin, despite her offer to buy a seat for the instrument, which the airline denied. | The Strad

Cincinnati Opera to Present Paul McCartney’s ‘Liverpool Oratorio’ — The Cincinnati Opera's 2024 Summer Festival will conclude with the world stage premiere of Paul McCartney’s “Liverpool Oratorio,” featuring new sets, costumes, and choreography, starring Andrew Owens and Jacqueline Echols McCarley, and conducted by Joseph Young, running from July 18 to July 27 at Cincinnati’s Music Hall. | Opera Wire

Girl Choristers Join St Paul’s Cathedral Choir for the First Time — For the first time in its 900-year history, St Paul's Cathedral Choir welcomed two girls, Lila and Lois, as full choristers following their specialist training, marking a historic milestone celebrated during a Sunday Choral Evensong service. | The Violin Channel

Blind Piano Tuner Scammed Out of £185K by Fraudster — Mark Stanner, 42, of Macclesfield, was jailed for five years and four months for scamming a blind piano tuner out of £185,000 over four years, using aggressive tactics and false claims to extract money, which he then gambled away, with accomplices Marvin Scott and Martina Turner also facing legal consequences for their roles in concealing the fraud. | BBC

OPERA WORLD

Carmen, Johan Inger / Rodion Shchedrin – Georges Bizet, Marc Álvarez, Stavros Niarchos Hall (Photo: Greek National Opera)

Greek National Opera Receives 11 Million Euro Grant

Last week, the Greek National Opera announced receipt of an €11 million grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The grant will support the company’s outreach efforts and help to establish its reputation as one of the world’s leading opera houses.

Driving the news: On July 1st, the Greek National Opera (GNO) announced its 2024/2025 season. During the announcement, the GNO shared that the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) had granted the company a two-year €11 million grant. The grant will assist with the company’s outreach and accessibility initiatives, tours, training, and development plans. The SNF hopes to help the company achieve and maintain its status as one of the world’s leading opera companies.

Digging deeper: Founded in 1940, the Greek National Opera has been a private, state-funded organization since 1994. It relies largely on public subsidies for its funding, along with some help from ticket sales and corporate donors.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation previously granted the GNO a four-year grant. Their contributions to the company will soon total over €39 million. We think Greece (and America)’s Maria Callas would be proud. — SS

MAKING NEWS

Henry Kennedy (Photo: Curtis Perry)

27-Year-Old Nova Scotian Appointed National Arts Centre Orchestra’s First Resident Conductor

Henry Kennedy has been appointed as the Canadian National Arts Centre Orchestra’s first-ever resident conductor. His appointment followed a multi-round application and audition process.

The scoop: On July 4th, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) announced in a press release that Henry Kennedy will be its first resident conductor. Kennedy will begin his position at the beginning of the 2024-2025 season, which he will hold for the following two seasons. Henry Kennedy was chosen from a pool of over 50 applicants, which was narrowed down to five finalists. He will assist the NACO’s music director, Alexander Shelley, who made the final decision.

Background info: Henry Kennedy hails from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and completed his studies at London’s Royal College of Music. At 27, Kennedy has already garnered an impressive array of conducting mentors. They include John Eliot Gardiner, who Kennedy assisted on a European tour of Berlioz’s Les Troyens, Riccardo Muti, with whom he studied and assisted in Milan, as well as Marin Alsop, Sir Mark Elder, Edward Gardner, Hannu Lintu, Jukka Pekka Saraste, Thomas Sondergard, and John Wilson. Kennedy is also the founder and conductor of the UK’s Resonate Symphony.

With bases on both sides of the pond, Kennedy seems poised to join the ranks of Canada’s other leading music directors who regularly hop between countries. They include the Victoria Symphony’s Christian Kluxen, the Toronto Symphony’s Gustavo Gimeno, the National Youth Orchestra’s Naomi Woo, Winnipeg’s Daniel Raiskin, and, of course, Orchestre Métropolitain’s Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Let’s hope Kennedy’s collecting air miles. ✈️🌎 — SS

GAMES

Nothing says Monday like a mini-crossword .

AROUND THE WEB

📅 On this day: A local newspaper mistakenly claimed that a "flying saucer" was found near Roswell, New Mexico, a report which authorities swiftly denied. Despite this, the Roswell incident later became the focus of a conspiracy theory about UFOs and extraterrestrials.

📚 Deep Dive: The importance of finding a third place.

🖼️ Game: Find the phrase that best describes the game’s image.

✍️ Helpful: Enhance your memory by writing things down with a pen instead of typing them.

📰 That's neat: News for minimalists.

🦜 Awww: This charming cowboy is ready for a night on the town.

LAUGH OF THE WEEK

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