The biggest news of the week was the walkout at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which forced the cancellation of the first Saturday night concert of the 2012-13 season. Management and the players wrestled over players' health care contributions. How does their compensation stack up, you may ask? "The current average salary of CSO musicians, who have a base salary of $145,000, is $173,000.
Originally published on Fri September 21, 2012 6:10 pm
Happy John Coltrane birthday on Sunday.
Pianist Michael Wolff talks about his Cal Tjader tribute for the San Jose Mercury News. I do know Wolff as a New York pianist but didn't know he was musical director of The Arsenio Hall Show or that he's from the Bay Area.
Originally published on Wed October 24, 2012 1:25 pm
The Washington Post has a long, fascinating piece on Dietmar Machold, the 63-year-old violin dealer/con man who went on trial in Vienna this week: "It is the largest fraud case in the history of a trade that goes back to at least the middle of the 18th century: Apart from criminal charges, Machold faces civil claims estimated at $200 million. ...
Originally published on Mon September 24, 2012 11:22 am
At just 21 years old, Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov, the most recent winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition, is zooming into the classical music stratosphere — and with his new album he's out to prove he's here to stay.