From Sundsvall, Sweden

Finally I had the opportunity to return to Sundsvall (where? – well where’s Wollongong?). I was there 3 years ago. Sundsvall is the main city in the Swedish area of Norrland on the Bothnian coast. Not the most familiar names on the map, but some of the most beautiful Scandinavian parts. It’s a stone’s throw – a massive one at that - across the Gulf of Bothnia to Finland.

Sundsvall is a city of under 100, 000 inhabitants and is the home of the Nordic Chamber Orchestra of which Christian Lindberg is the Artistic Director. I was here to perform and record Dvořák’s violin concerto in A minor.

Sundsvall became wealthy from the forest industry and hence it used to be a city of wood. After its fourth fire in the 1880s they commissioned a city of stone and it’s one of the nicest towns in Sweden. Some exquisite buildings here that you would hope may inspire the construction of modern cities.

After performing in the City Hall, we moved to another hall to record over the next four days.

I love cold weather and was rewarded with -22 Celsius and then a good dose of snow.

This BIS CD will be released in May 2010.

Richard Tognetti
Artistic Director and Lead Violin

YouTube Symphony

Here's a fascinating idea: a call for musicians to audition online to play in an international orchestra, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. The blend of technology, social media, collaborative creation and Tan Dun is certainly very now. Details below:

"Interested in joining the first-ever collaborative online orchestra? Professionals and amateur musicians of all ages, locations and instruments are welcome to audition for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra by submitting a video performance of a new piece written for the occasion by the renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). We have tools to help you learn the music, rehearse with the conductor and upload your part for the collaborative video.

And how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice and upload. Send us your talent video performance from a list of recommended pieces. Finalists will be chosen by a judging panel and YouTube users to participate in the YouTube Symphony Orchestras debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City on April 15, 2009 (travel and accommodations included).

The deadline for all video submissions is January 28, 2009."

Brett Dean Wins Grawemeyer Prize

The good news is that our esteemed colleague composer Brett Dean (who moonlights as the Artistic Director of ANAM) has won the coveted Grawemeyer Prize for Music for his violin concerto, The Lost Art of Letter Writing. At US$200 000, the prize is one of the richest in music. This is the first time an Australian has won the award.

Congratulation, Brett, on this outstanding and richly deserved achievement.

The ACO performs Dean's work Testament (which is also about letters) in 2009 Tour Seven: Beethoven 4.

Richard Hickox 1948-2008

We're very sad to hear about the death of Richard Hickox. An Overgrown Path has a tribute.

The Sociology of Concert-going

One of our favourite music journalists, Alex Ross, at the New Yorker, has written a terrific article on how the traditions of concert-going developed. They're not as 'traditional' as you'd expect (for instance, the practice of with-holding applause between movements of a piece only became entrenched in 1950s). An excellent read that hopefully will challenge preconceptions on how to behave at a concert. Some of the 'rules' seem very arbitrary, no wonder people can feel intimidated at first. It supposed to be fun, remember?

Check it out at newyorker.com.

Also, we were amused by this.

A Cello Coda

The excellent 'On an Overgrown Path' blog has a beaut story about Pablo Casals, a good way to end the week in which we wrapped up the Intense Tour with Steven Isserlis (a big fan of Casals).

Read it here.

RADIO/FACEBOOK

Stand aside Myspace and Facebook, one of our favourite bands has launched its own social networking site. Radiohead's, W.A.S.T.E. CENTRAL site lets groups of fans meet each other before concerts as well as post videos, photos and remixes.