Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and China's Herbert von Karajan

Did you know that China had it’s own Herbert von Karajan? According to the New York Times, it does. His name is Long Yu, and he is at the head of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Concerts of the SSO have just gone online at Classictic.com, and we are thrilled to welcome our first ensemble in Asia. The orchestra has a long tradition of performing the European classical music repertoire, as well as a dedication to the work of contemporary Chinese composers. Their performances take place primarily in the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, a billowing glass construction by French architect Paul Andreu, which opened in 2004.

Mr. Yu has gained an international reputation for his musicianship and his drive towards perfection. His composer grandfather, Ding Shande, inspired him to shift his focus as a teenager from piano lessons to conducting. After studies at the Shanghai Conservatory, Mr. Yu continued at Berlin’s prestigious Hochschule der Künste (now Universität der Künste). Since his return to China in the mid-90’s, he has established himself as the leading force behind the modernization of the country’s orchestras.

At Classictic, we are looking forward to playing a role in bringing local and international audiences into the concert hall to hear the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. And perhaps down the road, rising star conductors will be celebrated as “the Long Yu” of their respective countries.

The Day the Singing Stops on the Grand Canal

When is a Venetian gondolier too busy to sing “O Sole Mio”?
When he is rounding the paleto (turning post) at the Regata Storica.

Venice is generally associated with a romantically slow and easy pace, strolling across the Bridge of Sighs, or gliding along the Grand Canal. But for one day each year, Venice is all about speed.

The Regata Storica is a tradition that goes back to the early Middle Ages, if not further. The first documentation of the event dates to the 13th century, a time when the boat races were connected to religious festivities. Since then, the spectacle of the regatta has been captured by countless artists throughout the centuries. Among the most famous renditions are owed to Canaletto.

Several different events make up the Regata Storica, but it is the race of the gondoliers that truly gets local and tourist blood flowing. There is no serenading to be heard here over the shouting of the crowd as the boats are propelled through St Mark’s Bay.

For those who have come to Italy to slow down, the pageantry of the Water Parade might be a better choice. Here, historical ships can be admired, complete with costumed gondoliers and local officials.

Venice is truly a city where past and present are intertwined, where tradition and architecture keep history alive. When the excitement on the water has subsided, visitors can choose from a wide variety of musical events in Venice that highlight this fascinating aspect of the city. Whether it's Baroque music in a period church or opera arias in an elegant Palazzo on the Grand Canal.

And when the racing is over, you'll be sure to hear talented goldoliers singing familiar melodies as they guide their boats through the city.

This year's Regata Storica takes place on Sunday, September 4.
Through July 31st, 2011, Classictic offers 10% off tickets purchased with the promotional code "Venetian".

Salzburg Dreams

Salzburg – city of music and gateway to the Alps. Classical music aficionados come from around the world to see Mozart’s hometown and to visit the extraordinary music festivals. For classical musicians of all ages, performing in Salzburg is often the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

This summer, a group of instrumentalists from the United States will join their dream to the dreams of wheelchair-bound Salzburgers. The San Jose Youth Symphony will perform in the elegant Great Hall of the Mozarteum, and the proceeds of the concert will help the “WheelChairDancers” of Salzburg to obtain the special wheelchairs necessary to participate in international wheelchair dance competitions.

The WheelChairDancers are a highly motivated team that trains regularly. Members of the group have traveled to competitions worldwide. As an organization, the WheelChairDancers aim to gain more publicity for wheelchair dancing as a sport, hoping to spread the joy of dancing to as many disabled people as possible.

We at Classictic are pleased to support the ticket sales for the benefit concert in Salzburg, and we wish both the performers and the beneficiaries much success!

July 2nd 2011. 19:30
Mozarteum, Salzburg
San Jose Youth Symphony Philharmonic Orchestra
Yair Samet, Conductor
Hannah Pauline Tarley, Violin
Benefit Concert Tickets

European Opera Forum: The Opera Experience

Last weekend's European Opera Forum in London was an inspiring experience. The focus of this year's Opera Europa spring conference was "The Opera Experience". Participants were invited to look at opera from a variety of perspectives, with an emphasis on the vital importance of communication among the many different people and departments that make opera happen. Artistic directors met in dialogue with architects and technical directors, education departments shared their work with marketing experts, and so on.

Of particular interest was the extraordinary work that is being done to help attract new audiences to the opera houses. We heard about the Finnish National Opera transforming the house into a dance club atmosphere, where young Finns were invited to experience various performances by members of the ballet company, and then to dance with them until the early hours, animated by top DJ's. Productions that include and engage disadvantaged youth were described by representatives of the Paris Opera, the Scottish Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, and others. In these large-scale undertakings, the goal goes beyond audience development. Here, art becomes a means of supporting young people in their development as citizens in the truest sense.

It was an honor to be a party to these discussions. We at Classictic learned a great deal about what is important to the opera world today, and we hope that we can actively contribute to the development of this unique genre in Europe and worldwide.

We look forward to getting a similar look at the opera scene across the ocean this May in Boston, when Opera America holds it's yearly conference.

Welcome to the Erwanna Fan Club

Hollywood fans have fondly melded star couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie into Brangelina. Opera enthusiasts now have a dream team to follow as well: the stunning and talented Anna Netrebko and Erwin Schrott. Or shall we say, Erwanna?
The New York Observer called the Russian diva "Audrey Hepburn with a voice", and the San Francisco Chronicle praised "a singer who has it all: imagination, insight, and wit". The bass from Uruguay is admired for his "combination of blazingly charismatic presence and imposing, wide-ranging, multicoloured sound."

The opera stars are considerably less harried by the paparazzi than their Hollywood counterparts. But their lifestyle is no less burdened by travel and heavy schedules. Of course, fans are the beneficiaries of their hard-working ethos. Anna Netrebko performs music of Pergolesi at Geneva's Victoria Hall in April, and Erwin Schrott can be seen and heard as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro at Paris' Opéra de la Bastille in May, and as Escamillo in Carmen at Barcelona's Gran Theatre del Liceu in July.

And your interest in the stars goes beyond just wanting to see them on stage, try visiting annanetrebko.com, where you can ask the diva questions about anything from how to become a successful musician to what cosmetic products she recommends.

Dreams of Spain

February is the shortest month in the year. And yet, in many northern regions, it can feel like longest. Early spring flowers poke up through the soil, only to find that the sky is just as grey and the air just as chilly as they have been since November. A few birds twitter optimistically in the morning, but they soon think better of it and wonder why they didn't stay in their southern holidays a little longer.

Here in Berlin, we are warming ourselves with dreams of Spain. Mid-February in Madrid and Barcelona calls for a light jacket, and it's t-shirt weather on the Canary Islands. With a 10% discount on all Spain concerts, Classictic invites you to escape to warmer climes, or to think ahead to your spring or summer travels in the sun.

Once you have spent the day stolling in the sun or walking the halls of the Prado or Reina Sofia museums in Madrid, treat yourself to a world-class performance at one of Madrid's concert halls. Or, wander among the extraordinary architectural creations of Antoni Gaudi, then don your evening attire and visit a concert in Barcelona.

If the mainland is not enough of an escape for you, Gran Canaria and Mallorca offer the extraordinary combination of island getaway and top classical music and opera performances.

Choose from the many Spain concerts on Classictic.com, then enter the Promotional Code CLASSIC-SPAIN in the payment window. Your 10% discount will be reflected in the sum.

Classictic wishes you sunny thoughts and a wonderful concert experience in Spain!

Off the Beaten Path in New York City

It’s the city that never sleeps. It does eat, though, and it goes out a lot. New York keeps visitors and locals very busy. There is a great deal to do and see, hear and taste.

If you’re a “Highlights” kind of person, you might be absolutely satisfied to hit the ultra-famous spots in New York City. If you have the time, though, a small step off the beaten path will often afford you a closer look or an insider’s perspective on the Big Apple. There is no denying the thrill of the view from Lady Liberty’s crown. But once you’ve seen the Statue of Liberty, you can follow the American immigrant story one step further with a visit to the groundbreaking Tenement Museum on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The museum tells the stories of 19th and 20th century immigrants’ experience through tours of the tenement apartments and the surrounding neighborhood.

The beaten path will take classical music enthusiasts to Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall or Metropolitan Opera, two extraordinary performance houses. But visitors in the know will check out the program just down the street at lesser-known Merkin Concert Hall, an ideal space for chamber music and smaller ensembles. The 450-seat hall is nestled in the Kaufman Center, one block north of Lincoln Center. Merkin Concert Hall was twice awarded the ASCAP/Chamber Music America prize for Adventurous Programming. The Tuesday Matinee series here features up-and-coming young musicians and ensembles from around the world. This mid-week, midday gems offer a perfect opportunity to rest your feet and nourish your soul.

You can nourish the rest of you before or after the Merkin Concert Hall performance, at one of the many New York foody institutions on the Upper West Side. Zabar’s is the ultimate “food emporium”. New Yorkers take a number at the fish counter, then elbow one another just for the sport of it as they wait to buy their quarter pound of Nova Lox or a few precious ounces of Sterling Caviar. The Zabar’s Café offers a bagel and lox, knish, soup, fabulous coffee, and enough baked goods to merit a walk back for dessert after the performance at Merkin Concert Hall.

The concerts at Saint Thomas Church in Midtown Manhattan are a bit less frequent, but no less extraordinary. If you are in New York around Christmas or Easter, don’t miss the performances of the Saint Thomas Church Choir of Men and Boys. Saint Thomas Church has the only church-affiliated boarding choir school in the United States. The talented young choristers are among the most experienced and gifted the country has to offer. The boys’ voices are complemented by professional adult singers in the lower registers. The Saint Thomas Church Choir performances receive rave reviews from the New York Times. The church itself is a stunning example of American neo-Gothic architecture, and it also happens to be located just down the street from the Museum of Modern Art. After you have taken in the many treasures at the recently renovated temple to Modern Art, grab a bite to eat and prepare your eyes for the transition from sleek lines to soaring ornamental splendor.

Another New York insiders’ secret is the concert series of the Amor Artis Chamber Choir and Orchestra. The New Year’s Eve concert at St. Jean Baptiste Church is a festive and unpretentious annual event, with excellent musicians and an uplifting all-Bach program. Amor Artis’ charismatic founder and conductor, Johannes Somary, is entering his 50th year as music director. The years have in no way diminished his exuberance, which spreads through the ensemble and the audience at every performance.

You might notice a few of the singers hurrying off in sports gear after the New Year’s Eve concert. If you are looking for a truly unusual way to spend the rest of the big night, join them for fun in Central Park, as a participant or a spectator at the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run. Urban athletic folks brave the weather, often in flamboyant costumes, for a four-mile run, ending with champagne (this is the USA, so it will be alcohol-free or in a paper bag!) at the finish line.

Prices in Manhattan have squeezed many sworn Manhattanites off the tiny island, and although tourists rarely find their way to the other boroughs, there are more and more reasons to do so. A Manhattanite will tell you that the best reason to leave Manhattan is to get a better view of Manhattan. Well, that is certainly part of the thrill at the Bargemusic concerts in Brooklyn. In 1977, founder Olga Bloom transformed a coffee barge, built in 1899, into a floating chamber music hall. Anchored below the Brooklyn Bridge in the New York’s East River, Bargemusic offers excellent acoustics and fabulous views of the bridge and the lower Manhattan skyline. Local and visiting artists perform a variety of programs in about 220 concerts each year. In addition to standard classical chamber music repertoire, the “Here and Now Series” features contemporary American compositions, while “There and Then” concerts focus on Early Music. Bargemusic is easy to reach with public transportation, but if the weather allows, put on your walking shoes and cross the historic Brooklyn Bridge by foot. There is a separate raised walkway along the center of the bridge. Built in 1883, this connection between the island of Manhattan and the borough of Brooklyn was once travelled by horse-drawn traffic, trolley cars, and the elevated train. It continues to provide a vital connection for commuters and visitors today.

As spontaneous as New Yorkers can be, it is often a good idea to plan and book New York concert tickets ahead. Even the best kept secrets can draw a crowd in this something-for-everyone town. Whether you go the "Highlights" route or choose the road less travelled, there will always be something left to look forward to on your next trip to New York City.