I am overjoyed at this week's great news, which is that the University of Sydney Music Department (my alma mater) has been saved from extinction (or merged with the Conservatorium, which amounts to the same thing) by the donations of anonymous benefactors (to be matched by the university) as a result of Robin Anderson & Bob Connolly's marvellous documentary Facing the Music. This is a great cause for rejoicing for all arts-minded folk! It was wonderful to see the reactions of people taken by surprise by the doco when it first aired on the ABC - the responses on their online chat board were so numerous that they broke the programme! - but it's even better to see people who are in a position to do so taking practical steps to ensure the continuance of the Department. Thank you, whoever you are.

On a more down-to-earth, but still exciting note, minimalism fans will no doubt have noted the upcoming performance of Steve Reich's Drumming, which will be performed in Sydney by Synergy in June. This should be a performance not to be missed - can't wait.

There's not too much else to report at the moment - Sydney Symph have announced that they are to get a new Chief Conductor, Gianluigi Gelmetti, so I'm crossing fingers for a cessation of the endless rounds of Mahler we've suffered at the hands of Edo de Waart. Yes, you picked it, I'm not a Mahler fan - I will maintain till the end of my days that the best piece Mahler ever wrote is by Berio. Closer to hand, though, SSO's Shostakovich Project is next weekend at the Town Hall, conducted by Alexander Lezarev - I'm expecting a surfeit of inspiration...

# posted by minim @ 11:35 AM 0 Comments