What is possible
Most countries don’t allow live concerts during these weeks, but that doesn’t mean that the artists of UR classics have nothing to do. Here are some of their activities:
Ewa Strusińska was a member of the jury for a composer’s competition in Poland and premiered the prize-winning works with the Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble. The concert was streamed live from Stalowa Wola. Piotr Pławner played concerts without live public but streamed for everybody, in a recital in Poznań as well as with his new orchestra, the Silesian Chamber Orchestra in Katowice.
Shao-Chia Lü is one of those happy artists who are able to conduct for a live audience: a concert with the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra in Taipeh and for Christmas a production of La Bohème at the National Theatre in Taichung (co-production with the Opera Zurich). Spain as well offers concerts for a live audience: Adolfo Gutiérrez Arenas in November played Shostakovich’s first cello concerto, conducted by Anu Tali and a recital with pianist Josu de Solaun in Alicante as well as a recital for the 90th birthday celebrations of Cristobal Halffter in December.
Svetoslav Borisov is rehearsing behind closed doors at the Magdeburg Theatre for his next premiere (Rigoletto) at the end of January 2021. So does Ania Vegry at the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau. She also is preparing her next CD – songs by Szymon Laks – to be released at the beginning of next year.
The Duo Brüggen-Plank also is finishing their next CD (Erzherzog-Rudolf project a spart of the Beethoven anniversary year), and they are planning a new concert cycle. Zofia Neugebauer is preparing new chamber music programs, for flute and piano, harpsichord, harp, wind trio, double bass… And Jean-François Heisser, infatiguable and optimistic as ever, is preparing new projects for his Orchestre de Chambre de la Nouvelle Aquitaine, his different festivals and the Académie Maurice Ravel in St. Jean-de-Luz.