Raised in Tirana in a family of artists, Elina Duni was already performing on stage at the age of five. After studying classical piano in Geneva, she turned to jazz and founded the Elina Duni Quartet while studying at the Bern University of the Arts. She has been releasing her music on ECM Records since 2012. In addition to her work as a solo artist, she has enjoyed a long-standing musical collaboration with British guitarist Rob Luft. Their joint album Reaching for the Moon was published in April 2026.

According to the Basel University of Music, Duni’s music blends the folk song traditions of Albania and the Balkans with the freedom and openness of jazz improvisation. She has made a name for herself internationally with «her distinctive vocals, her stylistic versatility, and her unique sensitivity to musical storytelling.».

In 2017, Elina Duni received the Swiss Music Prize, and in 2025, she was honored with the Swiss Jazz Award. She also served as a mentor at the Montreux Jazz Academy.

Laura Spichtig (29, who grew up in Hergiswil and Sachseln) will receive a grant of 20,000 francs. As part of her project acousphere. She is planning a live sound installation that transforms a space into a constantly changing sonic environment. The sound installation is walk-through, allowing the audience to experience it firsthand. It is also portable and can go on tour. According to a press release, the jury from the cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden was impressed by the project’s «location-independent and innovative nature, as well as its interaction with the audience.».

The 10,000-franc grant goes to Raisa Durandi (40, who grew up in Stans). Her planned project Interstice is intended to explore the space that emerges when someone grows up between two cultures. This exploration of the theme will result in a collaboration with a school class and a walk-through stage set. The jury was impressed by «this contemporary project, which fits seamlessly into Raisa Durandi’s artistic development to date.».

Joshua Weilerstein studied violin and conducting at the New England Conservatory and won both first prize and the audience prize at the Malko Competition for Young Conductors in Copenhagen in 2009. From 2012 to 2015, he served as assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic. Inspired by Leonard Bernstein’s approach to music education, he launched a classical music podcast called «Sticky Notes» in 2017. The show, which is aimed at both music lovers and newcomers, has become extremely successful, with more than 4.5 million downloads in 175 countries. He will take over the position with the BBC Orchestra in September 2028 for an initial five-year term.

The BBC Philharmonic is one of the five symphony orchestras of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It is based in Manchester. John Storgårds is currently its principal conductor.

As part of this project, the Electronic Studio Basel and the Paul Sacher Foundation are launching, according to their press release, «a targeted collaboration based on their shared long-term interests in the legacy of electronic music, as well as its documentation, research, and revitalization.» At the same time, new opportunities for exchange between researchers, archival institutions, and artistic practice are emerging.

Made possible by a newly built multichannel studio, the project also represents «a significant step in the history of the Electronic Studio.» And it provides essential infrastructure for students, artists, and researchers to continue working with spatial audio.

Herbert Blomstedt was born in 1927 to Swedish parents in Springfield, Massachusetts (USA). He spent his childhood in Sweden and Finland before the family settled permanently in Sweden. He studied violin and musicology in Stockholm and Uppsala and subsequently continued his conducting studies in the U.S. and Europe. Among his teachers and influential artistic mentors were Igor Markevitch and Leonard Bernstein, with whom he collaborated at Tanglewood.

In 1985, he assumed the position of music director of the San Francisco Symphony, and in 1995, he became music director of the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg. In 1998, he was appointed Gewandhauskapellmeister in Leipzig. Among the numerous honors bestowed upon Herbert Blomstedt are the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, the Grand Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and numerous honorary doctorates. In 2026, his extraordinary contribution to music was recognized with the Japanese Praemium Imperiale, one of the most prestigious international awards in the arts. On November 4, 2026, Blomstedt, who remained active as a conductor until the very end, passed away in Gothenburg at the age of 99.

Gianandrea Noseda was appointed General Music Director of the Zurich Opera House in September 2021. From 2007 to 2018, he served as Music Director at the Teatro Regio Torino. He also serves as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra, which is based at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Noseda, who was born in Milan, already holds the title of Commendatore al Merito della Repubblica Italiana. The rank of Grand Officer is one level higher in the order’s hierarchy.

Established in 1951, the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic is awarded by the state to recognize general merit as well as outstanding achievements in civilian and military careers. The Order of Merit replaced various orders and orders of chivalry of the House of Savoy, established as early as 1362, as well as the state Order of the Crown of Italy, created in 1868.

Founded in 1926, the NHK Symphony Orchestra is one of Japan’s oldest professional symphony orchestras. It is based in Minato and performs at NHK Hall and Suntory Hall. Since 2020, the Italian Fabio Luisi has served as chief conductor of the 100-member orchestra.

Tugan Sokhiev, who was appointed music director of the orchestra, studied conducting with Ilya Musin at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 2016, he founded the International Conductors’ Academy in Toulouse. He continues his commitment to young artists to this day through various projects, including the Vienna Philharmonic’s Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academy, and the Berlin Philharmonic’s BEPHIL program at the Salzburg Festival. He will assume the position of chief conductor and artistic advisor of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande beginning with the 2026–27 season. In January 2027, he will conduct the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert.

The «Thomas and Doris Ammann Prize for Young Conductors» will be held for the first time in Lucerne from June 24 to 27, 2027, and will take place every two years going forward. The Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation has secured funding for the first ten editions through 2045. The competition complements the orchestra’s annual conducting week—which typically results in an assistantship with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra—and creates a new international platform for young conductors.

The new competition is one of the most generously endowed conducting prizes in the world: The first prize consists of 50,000 Swiss francs and an invitation to conduct a concert by the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra at the KKL Lucerne during the following season. The second prize is worth 25,000 Swiss francs. In addition, the runner-up will have the opportunity to conduct a concert at a special venue in Lucerne or the surrounding area within 18 months. The third prize is worth 15,000 Swiss francs.

Fabio Luisi of Italy will chair the 2027 jury. Numa Bischof Ullmann, artistic director of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, and principal conductor Michael Sanderling will serve on the jury alongside other experts. The remaining members of the jury will be announced at a later date. Candidates for participation will be selected in advance by a screening jury.

More info:
https://sinfonieorchester.ch/de/thomas-and-doris-ammann-prize-for-young-conductors/

According to a press release, the jury of the Domnick Cello Prize praised Cyprien Lengagne as a musician «who demonstrated the full range of his talent throughout the competition: brilliant technique, a full and powerful tone, as well as exemplary thoughtfulness and fidelity to the text.» The jury is convinced that Lengagne has a bright future ahead of him in the music world.

Born in 2000, Lengagne studied cello at the Lausanne Conservatory and at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne. He continued his studies at the International Menuhin Music Academy (IMMA). In 2024, he joined the «Lili and Nadia Boulanger» class at the Académie Jaroussky, and in 2025, he enrolled in the elite program at the École Normale Alfred Cortot in Paris.

The competition jury consisted of Thomas Demenga (chair), whose work IVY which also served as the compulsory piece, as well as Åsa Åkerberg, Diana Ligeti, Martina Schucan, Nicola Baroni, Tristan Cornut, and Conradin Brotbek (competition director). The prize was established by Greta and Ottomar Domnick. The couple, who began collecting abstract art in 1945, made experimental films, and built a modern villa in 1967 as a venue for art and New Music, established the Cello Prize to support young cellists.

According to a statement from the Canton of Schwyz, these grants enable artists to devote themselves more deeply to their creative work, further develop new ideas, and strengthen their artistic skills.

The Cantonal Cultural Commission has once again announced grants this year in the categories of «Visual Arts,» «Dance and Theater,» «Music,» and «Short Films and Animated Films.» Through these grants, the canton provides direct, artist-specific support to cultural practitioners. This support gives them the freedom to explore experimental and innovative artistic ideas or to specifically deepen and further develop their artistic skills.

The award recipients are Claudette Ebnöther, Achim Schroeteler, Veronika Suter, Noemie Schelbert, and Daniella Tuzzi (all visual arts), Janine Imholz (theater/dance), Deborah Landolt, Eleonora Em, and Andreas Betschart (all music), as well as Selin Besili (short film and animation).

Violinist Deborah Landolt studied at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She teaches at the Beckenried Music School. Pianist Eleonora Em studied at the Zurich University of the Arts and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. She holds teaching positions at the Ausserschwyz Cantonal School and the Freienbach Music School. Andreas Betschart completed his music studies at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts—Music, majoring in trombone, and serves as the cultural affairs officer for the municipality of Unterägeri.

The Association of Classical Music Festivals in the Bernese Oberland collects data that sheds light on the social impact and economic potential of classical concerts. In June 2026, economic indicators were published for the first time, showing that the member festivals generated high revenue in 2024 and attracted numerous visitors and musicians to the Bernese Oberland.

As a member of the cantonal government from 2018 to 2026, Christine Häsler headed the Department of Education and Culture of the Canton of Bern; prior to that, she held various positions in politics and the private sector.

Since 2014, an association known as the Bernese Oberland Classical Music Festivals has brought together 14 classical music festivals and concert series in the Bernese Oberland, which collaborate in the areas of knowledge and experience sharing, marketing, and advocacy. Past presidents have been Ruedi Bernet and Markus Tschanz.

The members are: Bach Weeks Thun, International Opera Workshop Sigriswil, GAIA Music Festival, Interlaken Classics, Mendelssohn Music Week Wengen, Menuhin Festival Gstaad, Meiringen Music Festival, Spiez Castle Concerts, Castle Concerts Thun, Concerts of the Swiss Violin Making School in Brienz, Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad, Concerts of the Lenk Foundation for Cultural Promotion, Swiss Chamber Music Festival Adelboden, Zakhar Bron Academy Interlaken.

The Bern City Council (the city’s executive branch) plans to allocate 4.59 million Swiss francs to compensate Konsibern for its services next year. That is 112,500 Swiss francs more than last year. This is due to an increase in the number of students and rising salary costs under cantonal personnel law.

The services funded by the City of Bern include music instruction for students residing in the City of Bern, beginning when they enter kindergarten and continuing until they turn 20, or until they turn 25 if they are still enrolled in an educational program.

The Bern Music School was founded in 1858 by the Bern Music Society (BMG). In 1892, its educational programs were expanded to include professional music training, though initially this was limited to the musical training of prospective teachers. Continuous expansion led to its renaming as the «Bern Conservatory of Music» in 1927. Following the founding of the Bern University of the Arts (HKB) in 2000, the Conservatory’s General Music School department was transformed into an independent institution.

With his victory in the composition competition, Schmidt will receive a cash prize of 5,000 francs and a commission to compose a new work, approximately ten minutes in length, for the Basel Sinfonietta. The world premiere will take place on September 19, 2027, as part of the 2027–28 season opening concert at the Stadtcasino Basel.

Paul Taro Schmidt earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition for film, theater, and media from the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and now teaches the course “Studio Practice” in the major of the same name. He is also currently studying at the Z-Kubator Compass and pursuing a degree in Composition and Electronic Music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.

Founded in 1980, the Basel Sinfonietta is a Basel-based orchestra with a symphonic lineup that specializes in contemporary music. Titus Engel is the principal conductor. The orchestra has commissioned numerous works and, since its founding, has presented more than 250 world premieres and national premieres.

According to the online magazine BackstageClassical, members of the Düsseldorf ensemble took the stage before a La Traviata-During a performance, they took the stage in Düsseldorf wearing high-visibility vests and holding posters. They reportedly stated that the designated artistic director, Karr, would not be renewing the contracts of 65 percent of the singers. For some, the termination meeting was their first encounter with the new artistic leadership.

The Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg is a theater company jointly operated by the cities of Düsseldorf and Duisburg, with a long tradition of collaboration between the two major cities. Since its founding in 1956, it has been one of Germany’s leading opera houses.

Original article:
https://backstageclassical.com/neue-intendanz-rein-altes-ensemble-raus/

Giuliana Zanoni will assume this new dual role effective November 1, 2026, following the completion of the selection process conducted by the LAC and the Fondazione per l’Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (FOSI). According to the press release, the decisive factors in her selection were ‘her professional expertise and the quality of the artistic concept she presented, which best aligns with the objectives of the position and the development prospects of both institutions.«.

Zanoni completed her studies in philosophy and communication sciences at the Università del Piemonte Orientale. She also earned two master’s degrees in oboe performance (Master of Arts in Oboe Performance) from the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana and the Conservatorio Guido Cantelli in Novara, as well as a master’s degree in Performing Arts Management from the Politecnico di Milano and the Accademia Teatro alla Scala.  Until the end of August of this year, she served as Director of Music Operations & Artistic Administrator at the Washington National Opera. In this role, she was responsible for musical operations, orchestra administration, artistic planning, and the coordination of production processes.