As medici.tv’s Chief Content Officer I spend a lot of time thinking about classical music—and a lot of time on the internet. Here’s my selection of the top five news items you need to see this week if you want to stay in the know.
Legendary choreography Yuri Grigorovich died at 98 (BBC)
One of the giants of twentieth- and twenty-first-century ballet, Yuri Grogorovich, passed away this week at the age of 98. After a long career as a soloist, he turned to choreography and his work is widely accepted to be revolutionary, in particular for “revitalising male dance” through incredibly demanding parts. Grigorivich had a long and complicated history with the Bolshoi Ballet, which he led during two separate periods.
Explore his legacy with this stunning production of Swan Lake, at the Bolshoi Theater, starring the world-renowned Svetlana Zhakarova.
Why are so many operas co-productions these days? (The New York Times)
Co-productions (collaborations between opera or ballet companies to commission new works together) have become increasingly more common in recent years and for good reason: they allow companies to split the cost—and the risk— of a major financial undertaking. In addition to the logistical advantages, this New York Times article questioned opera leaders from across the globe about the artistic benefits, such as being able to see a new work performed and make adjustments before it hits your stage, or surfing on the energy and buzz that can come from a successful premiere abroad.
Marina Viotti wowed 50,000 sports fans celebrating Paris football club win (Instagram)
Mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti has lent her operatic fireworks to the world of sports for the second time in recent months: this week she joined football club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) to celebrate their 13th championship win, alongside 50,000 adoring fans at the Parc des Princes stadium. This marquee crossover between the world of opera and sport follows Viotti’s memorable performance at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Paris last summer.
Musicians describe a “pattern of fear” working with Jaap van Zweden (Pointer NL)
Dutch media Pointer reported this week on a “pattern of fear” dozens of musicians and artistic administrators have described when working under conductor Jaap van Zweden. Zweden responded to the allegations, “The reality is that, as a conductor, I continually call people out on what could be better…I know I can be demanding… However, that can never be an excuse for a working environment that leads to people feeling constrained or using tranquillizers.”
The Cliburn kicks off in Texas (medici.tv)
One of the most anticipated events in the classical calendar kicked off this week in Texas: the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. This edition’s 28 competitors hail from 15 countries and range in age from 18 to 30. The previous edition in 2022 catapulted gold medalist Yunchan Lim to a level of international stardom rarely seen in the classical world—tune in to find out who will follow in his footsteps! Full competition available on cliburn.medici.tv
