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.
View author's page
Reading time estimated : 5 min
Semyon Bychkov is the future Music Director of the Paris Opera
On Tuesday, the Paris Opera announced that conductor Semyon Bychkov will be its new music director, following in the footsteps of Gustavo Dudamel, who resigned in May 2023 for personal reasons. Bychkov has a long relationship with the prestigious institution and is already slated to lead multiple projects this season. He will begin to work closely with Paris Opera starting in summer 2026 before officially taking on his new role August 1, 2028. Bychkov’s tenure will coincide with significant renovations of both the Palais Garnier and the Bastille. It is reported that the programming gap created by these closures will be partially filled with symphonic performances at other local venues, following the model of La Scala.
Violinist Lara St. John on her experience as a young star (CBC)
In a fascinating and deeply personal interview on CBC podcast Q, Canadian violinist Lara St. John walks us through her experiences as a young star, remembering both the good—like the little plastic dinosaurs her mother rewarded her with for winning competitions—and the bad: St. John was sexually assaulted while a student at the Curtis Institute, an incident that was brushed over for decades and inspired her to advocate for change industry-wide.
Amadeus actor Will Sharpe on channeling Mozart at the keyboard (The Times, Classic FM)
“I hope a lot of people who watch the show will be people who are fans of Mozart and I wouldn’t want to fob any off with anything that wasn’t real.” Will Sharpe spent months taking lessons to transform his basic piano skills into a passable imitation of Mozart’s genius. The Times and Classic FM spoke to the team behind the on-screen music scenes.
Barber’s Adagio hits the mainstream again in new Mobb Deep single (Classic FM)
Barber’s haunting Adagio for Strings is undoubtedly one of the most widely-recognizable pieces of music in the repertoire: it’s been the soundtrack to multiple celebrity funerals, used on film soundtracks, been remixed into dance hits, and it’s about to reach a new generation through the new Mobb Deep single, “Down for you.” Classic FM explored what exactly makes it so popular?
Once you’ve listened to the new hit song, revisit the original in this pitch-perfect rendition by the Vienna Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel:
The Washington National Opera leaves the Kennedy Center (NYT)
The Washington National Opera announced this week their intention to leave the Kennedy Center “as soon as possible,” citing concerns about audience and donor decline since the venue has been taken over by the Trump administration. While many well-known artists associated with the Kennedy Center have withdrawn from its programming in recent months, the NYT is calling this “perhaps the largest artistic rebuke yet to President Trump’s campaign to remake the Kennedy Center in his image.” The WNO have called the Kennedy Center home since 1971. A new venue has yet to be confirmed.
