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.
“The outrageous genius of Barrie Kosky” — an interview with classical’s quirkiest stage director (The Guardian)
Ahead of a new production of Wagner’s Die Walküre opening in London next month, The Guardian sat down with celebrated Australian stage director Barrie Kosky to discuss his very diverse influences, his views on art, and of course, his often controversial opera stagings. “After 35 years of working in opera, I am experienced enough to understand that if you put something out there for artistic reasons, there will be negative reactions. People have paid for tickets. They can have any reaction they want.” A great read for opera lovers—whether you’re a Kosky fan or not.
Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus directed by Barrie Kosky at the Bayerische Staatsoper in 2023.
The BBC Proms 2025 season announced (BBC)
Several exciting events are in the works for the 2025 edition of the beloved BBC Proms! The internet’s favorite organist Anna Lapwood will curate and conduct an eight-hour overnight Prom session—a project she dreamt up during a midnight practice session on the Royal Albert Hall organ. Nods to mainstream pop culture abound as well with plenty of film music and a themed concert inspired by hit UK reality show The Traitors. The famous Last Night concert will be female-forward this year with conductor Elim Chan (one of 15 female conductors on the program), soloists Louise Alder and Alison Balsam, and world premieres by composers Camille Pépin and Rachel Portman. Plus medici.tv regulars like Klaus Mäkelä, the Vienna Philharmonic, Yunchan Lim, and more.
Classical musicians pay tribute to the late Pope Francis (Instagram)
You’ve surely already heard that Pope Francis passed away earlier this week, but did you know that he was a classical music fan? The late Pope spoke on several occasions about his love for the music of Bach, Mozart, and Wagner. During his 12-year tenure, he also met with several of the industry’s most influential performers. Several notable musicians have already paid tribute to him on their social media platforms, including soprano Aida Garifullina and pianist and composer Daniel Barenboim.
A hidden note in a violin reveals its origins in a concentration camp (The Strad)
“Trial instrument, made under difficult conditions with no tools and materials” — this handwritten note was found in a violin made by a Polish violinmaker imprisoned during the Holocaust at the Dachau concentration camp. The unassuming violin was found by a pair of Hungarian art dealers and it languished amongst piles of furniture for several years before its remarkable origins were discovered when the instrument was sent out for repair.
Ever wondered what it would sound like “if classical had drums”? (Instagram)
One of my favorite Instagram accounts attempts to answer the question: @rat.trick is a Canadian drummer who adds a drum line to excerpts of classical masterpieces like Holst’s The Planets, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, or Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony (below)—and many of his crossover posts have garnered millions of views.
