Latest news with #Koelsch
3 days ago
- Entertainment
Domingo Hindoyan to become music director of LA Opera for 2026-27 season
NEW YORK -- Domingo Hindoyan will succeed James Conlon as music director of the LA Opera and start a five-year contract on July 1, 2026. The appointment of the 45-year-old Venezuelan-Armenian, the husband of soprano Sonya Yoncheva, was announced Friday night. Conlon has been music director since 2006-07 and said in March 2024 that he will retire after after the 2025-26 season. 'LA is a city that is known by innovation, taking risks in productions and musically,' Hindoyan said in New York, where his wife is currently singing at the Metropolitan Opera. 'The idea is to do new pieces, commissions and modern pieces, something to really have a balance between what is classic and go further as much as we can.' Hindoyan will conduct two productions in 2026-27 and three in each of the following four seasons, LA Opera President Christopher Koelsch said. Koelsch hopes Hindoyan can lead works with Yoncheva, who has not sung a staged production at the LA Opera. Like other companies, the LA Opera has struggled with increased costs following the pandemic and scrapped a planned pair of world premieres over finances. Tenor and conductor Plácido Domingo was a key figure in fundraising for the company as general director from 2003-19. 'Part of my job as a music director and the job of any musician is to really take care of the art form as much as we can," Hindoyan said, "not only on stage, not only studying at home (but also) the connection with the community and the connection to the donors.' Hindoyan was born in Caracas, played violin and is a product of El Sistema, the Venezuelan music education system that was instrumental in the careers of Gustavo Dudamel and Rafael Payare. He was an assistant to Daniel Barenboim at Berlin's Staatsoper unter den Linden. 'Given Barenboim's extremely exacting standards, I was impressed that he had that job and held onto that job," Koelsch said. 'And then I saw a performance of 'Tosca' and was kind of immediately struck by the elegance of the baton technique and just the sort of the absolute clarity of what he was conveying.' Hindoyan has been chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic since the 2021-22 season. He first conducted the LA Opera last November in Gounod's 'Roméo et Juliette.' 'There's a kind of a natural warmth and charisma to him. In my experience, he almost always coaxes the best out of people," Koelsch said. 'The 'Roméo' run for me was kind of a test run of how those qualities resonated inside our building, how it worked with the orchestra and the chorus and the administration and the audiences.'
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Domingo Hindoyan to become music director of LA Opera for 2026-27 season
NEW YORK (AP) — Domingo Hindoyan will succeed James Conlon as music director of the LA Opera and start a five-year contract on July 1, 2026. The appointment of the 45-year-old Venezuelan-Armenian, the husband of soprano Sonya Yoncheva, was announced Friday night. Conlon has been music director since 2006-07 and said in March 2024 that he will retire after after the 2025-26 season. 'LA is a city that is known by innovation, taking risks in productions and musically,' Hindoyan said in New York, where his wife is currently singing at the Metropolitan Opera. 'The idea is to do new pieces, commissions and modern pieces, something to really have a balance between what is classic and go further as much as we can.' Hindoyan will conduct two productions in 2026-27 and three in each of the following four seasons, LA Opera President Christopher Koelsch said. Koelsch hopes Hindoyan can lead works with Yoncheva, who has not sung a staged production at the LA Opera. Like other companies, the LA Opera has struggled with increased costs following the pandemic and scrapped a planned pair of world premieres over finances. Tenor and conductor Plácido Domingo was a key figure in fundraising for the company as general director from 2003-19. 'Part of my job as a music director and the job of any musician is to really take care of the art form as much as we can,' Hindoyan said, 'not only on stage, not only studying at home (but also) the connection with the community and the connection to the donors.' Hindoyan was born in Caracas, played violin and is a product of El Sistema, the Venezuelan music education system that was instrumental in the careers of Gustavo Dudamel and Rafael Payare. He was an assistant to Daniel Barenboim at Berlin's Staatsoper unter den Linden. 'Given Barenboim's extremely exacting standards, I was impressed that he had that job and held onto that job,' Koelsch said. 'And then I saw a performance of 'Tosca' and was kind of immediately struck by the elegance of the baton technique and just the sort of the absolute clarity of what he was conveying.' Hindoyan has been chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic since the 2021-22 season. He first conducted the LA Opera last November in Gounod's 'Roméo et Juliette.' 'There's a kind of a natural warmth and charisma to him. In my experience, he almost always coaxes the best out of people,' Koelsch said. 'The 'Roméo' run for me was kind of a test run of how those qualities resonated inside our building, how it worked with the orchestra and the chorus and the administration and the audiences.'
Scottish Sun
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside wild 90s F1 parties from driver downing so much vodka ‘he almost died' to Schumacher tearing his shirt off
Friends of Schumacher said he cut a different figure after a race - and 'there are some stories that you couldn't print' IN THE FAST LANE Inside wild 90s F1 parties from driver downing so much vodka 'he almost died' to Schumacher tearing his shirt off Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT IS a sport where fatal risks, extreme pressure and bitter rivalries are the norm. But off the track Formula One is a playboy's paradise decorated by yachts, supermodels and the millionaire high life. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Michael Schumacher celebrates with his race engineer Pat Symonds in Australia in November 1994 Credit: Alamy 5 Schumacher drinks a Koelsch beer at his anniversary party in the Mercedes GP motorhome at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near Spa, Belgium, 27 August 2011 Credit: Alamy So it's little wonder many drivers have been known to party at top speed. And The Sun can exclusively lift the lid on the hellraising sessions that took place in the 90s, a wild era for the sport. Ex-Red Bull boss Richard Hopkins recalled a time Mercedes legend Mika Hakkinen drank a whole bottle of vodka after a race in the late 90s, which left him 'almost dead.' Hopkins, head of operations at Red Bull from 2013 to 2015, told The Sun: 'Hakkinen drank a bottle of vodka in one Sunday night. 'I was like Jesus Christ, I never knew. I thought he might have a little sip or a shot or something, but to down a bottle of vodka? 'He wouldn't turn up the next day, which was a Monday so that was fine, but he had some media stuff the next day and you'd find out he was extraordinarily hungover. 'It was in Germany I think during the '98 or '99 season, probably Hockenheimring, it was during his Mercedes days and they had a function after. 'It was with his wife. His wife at the time would lead him astray a little bit, but Mika didn't need a lot to lead him astray. 'He was another who never enjoyed the media and always came across as very reclusive, but he certainly wasn't. 'You got him outside the race track, even at the race track, and what you saw on TV and in an interview was someone who said very few words. Emotional moment Michael Schumacher's son and Sebastian Vettel pay tribute to stricken F1 legend 'But he was a great practical joker, a great comedian. Good fun. And still is amazing fun.' He added: 'Mika was almost dead! But in fairness there was evidence he could handle that. He's Finnish and they like their vodka, so I think he had some decent stamina. 'But he wasn't really standing by the end of it, put it that way. None of us would be.' Hopkins would enjoy regular coffees with Ferrari great Michael Schumacher from 1993, when he was a mechanic at McLaren and the German was driving for Benetton. Seven-time title winner Schumacher developed a fearsome reputation on the track as a ruthless operator who would stop at nothing to win races. But friends say the German cut a different figure after a race - and "there are some stories that you couldn't print". Hopkins, from the UK, says the German was easily swayed by teammate and party animal, Eddie Irvine. The Northern Irishman would lead celebrations after a race, particularly if his Ferrari side had been victorious. Hopkins added: 'I don't know if he and Eddie were good friends. They just partied together. 5 Schumacher at the Amber lounge F1 after party in Dubai in November 2009 Credit: Alamy 5 Schumacher cracking open a bottle of champagne in Austalia in 1994 Credit: Alamy 'But Eddie could lead anybody astray, bloody hell. 'If Eddie saw an opportunity, where if somebody's won a race or a championship, then he was going to be in among it and quite happily buying the champagne and the vodka.' Schumacher was well-known among drivers for a famous party trick, where he'd jump them and rip off his shirt. Asked about this, Hopkins said: 'That wouldn't surprise me. I think they all needed to let their hair down at some point. 'Even Ayrton Senna and a lot of these guys, they let their hair down very well. There are some stories that you couldn't print. 'I've heard Schumacher partied on Bernie Ecclestone's rooftop. A lot of drivers are like coiled up springs, right? They spend the season coiling up and getting tense with everything. 'Schumacher, even though he was quite robotic and Germanic, allowed himself time to unwind. And Schumacher, for sure, did unwind. 'I can't tell you specifics of things I've seen. There were some good moments at a log cabin at Suzuka, which was renowned on a Sunday night. Lots of championships were won there, lots of parties were had there. 'There were a couple of years where I remember Schumacher and Irvine having quite a good time together. But I can't say more…' Christian Danner, the first Formula One driver disqualified for dangerous driving, also has memories of Schumacher letting loose. Danner, now a commentator on German TV, says Schumacher would love a cigar and a Bacardi and coke. What happened to Michael Schumacher? MICHAEL Schumacher's life was hanging by a thread 12 years ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash that left him with horrific brain injuries. The F1 legend was given the best possible treatment as he was put into a medically induced coma, had his body temperature lowered and underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain. Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel. Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow. He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations. At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed. At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered. But the coma ended up lasting 250 days - more than eight months. After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment. Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status. Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him. In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system. Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain. Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be "conscious", although few other details were given about his state. Bernie Ecclestone's motorhome was a known hotspot for drivers to get together for a party, he added. The ex-Arrows star told The Sun: 'Michael's way of partying was that he usually went to Bernie Ecclestone's private motorhome, had his friends there and drank a lot of Bacardi and Coca-Cola, and that was it. 'It wasn't, as far as I was concerned, partying, but the content of these kind of parties for him consisted of Bacardi and Coca-Cola, and that was all. 'He was back on his feet on Monday and kept on pushing, absolutely, but everybody did that. 'All the good drivers, all the champions did that.' Danner added: 'Ecclestone's home was a neutral territory. The paddock then was quite different. 'There were a lot of animosities between the teams, Williams and Ferrari for instance, there were a lot of bad vibes. 'But Ecclestone's motorhome was a place to meet casually. Not in Ecclestone's motorhome, he had his bus and that was for politics and business. 'It was a place for a chat, 'have you seen this' or whatever. It was a kind of trading place for gossip and for a nice coffee and a Bacardi and coke, for Schumacher.' He added: 'Schumacher loved a cigar, yes. 'But personally whenever someone is smoking a cigar, I'm leaving the room.' Schumacher suffered serious brain injuries in a devastating skiing accident in 2013. He has not been seen since and his family have not disclosed his condition.
The Irish Sun
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside wild 90s F1 parties from driver downing so much vodka ‘he almost died' to Schumacher tearing his shirt off
IT IS a sport where fatal risks, extreme pressure and bitter rivalries are the norm. But off the track Formula One is a playboy's paradise decorated by yachts, supermodels and the millionaire high life. Advertisement 5 Michael Schumacher celebrates with his race engineer Pat Symonds in Australia in November 1994 Credit: Alamy 5 Schumacher drinks a Koelsch beer at his anniversary party in the Mercedes GP motorhome at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near Spa, Belgium, 27 August 2011 Credit: Alamy So it's little wonder many drivers have been known to party at top speed. And The Sun can exclusively lift the lid on the hellraising sessions that took place in the 90s, a wild era for the sport. Ex-Red Bull boss Richard Hopkins recalled a time Mercedes legend Mika Hakkinen drank a whole bottle of vodka after a race in the late 90s, which left him 'almost dead.' Hopkins, head of operations at Red Bull from 2013 to 2015, told The Sun: 'Hakkinen drank a bottle of vodka in one Sunday night. Advertisement More on Schumacher 'I was like Jesus Christ, I never knew. I thought he might have a little sip or a shot or something, but to down a bottle of vodka? 'He wouldn't turn up the next day, which was a Monday so that was fine, but he had some media stuff the next day and you'd find out he was extraordinarily hungover. 'It was in Germany I think during the '98 or '99 season, probably Hockenheimring, it was during his Mercedes days and they had a function after. 'It was with his wife. His wife at the time would lead him astray a little bit, but Mika didn't need a lot to lead him astray. Advertisement Most read in Motorsport 'He was another who never enjoyed the media and always came across as very reclusive, but he certainly wasn't. 'You got him outside the race track, even at the race track, and what you saw on TV and in an interview was someone who said very few words. Emotional moment Michael Schumacher's son and Sebastian Vettel pay tribute to stricken F1 legend 'But he was a great practical joker, a great comedian. Good fun. And still is amazing fun.' He added: 'Mika was almost dead! But in fairness there was evidence he could handle that. He's Finnish and they like their vodka, so I think he had some decent stamina. Advertisement 'But he wasn't really standing by the end of it, put it that way. None of us would be.' Hopkins would enjoy regular coffees with Ferrari great Seven-time title winner Schumacher developed a fearsome reputation on the track as a ruthless operator who would stop at nothing to win races. But friends say the German cut a different figure after a race - and "there are some stories that you couldn't print". Advertisement Hopkins, from the UK, says the German was easily swayed by teammate and party animal, The Northern Irishman would lead celebrations after a race, particularly if his Ferrari side had been victorious. Hopkins added: 'I don't know if he and Eddie were good friends. They just partied together. 5 Schumacher at the Amber lounge F1 after party in Dubai in November 2009 Credit: Alamy Advertisement 5 Schumacher cracking open a bottle of champagne in Austalia in 1994 Credit: Alamy 'But Eddie could lead anybody astray, bloody hell. 'If Eddie saw an opportunity, where if somebody's won a race or a championship, then he was going to be in among it and quite happily buying the champagne and the vodka.' Schumacher was well-known among drivers for a famous party trick, where he'd jump them and rip off his shirt. Advertisement Asked about this, Hopkins said: 'That wouldn't surprise me. I think they all needed to let their hair down at some point. 'Even Ayrton Senna and a lot of these guys, they let their hair down very well. There are some stories that you couldn't print. 'I've heard Schumacher partied on Bernie Ecclestone's rooftop. A lot of drivers are like coiled up springs, right? They spend the season coiling up and getting tense with everything. 'Schumacher, even though he was quite robotic and Germanic, allowed himself time to unwind. And Schumacher, for sure, did unwind. Advertisement 'I can't tell you specifics of things I've seen. There were some good moments at a log cabin at Suzuka, which was renowned on a Sunday night. Lots of championships were won there, lots of parties were had there. 'There were a couple of years where I remember Schumacher and Irvine having quite a good time together. But I can't say more…' Christian Danner, the first Formula One driver disqualified for dangerous driving, also has memories of Schumacher letting loose. Danner, now a commentator on German TV, says Schumacher would love a cigar and a Bacardi and coke. Advertisement What happened to Michael Schumacher? MICHAEL Schumacher's life was hanging by a thread 12 years ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash that left him with horrific brain injuries. The F1 legend was given the best possible treatment as he was put into a medically induced coma, had his body temperature lowered and underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain. Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed. At the time, medics said But the coma ended up lasting 250 days - more than eight months. After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment. Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status. Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but In 2019, it was said that Renowned Following Bernie Ecclestone's motorhome was a known hotspot for drivers to get together for a party, he added. The ex-Arrows star told The Sun: 'Michael's way of partying was that he usually went to Bernie Ecclestone's private motorhome, had his friends there and drank a lot of Bacardi and Coca-Cola, and that was it. 'It wasn't, as far as I was concerned, partying, but the content of these kind of parties for him consisted of Bacardi and Coca-Cola, and that was all. 'He was back on his feet on Monday and kept on pushing, absolutely, but everybody did that. Advertisement 'All the good drivers, all the champions did that.' Danner added: 'Ecclestone's home was a neutral territory. The paddock then was quite different. 'There were a lot of animosities between the teams, Williams and Ferrari for instance, there were a lot of bad vibes. 'But Ecclestone's motorhome was a place to meet casually. Not in Ecclestone's motorhome, he had his bus and that was for politics and business. Advertisement 'It was a place for a chat, 'have you seen this' or whatever. It was a kind of trading place for gossip and for a nice coffee and a Bacardi and coke, for Schumacher.' He added: 'Schumacher loved a cigar, yes. 'But personally whenever someone is smoking a cigar, I'm leaving the room.' Schumacher suffered serious brain injuries in a devastating skiing accident in 2013. Advertisement He has not been seen since and his family have not disclosed his condition. 5
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LA Opera drops Missy Mazzoli's `Lincoln in the Bardo,' which will premiere at New York's Met
The Los Angeles Opera dropped a contemplated world premiere for the second straight season in a cost-cutting move, and Missy Mazzoli's 'Lincoln in the Bardo' will instead open at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Adapted from George Saunders' 2017 novel and with a libretto by Royce Vavrek, 'Lincoln' was to debut in Los Angeles in February 2026, Saunders said last October. But it was not included when the LA Opera announced its 2025-26 season on Tuesday, 'With rising expenses, it's harder for us to manage the manifestation of all of our potential dreams,' LA Opera president Christopher Koelsch said. 'It's a wonderful project and I think it will be very impactful when it gets to the Met. What Missy and Royce have done in adapting something that is essentially unadaptable is really miraculous, a very beautiful and very moving piece.' Saunders' novel, about the death of President Abraham Lincoln's son William Wallace Lincoln, takes place between life and rebirth. Mason Bates' 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay' was to have premiered in LA last October but was left off the schedule and instead given a test run with a student cast at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in November. It is planned to open the Met's 2025-26 season on Sept. 21. The Met announced it 2018 it had commissioned 'Lincoln' and by 2023 said the work would be seen first in LA. It will now debut in October 2026 at the Met. Koelsch, managing his company's return following the coronavirus pandemic, said he had never fully committed to 'Lincoln' and decided last fall LA couldn't afford it. Revenue was $46.8 million in 2023-24, up from $40.8 million in 2022-23 but down from $47.1 million in 2021-22. 'Expense and income ratios for the next season were coming more into focus,' he said. Met general manager Peter Gelb said an additional workshop of 'Lincoln' will be scheduled to make up for the loss of the LA dates. It will be the Met's 32nd world premiere. LA Opera's 2025 productions James Conlon will conduct three of LA's five main stage productions at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in his final season as music director, ending a 20-year run. He leads Francesca Zambello's staging of Bernstein's 'West Side Story,' first seen at the Houston Grand Opera in 2018, to open the season on Sept. 20. Conlon then conducts a revival of Lee Blakeley's 2013 staging of Verdi's 'Falstaff' starting April 18, 2026, and Barrie Kosky's 2012 staging of Mozart's 'Die Zauberflöte' from Berlin's Komische Oper opening May 30. The season also includes revivals of Herbert Ross' 1993 staging of Puccini's 'La Bohème' and Philip Glass' 'Akhnaten' in a Phelim McDermott production first seen at the English National Opera in 2016. 'A victory lap for James,' Koelsch said. 'He has been music director for over half of the organization's history. The musical priorities of the company and its musical maturity and the sound of the orchestra and chorus are a creation of his expertise and imagination.' The five main-stage productions match 2024-25, down from six in the prior two seasons and a high of 10 in 2006-07. LA will present two world premieres at smaller venues: Sarah Kirkland Snider's 'Hildegard,' based the writings of Benedictine abbess Hildegard of Bingen, at The Wallis in Beverly Hills from Nov. 5-9, and Carla Lucero's 'The Tower of Babel,' a new community opera that Conlon will conduct at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on May 8 and 9. Koelsch hopes to hire Conlon's successor ahead of the 2026-27 season. Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
