Soundbites
Hallé heroics
Congratulations to Delyana Lazarova, who has won the first ever Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition.
The Bulgarian (above) will now become assistant conductor at the Hallé for two years, working with music director Sir Mark Elder. Uniquely, the competition involved a stage in which participants were invited to analyse digital avatars of themselves, created from their movements on the podium.
Shades of play
After taking heavy flak online for making an unlikely fashion statement during a recital in Canada, Yuja Wang has explained on Facebook that ‘humiliating and deeply upsetting’ treatment at the hands of border officials was to blame. Arriving at Vancouver’s Chan Centre for the Performing Arts with her eyes ‘still visibly red and swollen from crying’ the pianist decided that ‘wearing sunglasses was the only way to prevent my distress from being seen’. Apologies soon followed on social media.
Welcome return
Police have recovered a number of medals that were stolen from Edward Elgar’s birthplace. The medals, which included
The Royal Victorian Order awarded to the English composer when he became a knight in 1904, disappeared from the museum at The Firs, Worcestershire, in June. A 41-yearold man has been charged with theft by Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Composers ready
The BBC is inviting talented 12-18 yearolds to enter its Young Composer 2020 Competition. The prestigious competition, previously called BBC Proms Inspire, has been run annually since 1998 and gives the winners the opportunity to have their work performed at next year’s BBC Proms. The closing date for entries is 11 June 2020, and full details of how to enter can be found at bbc.co.uk/youngcomposer.