VAN Magazine • An independent, online classical music magazine

A View from Emptiness

The problem of meaning in Lachenmann’s “Gran Torso”

by Kyle Bijan Rosen February 5, 2026February 5, 2026

Optimistic Nihilism

Olga Neuwirth and Elfriede Jelinek’s “Monster’s Paradise,” reviewed at the bar

by Kevin Ng and Jeffrey Arlo Brown February 5, 2026

Emails Raise Questions About Conductor’s Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

Emails released on Friday appear to show Frédéric Chaslin in contact with the financier and sex offender

by Jeffrey Arlo Brown, Hartmut Welscher and Hugh Morris February 1, 2026February 5, 2026

Interview

What Ebbs Away

An interview with composer Donnacha Dennehy

by Jeffrey Arlo Brown August 31, 2023September 14, 2023

Essay

I Tried 5 Composers’ (Ridiculous) Daily Routines

A working week of wacky habits

by Zack Ferriday April 29, 2021January 31, 2022

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Conductors behaving badly

Report

Under The Mask

The conductor Rebecca Bryant Novak complained about an inappropriate comment by her professor at Eastman. What followed was a bureaucratic nightmare.

by Jeffrey Arlo Brown November 20, 2025November 21, 2025

Breaking

Report Raises Allegations of Sexual Misconduct Against François-Xavier Roth

The French investigative magazine “Le Canard enchaîné” accuses the conductor of workplace impropriety

by Merle Krafeld, Hartmut Welscher and Jeffrey Arlo Brown May 22, 2024June 3, 2024

Report

The Maestro’s ATM

Alexei Navalny’s team investigates the finances of Valery Gergiev

by Anna Tarassova April 14, 2022August 8, 2024

Report

The Titan’s Shadow

Daniel Barenboim is a great musician and humanist. So why are so many people afraid of him?

by Jeffrey Arlo Brown and Hartmut Welscher February 6, 2019May 29, 2025

Report

Munich 1997

The First, Failed Investigation into James Levine

by Jeffrey Arlo Brown and Dr. Judith Valerie Engel March 8, 2018September 19, 2023

History

Bernardino Molinari’s Fifth Season

How did a conductor with links to Mussolini end up as de facto music director of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra?

by Phil Hebblethwaite May 15, 2025May 19, 2025

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Snapshot of the Week

Sunwook Kim with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe

For the first time, pianist Sunwook Kim, who impresses with his sensitivity, brilliance and stylistic confidence, will lead the democratically organised Chamber Orchestra of Europe as a soloist directly from the piano. Following their first successful collaboration in 2022, they will now go on tour together again and present all of Beethoven’s piano concertos in twelve concerts, five concerts each in Europe and South Korea as well as two concerts in the UK, complemented by works by contemporary composers such as Anna Clyne and Helen Grime.

The two concerts in the UK mark the orchestra’s return to the UK stage after almost eight years (they last performed at the Proms in 2017). The Chamber Orchestra of Europe is one of the finest ensembles of its kind. It was founded in 1981 and has its administrative headquarter in London.

The tour closing concert in London takes place on Saturday, 12 April 2025 at the Barbican Centre, London, with Beethoven piano concertos No. 3 and 4 paired with Anna Clyne’s Beethoven-inspired work Stride and Beethoven’s Rondino for winds.

The tour is made possible through the generous support of Hyundai Motor. (Photo © Lukas Zwiessele)

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Video of the Week

Participate to Early Music Day!

On 21 March 2025, music lovers around the globe will unite to celebrate Early Music Day, a vibrant tribute to over a thousand years of musical heritage. This annual event is organised by REMA – the European Early Music Network.

The ambassador of Early Music Day 2025 is Franziska Fleischanderl. A pioneer in the revival of the baroque salterio, she has redefined the instrument’s place in historical performance. Her innovative work, which combines musicology, artistic research and historical interpretation, has earned her international acclaim.

Participate to Early Music Day!