The young Italian lyric tenor Davide Giusti is receiving great acclaim as Rodolfo in the new production of La Bohème at the Theater Basel, staged by Daniel Kramer:

The poet Rodolfo is sung by the Italian tenor Davide Giusti. His performance as an actor in body language, facial expressions and gestures is only surpassed by his voice. His interpretation of Rodolfo is convincing in every respect. From the tender "Che gelida manina" to the outcry in the fourth act, one can feel his devotion to Puccini's work. One can also say that the singer Davide Giusti is the poet Rodolfo, this role lives! His intonation and diction are beyond any doubt. Der Openfreund, Peter Heuberger, 15.12.2019

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Maestro John Axelrod, Principal Guest Conductor of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, conducts two concerts on January 18 and 19 at Kyoto Concert Hall. 

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The young pianist Philipp Kopachevsky debuts in Torino on Sunday, January 12, at Teatro Vittoria. Program: Schumann, Liszt e Chopin. 

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Maestro Stanislav Kochanovsky debuts on the podium of Dresdner Philharmonie on December 25 and 26. Program:
Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowski
Violin Concerto in D major (1878)
Sergei Rachmaninow
Symphony No. 2 in E minor (1907)

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“From the moving and intense tearing of the trumpets at the beginning of Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony, John Axelrod made the music breathe by leaning on a superb gradation of the sound planes, which was achieved favorably by the extraordinary orchestral forces . The American conductor knew how to balance the weight of the sections and also concentrated especially on highlighting the prominence of the bass strings. There were details throughout the symphony of his way of working. […] The orchestra responded with complete satisfaction, sounding with dazzling roundness and presence in all its sections. In the very delicate Andantino, for example, the bass strings (yes, again) became real velvet. The Scherzo sounded with the required lightness, with no trace of mannerism, and in the Finale, in which the fortissimo bursts were always under control, the tensions ended up being resolved in a dazzling display (similar to that of the first movement), with a pulse and dynamism that had something of a Furtwänglerian quality. On November 30th, John Axelrod officially ceased to be artistic director of the ROSS. It will be very difficult to find a replacement for his artistic stature.”

Diario de Sevilla, Pablo J. Vayón - 20 Diciembre, 2019