Founding Director of Singapore's Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM), Dr Steven Baxter, passed away on 5 July 2010.

According to a tribute on the National University of Singapore's website:

'News of his passing was received with great sadness by those who knew Dr Baxter and who had worked with him at NUS. Building a conservatory from scratch in a country with no extensive history of classical music was a mammoth task and Dr Baxter came highly recommended as the man who could do the job. Under his leadership, the Conservatory grew dramatically from its first intake of over 70 students to a full school with 185 students in just a span of a few years. Operating initially from a two-storey interim building with no performance facilities of its own, the Singapore Conservatory of Music, which was renamed as the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in 2003, came to have its own iconic building on the NUS campus, complete with state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and performing music.'

Dr Baxter was YSTCM’s Director from 2002 to 2005, having previously been Dean of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, John Hopkins University. He was also one of the Board of Directors of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (2003 to 2004), member of the NUS Council (2002 to 2005) and member of Arts Education Council (2002-2005).

Conductor Gudni A. Emilsson from Iceland returned to Vietnam to conduct classical concerts at the Hanoi Opera House on 18 and 19 June 2010.

According to Thanh Nien News, award-winning German pianist Wolfgang Glemser, also an international music lecturer, played with Emilsson as he conducted the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra.

Wolfgang Glemser

Co-organised by the Vietnam Goethe Institute and the German Foreign Ministry to mark 'German Year in Vietnam', the programme featured Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor Op. 37 by Ludvig van Beethoven and Symphony No. 4 in E minor Op. 98 by Johannes Brahms.

Prisoners at the Philippines' maximum security penitentiary in Muntinlupa City gave their first public concert on Tuesday 8 June 2010.

According to Teresa Cerojano of Associated Press, the 100-member Bureau of Corrections Grand Orchestra and Chorale at the New Bilibid Prison played Broadway pieces and love songs in the local Tagalog language to prison officials,  relatives and members of the media. A soloist sang New York, New York as women inmates in top hats and coat-tails danced.

Prison officials and organisers said the project was part of efforts to showcase the musical talents of inmates and help prepare them for release.

Bureau of Corrections Director Oscar Calderon said he hopes to reform inmates through music and 'remove their criminal minds, soften up their feelings'.

Warren Zingapan, an inmate who organised the performance, said that, because music transcends barriers, the symphony and chorale members feel that even while they are physically detained, their music can go beyond the walls of the facility. 'Just by that alone... it is as if they are free.'

The First Korea Opera Festival has kicked off in Seoul with the Korea National Opera's rendition of Orfeo ed Euridice.

The inaugural festival aims to introduce the country's top opera ensembles and bring the genre closer to the general public. It will run until 7 July 2010 at Seoul Arts Centre.

Organized by the Korea National Opera and the Opera Society of Korea, the festival features the KNO and four troupes chosen from the 85 that are part of the Opera Society:

• Gloria Opera Ensemble
• Sol'Opera
• Seoul Opera Ensemble
• Beseto Opera

The KNO opened the festivities with Orfeo ed Euridice which was staged in Seoul Art Centre's Towol Theatre. Counter tenors David Dong-qyu Lee and Stephen Wallace shared the lead role of Orfeo while soprano Park Mi-ja played Euridice.

Other productions include:

• Rigoletto by the Gloria Opera Company
• Aida by Sol'Opera 
• La Traviata by The Seoul Opera Ensemble 
• Carmen by Beseto Opera

Tickets cost from 30,000 to 250,000 won. For more information, call (02) 580-1300.

Over the course of the conference, speakers included:

• Daniel Ek, CEO and co-founder of Spotify
• Neil Warnock, CEO of the The Agency Group
• Bill Silva, CEO of Bill Silva Entertainment
• Omniphone Group Executive Chairman, Rob Lewis
• Sire Records founder and CEO, Seymour Stein
• Nettwerk Records CEO, Terry McBride
• Rani Cohen, CEO of TuneWiki
• Scarlett Li of Zebra Media

The conference was a productive one for Mongolian band Altan Urag. Invited to perform as the opening act of Music Matters, the six-piece was so impressive that they have signed to performing rights association BMI for their worldwide performing rights representation. Altan Urag consists of six graduates of the Music and Dance College of Mongolia. Formed in 2002 and with seven albums to date, the group is sponsored by coal mining company South Gobi Resources whose CEO Alexander Molyneux said: 'We are delighted to see Altan Urag sign its first international agreement with BMI thanks to the networking opportunities at Music Matters.'

Music Matters 2010 culminated in the inaugural Music Matters Live with H&M Festival featuring 37 bands from 12 countries playing five venues in Hong Kong's Lan Kwai Fong district.

The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra has named Chinese musician Muhai Tang as its chief conductor for the 2010-11 season.

Tang, who is the youngest son of celebrated Chinese film director Xiaodan Tang and brother of painter and poet Muli Tang, also serves as the artistic director of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and Zurich Chamber Orchestra as well as first guest conductor at Hamburg Symphony Orchestra.

The following people were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday 2010 Australian Honours List for their contributions to musical life in Australia.

AMADIO, Leonard Lyof
Officer of the Order of Australia
Rushcutters Bay NSW 2011
Citation: For distinguished service to the performing arts, particularly the Australian Youth Orchestra through executive, advisory and mentoring roles and through contributions to the establishment of the Alumni program.

BENDER, Lin
Member of the Order of Australia
Victoria
Citation: For service to arts administration through executive roles with a range of cultural organisations, and to the music community of Melbourne.

BLYTH, Peta Sheridan
Medal of the Order of Australia
Delungra NSW 2403
Citation: For service to the performing arts, particularly opera.

EMMANUEL, William Thomas
Member of the Order of Australia
Citation: For service to the music and entertainment industries as a guitarist, and to the community as a supporter of Kids Under Cover.

EVANS, Sandy
Medal of the Order of Australia
South Curl Curl NSW 2096
Citation: For service to Australian contemporary jazz music as a composer and musician.

FORREST, Jill Mary
Member of the Order of Australia
Wahroonga NSW 2076
Citation: For service to medicine as an academic, researcher and educator, and to music as a composer and carillon recitalist.

GRAY, Judith Claire
Medal of the Order of Australia
Kurrajong NSW 2758
Citation: For service to the community through music, sporting and emergency service organisations.   

HANNA, Joan
Medal of the Order of Australia
Kialla Vic 3631
Citation: For service to music, particularly through Sing Australia Shepparton.
            
HARMAN, Henry Ernest
Medal of the Order of Australia
Kanwal NSW 2259
Citation: For service to the performing arts as a jazz musician and as a mentor of emerging artists.

LOCKETT, David Robert
Member of the Order of Australia
Athelstone SA 5076
Citation: For service to music as a concert pianist, educator and researcher, and as an advocate and supporter of Australian music and composers.
       
PALMER, George Alfred
Member of the Order of Australia
Sydney NSW 2000
Citation: For service to the law as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and to music as a composer and through leadership roles with a range of cultural bodies.
                  
PEARSON, Phyllis Marjorie
Medal of the Order of Australia
Nambucca Heads NSW 2448
Citation: For service to music, and to the community of the Nambucca region

REES, Philip Ivan
Medal of the Order of Australia
Wyong NSW 2259
Citation: For service to music through the Central Coast Philharmonia Choir.

THREADGOLD, Cheryl Elizabeth
Medal of the Order of Australia
Black RockVic 3193
Citation: For service to the performing arts, particularly through the Mordialloc Light Opera Company, and to the community.

WATERS, Noel Robert
Medal of the Order of Australia
Carindale Qld 4152
Citation: For service to music as an administrator, and to the community.

WOOD, Cecily Mary
Medal of the Order of Australia
SA
Citation: For service to music, and to the Society of Recorder Players of South Australia.

The success of UK music teaching scheme Musical Futures has spread to Australia where Dr Michael Webb of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music has introduced the scheme into the Conservatorium's initial teacher training programme. 

Musical Futures is being developed in Australia with part-funding from NAMM in California and education departments in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

Download Dr Webb's report outlining the trial implementation of the Musical Futures' programme here.

Chinese pianist Lang Lang has performed Flight of the Bumble Bee using just an iPad.

At a concert on 19 April 2010 at San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall, the concert pianist walked onstage with an iPad for the first of three encores.

To watch YouTube footage of the performance, click here.

The ARChive of Contemporary Music (ARC) has announced the launch of Muslim World Music Day, an innovative new project to catalogue and celebrate the diversity of Muslim music.

In collaboration with Columbia University Libraries and the Arts Initiative at Columbia University and with the support of founding partners Gracenote, the Internet Archive and ARC will lead a live online effort to identify and catalogue 50,000 recordings from around the world in a single day: April 12, 2011. Columbia University's Middle East Research Centre in Amman, Jordan will act as the 'hub', providing the technical expertise and hosting the interactive website. There will also be a series of live concerts around the world to celebrate the diversity, beauty and cultural importance of Muslim music.

According to Bob George of the ARChive of Contemporary Music:

'The diverse musical forms inspired by Islam are sacred and secular, traditional and contemporary, locally rooted and globally mobile. Muslim World Music Day will embrace and share a broad understanding of 'Muslim music', acknowledging the debates about the issue within Muslim communities while exploring the musical connections between Islam and other cultural traditions. From the ecstatic Sufi traditions of qawwali and gnawa to the raucous sounds of taqwacore punk and the flourishing Muslim hip-hop scene, this heritage transcends borders and bias.'

The Muslim World Music Day team is inviting organisations and individuals interested in supporting and participating in the project to contact ARC. 

According to Middle East Online, a deal signed by Algeria with China on 14 April 2010 will pave the way for the construction of a new Opera House in Ouled Fayet at a cost of more than $30 million.

Algerian Culture Minister Khalida Toumi said:

'This big cultural project [...] is a gift from the Chinese government to Algeria', explaining that it was decided on during a visit to China by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in November 2006.

Construction of the Opera House in the western suburb of Ouled Fayet is due to start before the end of 2010, a Chinese embassy official said.

'The passing of the Digital Economy Act in the UK recognises that if a country is to have world-class creative industries, then it also needs laws that will effectively protect their rights from the crippling problem of digital piracy.

'The new UK legislation is a decisive step towards dealing with P2P and other forms of illegal distribution in a way that can substantially reduce the problem. Most importantly, it recognises that effectively addressing piracy needs active co-operation from internet service providers in helping curb infringements on their networks.

'The move by the UK creates momentum for the graduated response approach to tackling piracy internationally. Governments increasingly understand that, in the digital economy, creative industries like music, film, books and games can drive growth and jobs for many years to come if they are provided with the right legal environment and with a modern system of enforcement in which ISPs actively cooperate.

'The UK has today joined the ranks of those countries who have taken decisive and well-considered steps to address the issue. We hope this will prompt more focus and urgency for similar measures in other countries where debate is underway.'

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) which represents around 1,400 major and independent record companies worldwide, Recording Industry Singapore Pte Ltd (RIPS) is reminding retailers across Singapore that the sale of counterfeit CDs parallel imported from China is an offence.

The warning follows a series of police raids on retailers and a warehouse containing counterfeit CDs. The raids were prompted by a complaint lodged by RIPS.

'We have noted that some retailers have become increasingly bold in openly selling pirated music CDs originating from China as parallel imports, in spite of warnings by RIPS," says Richard Lim, Chairman of RIPS and Managing Director of Warner Music Singapore Pte Ltd.

Counterfeit CDs bear many tell-tale signs that they are infringing, such as typographical errors, track listings that do not correspond with the original album release and incorrect music publishing details.

'The police raids were certainly necessary to underscore the need for retailers to ensure they source legitimate CDs and also served to protect consumers by ensuring they are being sold genuine products,' adds Barbara Wong, General Manager of RIPS.

The CDs were, in many instances, being sold at prices comparable to legitimate albums and some customers may have been duped into believing they were buying genuine product.

The raids were undertaken by officers from the Intellectual Property Rights branch of the Criminal Investigation Department on 14 April 2010 in an island-wide sweep, covering retailers in Chinatown, Toa Payoh Central and Clementi. A warehouse was also raided and more than 3,000 pirate CDs were seized in total.

Retailers found guilty of selling infringing music can face a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to $10,000 for each counterfeit CD under Singapore’s Copyright Act.

Richard Lim adds: "The music industry in Singapore has seen a tremendous amount of consolidation in recent years as music labels and major retailers have been challenged by piracy, both online and also from the sale of pirated products. Criminal enforcement is necessary in Singapore to combat these piracy problems.

“We applaud the Singapore Police in having taken action and we hope to continue to work with the authorities to keep music piracy in check, so we can ensure a vibrant environment for the music industry to once again thrive in Singapore."

Ngwe Toe sings in the Thangyat style. Photo: Courtesy of Zin Naing/Andrew Buncombe

According to Human Rights for Musicians website Freemuse, a new album of satire, poetry and music produced by Burmese activists living in exile in India is being aired around the world, smuggled into Burma and can even be heard secretly on radios there.

'In songs and verse, singers and poets attack mismanagement of the country’s economy, human rights abuses and the Myanmar regime’s manoeuvres to avoid relinquishing power' wrote Lawi Weng in The Irrawaddy.

In an article in The Independent, headlined Burmese music: Sound of the underground, journalist Andrew Buncombe described his meeting with a group of exiled musicians in Delhi:

'Communities of exiled Burmese around the world put together their own collections of protest songs, which are sold on CDs and even broadcast back into Burma where residents listen secretly on their radios', he wrote.

An estimated 6,000 Burmese exiles live in India's capital, Delhi. In the west of Delhi, Buncombe interviewed Zin Naing, who escaped to India from Burma after the 1988 uprising and who has assisted in producing a new CD album with recordings of traditional Burmese protest songs with a modern twist. Entitled Gaining Victory for Us and Defeat for Them, it is a new collection of songs, music and poetry. The genre is called Thangyat and in Burmese tradition, these kinds of songs and skits have typically been an expression of local grievances.

'Now, inside Burma, Thangyat is not allowed, so ours has become one of the only ones that people can get. We produce it on CD as well as cassettes which are smuggled into Burma,' Zin Naing said.

Last year, pro-democracy activists produced a Thangyat album entitled Let's go to prison to conquer, paying tribute to the defiance of Burma’s political prisoners.

In 2008, the 2007 monk-led demonstrations were the focus of a Thangyat album entitled Phone Phone Cha Hma Lone Lone Ya Mae (Monks! Fight for Absolute Success).

The Burmese exiles who put together the new protest album remain confident that change can come. A song performed by Ngwe Toe, the 40-year-old lead singer of the group, says that the monks will lead the transformation. The last lines of the song, sung as call and response, are translated into English in The Independent article:

If the monks unite  - the military becomes afraid
If the monks unite - the religion will be glowing
If the monks take to the front lines - we will escape from poverty
If the monks speak the truth - they will speak to the whole world

To read Andrew Buncombe's complete article, please click here.

According to Jeunesses Musicales International, applications for the Euroasia Symphony Orchestra have been extended until Monday 19 April 2010.

The Orchestra gives highly talented young people in the European Union and most Asian countries the opportunity to work with master musicians. It aims to bring people together to bridge their cultural, linguistic and social differences through the enthusiasm they share for making music. The project is set to see over 100 musicians from 40-45 different countries join after an audition process.

The next Orchestra session will take place from 5-14 August 2010 in Seoul (South Korea), followed by a concert tour of up to eight days.

Places are open to young musicians over 18 years of age who are registered as students in a recognised music institution.

For full details, please click here.

A music label based in Zibo, Shandong, plans to give the 1.3 billion people who reside in China access to independent artists from around the world.

Cowbell China, launched by Australian company Cowbell Digital Music, provides instantly available music to the Chinese people through one of their largest mobile providers which has over 800 million users. Cowbell China also offers direct links to their music store through a partnership with a major Chinese website that receives up to 4 million hits per month.

"Music can often take weeks or even months going through a strenuous government censoring process before it reaches people in China," noted Andy Browne, Chief Operations Officer of Cowbell Digital Music. "With Cowbell China, we have been able to speed up the process in order to give the people our music immediately."

"This is a major opportunity," explained Shayne Locke, CEO of Cowbell Digital Music. "Major Western-based social media platforms are seriously restricted when it comes to China. We are the first Western independent label to be presented to the Chinese through a fully government-sanctioned media."

With this exciting advance, Cowbell China is hoping to get more independent labels and artists to the music fans of China, whose numbers represent over a fifth of the world's population. Creating a partnership with China's prevalent record label, TR Music, Cowbell China is also able to offer physical distribution and touring options for the artists who gain popularity within China.

"We want artists and labels to contact us and express their interest," noted Shayne. "We will evaluate each artist/label and if we think they will be accepted by the post-monitoring process of the Chinese government, then we will consider offering them a distribution placement. We are preparing our artists and their music for our official launch to coincide with the Chinese New Year celebrations on 14 February 2010. We welcome all artists and labels to contact us if they are interested in distribution."

The Niseko Winter Music Festival (15-17 January 2010) started as the brainchild of Artistic Director Richard Tognetti to showcase the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s unique performance style in Japan.

Richard Tognetti. Photo: Courtesy of Garry Heery

Richard Tognetti said: “Classical music is very popular in Japan. We wanted to build on the success of recent tours there to create an annual festival bringing together Australian and Japanese musicians and audiences. In Japan, they still don’t quite believe that great classical music can come from Australia. Like wine, they expect it to come from Europe.”

Recognised internationally as an innovative festival director, Tognetti is building creative connections with local musicians. The Australian Chamber Orchestra were joined at the Festival by the exhilarating Youtei Taiko Serve Association taiko drummers and one of the world’s greatest harp players, Naoko Yoshino. Highlights included Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4, music by tango master Astor Piazzolla and traditional Taiko drumming.

Koryu Taiko Drummers

Austrade’s Arts Industry Team Leader John Odgers congratulated the Australian Chamber Orchestra on their success and said that Creative Australia would provide a cross-regional marketing platform to promote music and other Australian creative industries in Japan and wider Asia.

“The ACO’s success in Japan is an excellent example of how Australian creative talent can win over audiences in the region. Japan is a sophisticated market. Consumers have money to spend on entertainment and will remain loyal followers when they see quality productions like the ACO. Niseko is also the perfect place to launch Creative Australia as nowhere else in Japan is the influence of Australian creativity and innovation more evident than in the Hokkaido ski resort."

Creative Australia was also promoted at the Korea International Arts Fair (18-22 September 2009) and in China at Shanghai International Creative Industries Week (15-21 October 2009).

Following the success of The Long Walk community music project in the UK and Hong Kong earlier in the year, renowned British composer, performer, teacher, producer and Artistic Director of More Music, Peter Moser, has begun a two-week tour of China and Hong Kong in which he plans to develop a major new project to coincide with Shanghai's EXPO 2010.

'Music is for Everyone' comprises a series of creative music-making activities tailored for teachers and students which introduce techniques that have been developing in the UK community music scene over the last 20 years. These techniques focus on the inclusive activity that allows everyone to have a part in the creative process and is becoming part of mainstream music delivery in UK schools.

Following 10 days in Shanghai, Peter will travel to Shantou to deliver a lecture and workshop at the Arts Education Centre at Shantou University before going to Hong Kong and Macau where he will deliver seminars and workshops for the British Council and other local organisations.

Peter's visit is funded by the British Council and is being hosted by Fringe Shanghai. Check out his blog here.

Director of Beez Network, Simon Ho, with Managing Director of Zone, Ian Clethero

Beez Network is keen to promote its School Management System for Tutorial, Music and Language Schools, SchoolTracs, and joins mezasia's UK Sponsor, Trinity Guildhall, as well as Online Partners, ABRSM, Hofnote, icanplayit, LSO, Gramercy Music and the JZ School.

Girls from Moira House Girls School in Eastbourne, Sussex, sang at St. John's Cathedral, Hong Kong last Sunday.

The 20-strong choir of boarders and day girls are on a Performing Arts Tour of Hong Kong and Dubai with Principal, Mrs Lesley Watson, Head of Music, Mr Peter Burge and other members of staff. The choir sang two anthems - including Litany to the Holy Spirit by Peter Hurford - during morning service as well as joining in with St John's own choir and congregation throughout.

Afterwards, the girls entertained churchgoers to some lively numbers around the piano during morning coffee, including a couple of instrumental pieces, before heading up to Hong Kong's Peak area to check out the view.