NEWS: Cecilia Bartoli, Seoul Philharmonic cancel upcoming So. Cal. appearances

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Los Angeles Newspaper Group

Cancellations are the bane of concertgoers and (often) of presenters, as well. Sometimes reasonable reasons — illness, injury — are among the causes. Recently we have seen a couple of singers cancel because they’ve decided — belatedly — that the role doesn’t fit their voice or long-term plans.

Unfortunately, two recent cancellations would seem to go beyond the pale.

Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli has cancelled her recitals on March 21 and 26 at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica and on March 23 at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. The thoroughly useless, albeit mysterious, reason given by the presenting company was “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

Ticketholders for The Broad Stage recitals will be notified by box office and will receive credit towards future performances or a refund. For more information, contact The Broad Stage box office at 310/434-3200, Mondays through Fridays, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Ticketholders for the Segerstrom Hall recital will be notified by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s Patron Services Department to receive credit towards future performances or a refund. For more information, contact the Philharmonic Society at 949/553-2422, Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, The Seoul Philharmonic has cancelled its April tour to the United States that was going to include a stop at Walt Disney Concert Hall on April 15. The reason given by the L.A. Philharmonic was “due to a recent and significant cut in tour funding from the City of Seoul.”

However, Norman Lebrecht — in his Blog, “Slipped Disc” — reports that the reasons are far more nefarious, beginning with the dismissal of the orchestra’s Chief Executive Officer Park Hyun-jun, on grounds of sexual harassment. You can read his reports HERE and HERE (on the first post follow the embedded links for more information).

The tour from April 14-24, which was to bring Music Director Myung Whun Chung back to the city where he was once assistant conductor of the LAPO, had also planned stops in Santa Barbara, Davis, San Francisco, Seattle, Ann Arbor and Chicago.

Tickets will be refunded using the original payment method, says the LAPO. For further details or questions, call 323/850.2000 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
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(c) Copyright 2015, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.

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