The weekend’s state elections in Germany were much discussed at and around the AGS conference. Annette Dittert  unpacks the details and discusses the implications in conversation with Alex Andreou in this excellent special edition of Quiet Riot open.spotify.com/episode/20Sjem…

I’ve always had a soft spot for “Finlandia” ever since it was the first piece I played before a paying public (with Thornleigh Brass Band in a packed Victoria Hall in Bolton) but I swear if I had a pound for every time I’ve heard it on Radio 3 I might have retired years ago.

.German at Leeds

“Germany still has the biggest firewall of all: the East-West divide.” As ever ⁦James Hawes⁩ is well worth a read ⁦German at Leeds⁩ theguardian.com/world/article/…

The weather broke today here in #Berlin with incessant rain but the skies finally cleared by dusk

Today’s gym podcast is well worth a share, interesting insights and analysis from Daniel Bessner. The Bunker open.spotify.com/episode/4KDiz3…

Today’s gym podcast — and such lucid analysis by the estimable Alex Andreou on the late shift

Just back from a tremendous concert by the Berlin Phil & Kirill Petrenko. Wolfgang Rihm, Germany’s most performed contemporary composer, was due to be composer-in-residence for the 24/25 season but his death at the end of July meant that the concert was dedicated to his memory.

🎶 #Upbeat: an introduction to this week's concert with principal horn Stephan Dohr - take a closer look at IN-SCHRIFT by the late Wolfgang Rihm, Composer in Residence of the 2024/25 season. Watch now for free: digitalconcerthall.com/interview/5562…

Good to see there’s now a civic plaque to recognise David #Bowie’s time in #Berlin #Schöneberg - but perhaps the less said about the wrong-era, erm, sculpture the better - germanstleeds

.⁦German at Leeds⁩

Gill Hayes BBC Proms Leeds International Piano Competition Alexandra Dariescu YouTube medici.tv highlights of the semis on Classical Live each afternoon this week and the finals on Saturday BBC Radio 3 Live, free coverage of every single note @youtube (search Leeds International Piano Competition) and medici.tv

Such a pleasure to witness the wonderful performances of two of the eventual Leeds International Piano Competition finalists this evening in the Great Hall University of Leeds — Junyan Chen and Julian Trevelyan. Best of luck to all the remaining competitors!

Enjoyed seeing the concerto finals Leeds International Piano Competition get off to a strong start this evening. Can’t be there in person this year but enjoyed the medici.tv coverage fronted by Petroc Trelawny

Really enjoying Jay Rayner on #privatepassions: his engaging tales and musical choices and, not least, hearing about his time University of Leeds and his big break into journalism as sabbatical editor of the student newspaper.

The head of Brandenburg's projected election winner SPD calls the results of the far-right AfD "alarming." The work for an open, tolerant Brandenburg continues after the elections, he says.

Two days to go until Kafka In Mind, a conversation on Kafka’s work related to Mind and Mental Illnesses, chaired by Prof of Psychiatry Prof. Kamaldeep Bhui CBE with speakers including Ian Ellison of Oxford Kafka eventbrite.co.uk/e/kafka-in-min… Oxford Modern Languages #oxfordkafka2024 #franzkafka