Naval Base North Island is on a list of bases being visited by a new commission investigating military suicides. Some San Diego County farmers are fighting their water district over who must pay to keep water flowing to crops. San Diego’s Commission on the Status of Women is being revived after two decades.
Conductor Yves Abel arrived in San Diego from Europe a few days ago to begin rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet by French composer Charles Gounod. The Maestro does get around a lot, even for an internationally in-demand musician. His wife and boys five and eight sometimes travel with him when he conducts but remain at home in Italy this time.
Perhaps Abel’s wanderlust began in childhood. His family immigrated from France to French-speaking Quebec when he was young. His father couldn’t find work there, so it was off to English-speaking Toronto where he spent most of his formative years. Next stop New York City for study at the Mannes School of Music, and after New York frequent work in Italy, then Germany. Abel’s travel has resulted in fluency in French, English, Italian and German.
The leadership team at Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced that Matthew Ozawa will join the company in a newly created senior position: Chief Artistic Administration Officer. Ozawa returns to Lyric, having served as Interim Head of Lyric Unlimited, the company’s learning and creative engagement division.