Latest news with #Elektra
TECHx
a day ago
- Automotive
- TECHx
ENOC Group Hosts Global Distributors Meet in Thailand
Home » Smart Sectors » Energy » ENOC Group Hosts Global Distributors Meet in Thailand ENOC Group, an integrated global energy player, announced the successful conclusion of its 9th Lubricants Global Distributors Meet. The event took place in Thailand and brought together more than 25 international distributors. According to ENOC Group, the meeting aimed to strengthen its commitment to continuous innovation and expanding its global footprint. First-time participation was recorded from markets including Thailand, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Jordan, Congo. This was reported as a sign of the Group's growing international presence and market penetration. During the event, ENOC Group revealed the launch of Elektra , a new range of fluids developed specifically for electric and hybrid vehicles. This move aligns with market forecasts indicating that the global electric vehicle fluids market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 28.6% between 2024 and 2030. Additionally, ENOC introduced three new petrol engine oils that meet the latest API SP specifications. The Group also showcased its redesigned lubricant packaging, which was first launched at Automechanika Dubai last year. His Excellency Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO of ENOC, stated that hosting the event in Southeast Asia allowed the company to engage distributors from high-growth markets and align on global trends. He added that the introduction of Elektra reflects ENOC Group's strategic response to the increasing demand for electric vehicles. ENOC Group currently exports lubricants to over 60 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates two production facilities in the UAE with a combined annual capacity of more than 300,000 tons. ENOC Group expands presence with new distributor markets Elektra EV fluids introduced to support rising EV demand The 9th Lubricants Global Distributors Meet underlines ENOC Group's long-term strategy to grow its global distribution network while adapting to shifts in the mobility and energy sectors.
San Francisco Chronicle
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Nina Stemme says farewell to Isolde after 126 performances
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nina Stemme tilted back her head after the final notes of her 126th and last Isolde performance, and her eyes filled with tears. She was hugged by tenor Stuart Skelton and mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill as the audience in Marian Anderson Hall stood and applauded Sunday evening. A few days earlier, Stemme thought back to April 2000, when Glyndebourne Festival general director Nicholas Snowman and opera director Nikolaus Lehnhoff walked into her dressing room in Antwerp, Belgium, asking her to sing in the English company's first-ever performance of Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde." 'I really did think they were joking,' she recalled. 'My colleague, Christopher Ventris, said, 'No. No. They're not joking. You have to be careful.'" Stemme went home to Sweden, considered the offer with vocal coach Richard Trimborn and made her Isolde debut on May 19, 2003, at the Glyndebourne Festival with Robert Gambill as Tristan and Jiří Bělohlávek conducting. She chose to sing her final two Isoldes 22 years later with the Philadelphia Orchestra and music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who conducted the opera for the first time on June 1 and coaxed a luminous rendition from a premier orchestra at its peak. 'I'm 62 now. I gave it to my 60s to sing these big roles and now I've dropped Elektra and Brünnhilde, and Isolde is the last daughter on stage that I'm singing," Stemme said. "I decided this years ago. This is how it works and every year that I was able to sing Isolde feels like a bonus and a privilege.' Stemme was friends with Birgit Nilsson, one of the greatest Isoldes and Brünnhildes, who died in 2005 at age 87. 'I was on the verge to go down to her in south Sweden to study Isolde but of course me as a young singer with little kids at home, I never felt ready," Stemme said. 'At that time when we got to know each other, I was singing mostly a lyric repertoire.' Skelton sang with Stemme in Wagner's 'Der Fliegende Holländer' at the Vienna State Opera in 2004 and his Tristan was paired with Stemme's Isolde in New York, Munich and Naples, Italy. 'It's as radiant now as it was when I first heard her sing it in Glyndebourne way back in the day,' he said. 'No one knew really who Nina Stemme was to a certain extent. Certainly I don't think anyone was ready for what she brought to Isolde even then.' A conductor learning from the singer Nézet-Séguin first worked with Stemme in a performance of Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007, didn't collaborate again until performances of Strauss' 'Die Frau ohne Schatten' at the Met last fall. 'The breadth of her experience with the role is just guiding all of us, me, but also the orchestra, who is playing it for the first time in understanding the flow of the piece, understanding their shades and the colors, and that is invaluable," Nézet-Séguin said of Stemme's Isolde. "It was wonderful for me to benefit from it." Singers were on a platform above and behind the orchestra, with LED lights below setting a mood: red in the first act, dark blue in the second and light blue in the third. Stemme wore a dark gown in the first and third acts and a shimmering silver dress in the second, while Skelton, baritone Brian Mulligan (Kurwenal), bass Tareq Nazmi (King Marke) and tenor Freddie Ballentine (Melot) were largely in black, and Cargill (Brangäne) in a lighter-colored costume. Showing sets and complicated directions weren't necessary, she conveyed Isolde's emptions with her eyes, smiles and nods. During the great second-act love duet, Stemme and Skelton clinked water canisters. 'Twenty-two years ago I could act the young princess that was in love or hated her love for Tristan,' she said. 'I have other colors to my voice now and I'm older so of course this interpretation will change. I feel more at home in the middle range and with age, of course, the top notes are not as gleaming as they used to be, but I can make up for that in other ways hopefully — on a good day.' Stemme's future schedule includes less-taxing roles, such as Klytämnestra in Strauss' 'Elektra' and Waltraute in Wagner's 'Götterdämmerung.' She leaves behind an outstanding recording of her Isolde, made from November 2004 through January 2005 at London's Abbey Road Studios with tenor Plácido Domingo and conductor Antonio Pappano. Lise Davidsen makes her Isolde debut next year Anticipation is building for the next great Isolde. Lise Davidsen is scheduled to make her role debut on Jan. 12 at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu and then open a new production at New York's Metropolitan Opera on March 9 with Nézet-Séguin. 'She said how happy she is to in a way symbolically pass this role, pass it on to her, in a way through me,' Nézet-Séguin said of Stemme. 'That is almost like a torch that has been carried.' 'At heart," she said, "I'm still Madama Butterfly or Mimì.'
Winnipeg Free Press
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Nina Stemme says farewell to Isolde after 126 performances
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nina Stemme tilted back her head after the final notes of her 126th and last Isolde performance, and her eyes filled with tears. She was hugged by tenor Stuart Skelton and mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill as the audience in Marian Anderson Hall stood and applauded Sunday evening. A few days earlier, Stemme thought back to April 2000, when Glyndebourne Festival general director Nicholas Snowman and opera director Nikolaus Lehnhoff walked into her dressing room in Antwerp, Belgium, asking her to sing in the English company's first-ever performance of Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde.' 'I really did think they were joking,' she recalled. 'My colleague, Christopher Ventris, said, 'No. No. They're not joking. You have to be careful.'' Stemme went home to Sweden, considered the offer with vocal coach Richard Trimborn and made her Isolde debut on May 19, 2003, at the Glyndebourne Festival with Robert Gambill as Tristan and Jiří Bělohlávek conducting. She chose to sing her final two Isoldes 22 years later with the Philadelphia Orchestra and music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who conducted the opera for the first time on June 1 and coaxed a luminous rendition from a premier orchestra at its peak. 'I'm 62 now. I gave it to my 60s to sing these big roles and now I've dropped Elektra and Brünnhilde, and Isolde is the last daughter on stage that I'm singing,' Stemme said. 'I decided this years ago. This is how it works and every year that I was able to sing Isolde feels like a bonus and a privilege.' Connection to Birgit Nilsson Stemme was friends with Birgit Nilsson, one of the greatest Isoldes and Brünnhildes, who died in 2005 at age 87. 'I was on the verge to go down to her in south Sweden to study Isolde but of course me as a young singer with little kids at home, I never felt ready,' Stemme said. 'At that time when we got to know each other, I was singing mostly a lyric repertoire.' Skelton sang with Stemme in Wagner's 'Der Fliegende Holländer' at the Vienna State Opera in 2004 and his Tristan was paired with Stemme's Isolde in New York, Munich and Naples, Italy. 'It's as radiant now as it was when I first heard her sing it in Glyndebourne way back in the day,' he said. 'No one knew really who Nina Stemme was to a certain extent. Certainly I don't think anyone was ready for what she brought to Isolde even then.' A conductor learning from the singer Nézet-Séguin first worked with Stemme in a performance of Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007, didn't collaborate again until performances of Strauss' 'Die Frau ohne Schatten' at the Met last fall. 'The breadth of her experience with the role is just guiding all of us, me, but also the orchestra, who is playing it for the first time in understanding the flow of the piece, understanding their shades and the colors, and that is invaluable,' Nézet-Séguin said of Stemme's Isolde. 'It was wonderful for me to benefit from it.' Singers were on a platform above and behind the orchestra, with LED lights below setting a mood: red in the first act, dark blue in the second and light blue in the third. Stemme wore a dark gown in the first and third acts and a shimmering silver dress in the second, while Skelton, baritone Brian Mulligan (Kurwenal), bass Tareq Nazmi (King Marke) and tenor Freddie Ballentine (Melot) were largely in black, and Cargill (Brangäne) in a lighter-colored costume. Showing sets and complicated directions weren't necessary, she conveyed Isolde's emptions with her eyes, smiles and nods. During the great second-act love duet, Stemme and Skelton clinked water canisters. 'Twenty-two years ago I could act the young princess that was in love or hated her love for Tristan,' she said. 'I have other colors to my voice now and I'm older so of course this interpretation will change. I feel more at home in the middle range and with age, of course, the top notes are not as gleaming as they used to be, but I can make up for that in other ways hopefully — on a good day.' Stemme's future schedule includes less-taxing roles, such as Klytämnestra in Strauss' 'Elektra' and Waltraute in Wagner's 'Götterdämmerung.' She leaves behind an outstanding recording of her Isolde, made from November 2004 through January 2005 at London's Abbey Road Studios with tenor Plácido Domingo and conductor Antonio Pappano. Lise Davidsen makes her Isolde debut next year Anticipation is building for the next great Isolde. Lise Davidsen is scheduled to make her role debut on Jan. 12 at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu and then open a new production at New York's Metropolitan Opera on March 9 with Nézet-Séguin. 'She said how happy she is to in a way symbolically pass this role, pass it on to her, in a way through me,' Nézet-Séguin said of Stemme. 'That is almost like a torch that has been carried.' After all those Isoldes, Stemme feels more a Puccini heroine than a Wagnerian star. 'At heart,' she said, 'I'm still Madama Butterfly or Mimì.'
The Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Tracy Chapman revisits debut record; gives vinyl reissue audio uplift
TERMS such as 'classic', 'groundbreaking' and 'evergreen' are often bandied about but in the case of Tracy Chapman's eponymous debut album, all those plaudits and probably more apply. It is with good reason as well. It was truly a phenomenal piece of work which the singer-songwriter struggled to live up to with later albums, conceding she had a lifetime's worth of experiences to draw from for that debut record. It sold six million (physical) copies in the US alone and 20 million worldwide, meaning she never has to work again despite lacklustre sales of her later albums. But what a debut it was. Released in 1988 on the Elektra imprint, the album sold by the truck loads as music lovers everywhere fell head over heels in love with Chapman's impassioned delivery of tunes that told of escaping poverty, domestic strife and hard times. Originally recorded in the span of eight weeks at producer David Kershenbaum's studio – Powertrax – Chapman's songs caught everyone by surprise as it began to dominate radio at a time when glam rock and synth pop ruled the airwaves. This was no Madonna- or Richard Marx-type bubble gum pop. This was serious music – sincere, authentic and exceptionally produced. Though the songs were crafted as solo pieces accompanied just by an acoustic guitar, the producer set about putting together a crack band to bring these fantastic tunes to life. Boy, did these ace musicians, which included bassist Larry Klein and percussionist Paulinho da Costa, flesh out the sound with their contributions. Given the confessional nature of the songs, an unobtrusive sound was required and the assembled musicians really did do justice to these poetic gems. Which brings us to the recently released vinyl reissue, which was a close collaboration between the singer and the original producer. And what a magnificent job they have done. Every instrument on every single track has been elevated to new heights and this is not just pushing up the 'loudness' button. Each is carefully measured and inserted to allow the song to carry its emotional weight without sounding bombastic. Highlights of this exceptional 35th anniversary edition include For My Lover and Baby Can I Hold You. The bass tone on the former is just to die for while the latter is heavenly in its smoothness. Praise alone will not do this 180g vinyl edition justice. The CD version simply pales in comparison. Released on April 4, it has taken some time to reach local music emporiums but it is finally here. Most are retailing it above RM200 but one particular shop in Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya – The Groove – has sealed copies going for a very reasonable RM145. Grab it while stocks last as this is pretty much as good as it gets without stepping into silly money audiophile territory.
The Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Tracy Chapman's reissue of classic debut sounds astounding
TERMS such as 'classic', 'groundbreaking' and 'evergreen' are often bandied about but in the case of Tracy Chapman's eponymous debut album, all those plaudits and probably more apply. It is with good reason as well. It was truly a phenomenal piece of work which the singer-songwriter struggled to live up to with later albums, conceding she had a lifetime's worth of experiences to draw from for that debut record. It sold six million (physical) copies in the US alone and 20 million worldwide, meaning she never has to work again despite lacklustre sales of her later albums. But what a debut it was. Released in 1988 on the Elektra imprint, the album sold by the truck loads as music lovers everywhere fell head over heels in love with Chapman's impassioned delivery of tunes that told of escaping poverty, domestic strife and hard times. Originally recorded in the span of eight weeks at producer David Kershenbaum's studio – Powertrax – Chapman's songs caught everyone by surprise as it began to dominate radio at a time when glam rock and synth pop ruled the airwaves. This was no Madonna- or Richard Marx-type bubble gum pop. This was serious music – sincere, authentic and exceptionally produced. Though the songs were crafted as solo pieces accompanied just by an acoustic guitar, the producer set about putting together a crack band to bring these fantastic tunes to life. Boy, did these ace musicians, which included bassist Larry Klein and percussionist Paulinho da Costa, flesh out the sound with their contributions. Given the confessional nature of the songs, an unobtrusive sound was required and the assembled musicians really did do justice to these poetic gems. Which brings us to the recently released vinyl reissue, which was a close collaboration between the singer and the original producer. And what a magnificent job they have done. Every instrument on every single track has been elevated to new heights and this is not just pushing up the 'loudness' button. Each is carefully measured and inserted to allow the song to carry its emotional weight without sounding bombastic. Highlights of this exceptional 35th anniversary edition include For My Lover and Baby Can I Hold You. The bass tone on the former is just to die for while the latter is heavenly in its smoothness. Praise alone will not do this 180g vinyl edition justice. The CD version simply pales in comparison. Released on April 4, it has taken some time to reach local music emporiums but it is finally here. Most are retailing it above RM200 but one particular shop in Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya – The Groove – has sealed copies going for a very reasonable RM145. Grab it while stocks last as this is pretty much as good as it gets without stepping into silly money audiophile territory.
