1995
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1 January 1995 The Bosnian ceasefire goes into effect.
Austria, Finland, and Sweden enter the European Community.
Fernando Henrique Silva Cardoso replaces Itamar Augusto Cautiero Franco as President of Brazil.
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade becomes the World Trade Organization.
Mercosur goes into effect. It is a common market between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
2 January 1995 Russian forces begin an assault on separatists in the Chechen capital Grozny. They are repulsed with heavy casualties.
Bosnian Croat leaders sign on to the cease-fire of 31 December.
3 January 1995 Chechen separatists repulse a second Russian attack on Grozny.
4 January 1995 The UN Security Council votes to send 6,000 more troops to Bosnia.
The One Hundred-and-fourth Congress of the United States convenes in Washington. The opposition Republican Party controls both houses.
6 January 1995 Concerto for percussion and orchestra by Joseph Schwantner (51) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
9 January 1995 Former East German head of state Egon Krenz and six other high officials are indicted in the deaths of Germans who attempted to flee to the west between 1961-1989.
16 January 1995 The Cry of Anubis for tuba and orchestra by Harrison Birtwistle (60) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
17 January 1995 An earthquake centered at Kobe, Japan kills 5,000 people and injures over 26,000. 100,000 buildings are destroyed leaving 300,000 people homeless. Over 1,000,000 are without water.
18 January 1995 Independent Lamberto Dini replaces Silvio Berlusconi as Prime Minister of Italy.
A second setting of Ins Offene... for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (42) is performed for the first time, in Santa Cruz, Canary Islands. See 22 September 1990.
19 January 1995 Russian forces capture the Presidential Palace in Grozny. President Yeltsin declares the Chechen war over.
Symphony no.2 for soprano and orchestra by Richard Wernick (61) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
20 January 1995 Simón Bolivar, an opera by Thea Musgrave (66) to her own words, is performed for the first time, in Norfolk, Virginia.
Media/Medium Suite for amplified cello and Yamaha Disklavier and tape by Tod Machover (40) is performed for the first time, in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, SanFrancisco.
22 January 1995 A bomb explodes in Nordiya, Israel killing 21 people including the two Arab terrorists. 65 people are injured. Responsibility for the killings is claimed by Islamic Jihad. In spite of the attack, Israel vows to continue the peace process with the Arabs.
24 January 1995 After capturing most of Grozny, Russian troops resume their offensive against Chechen separatists.
Former American football star OJ Simpson goes on trial in Los Angeles for murdering his wife and a family friend.
25 January 1995 Zhan Vasilev Videnov replaces Reneta Ivanova Indzhova as Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
26 January 1995 Armed clashes begin along the disputed border between Ecuador and Peru.
28 January 1995 The United States and Vietnam agree to exchange low-level diplomats.
Études aperçues for vibraphone and five cowbells by Betsy Jolas (68) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio France. See 26 March 1992.
Duets for orchestra by Joan Tower (56) is performed for the first time, in Ambassador Auditorium, Los Angeles.
30 January 1995 A car bomb explodes in Algiers killing 42 people and injuring 256. Blame is assumed to lie with Moslem fundamentalists opposed to the government.
250,000 Dutch residents are forced to flee their homes due to flooding. 40 people have been killed.
The United Nations Security Council authorizes the deployment of 6,000 peacekeepers to Haiti.
Three Women for narrator and piano by Ned Rorem (71) to words of Rhys, Hardwick, and Colette is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York. Also premiered is Robin Holloway’s (51) The Blackbird and the Snail op.81 for narrator and piano to words of de la Mare.
31 January 1995 US President Clinton authorizes and emergency loan of $20,000,000,000 to save the Mexican peso and stop Mexico from defaulting on its short term debt.
5 February 1995 Symphony no.3 by Philip Glass (58) is performed for the first time, in Künzelsau, Germany.
Music to Go for viola and cello by Betsy Jolas (68) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
6 February 1995 Vier Lieder nach Texten des Angelus Silesius for voice and piano by Paul Hindemith (†31) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Rundfunksendung Sudwestfunk II, 60 years after they were composed.
8 February 1995 President Dzhokhar Dudayev of Chechnya abandons Grozny with his military commanders.
Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing, is flown from Pakistan to New York to stand trial. He was captured in Pakistan yesterday.
The United Nations Security Council votes to send 7,000 peacekeepers to Angola to help enforce the peace treaty brokered last November to end the civil war.
10 February 1995 Strathclyde Concerto no.9 for woodwinds and strings by Peter Maxwell Davies (60) is performed for the first time, in City Halls, Gloucester, the composer conducting.
Five Poems for woodwind quintet by Karel Husa (73) is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, New York.
12 February 1995 Mexico’s ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party is dealt a severe electoral blow, losing almost all major races in the state of Jalisco to the National Action Party.
Song and Dance for tuba and piano by Leslie Bassett (72) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
13 February 1995 The war crimes tribunal in the Hague indicts 21 Serbs for crimes against humanity. Zeljko Meakic, who commanded a Serb concentration camp, is the first person indicted for genocide by an international court.
15 February 1995 Invocation for horn, timpani, and chimes by Shulamit Ran (45) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
16 February 1995 Israel agrees to allow Arabs from the West Bank and Gaza to work in Israel.
Invisible Irène for synthesized sounds by Jean-Claude Risset (56) is performed for the first time, in Durham, England.
Quatuor V for strings by Betsy Jolas (68) is performed for the first time, in the Opéra Bastille, Paris.
17 February 1995 Peru and Ecuador sign a truce in Brasilia to end their three-week border dispute.
Ghost Opera for string quartet and pipa, with stone, water, paper, and metal by Tan Dun (37) is performed for the first time, in Brooklyn.
18 February 1995 Darwin Marching for trumpet and orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (65) is performed for the first time, in the Northern Territory Parliament House, Darwin.
Music for flute, strings, and percussion by Sofia Gubaidulina (63) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
Dancetracks, for an Improvising Guitarist for electric guitar and tape by Paul Lansky (50) is performed for the first time, in London.
19 February 1995 Wind Octet by Isang Yun (77) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.
The Rose Lake for orchestra by Michael Tippett (90) is performed for the first time, in London.
21 February 1995 President Yeltsin of Russia institutes a ban on alcohol and tobacco advertising.
22 February 1995 After nine days of failed cease-fire agreements, Russian forces resume their offensive in Chechnya.
Moslem extremists stage a riot in an Algerian prison. 95 people are killed.
26 February 1995 After learning that its chief trader in Singapore lost £625,000,000 on unauthorized transactions, Barings PLC, Britain’s oldest merchant bank, declares bankruptcy.
The United States and China agree on measures to protect copyrights, especially for movies, compact discs, and software.
27 February 1995 A car bomb explodes in Zakho, Iraq killing 50 people. Rival Kurdish factions are suspected.
28 February 1995 Henryk Górecki (61) receives an honorary doctorate from Catholic University in Washington.
1 March 1995 Yevhen Kyrylovych Marchuk replaces Vitalii Andriyovych Masol as Prime Minister of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Wlademar Pawlak of Poland resigns after losing a vote of confidence.
The most famous television journalist in Russia, Vladislav Nikolayevich Listyev, is shot to death in Moscow, probably by organized crime. (the killer has never been brought to justice)
2 March 1995 Former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti is indicted in Palermo for having ties to the Mafia.
Nick Leeson, the man chiefly responsible for the collapse of Barings PLC, is arrested in Frankfurt.
3 March 1995 The last United Nations peacekeepers leave Somalia. Their positions are taken by competing Somali clans.
Tens of thousands of Russians pay last respects in Moscow to Vladislav Listyev, killed two days ago.
In an interview published today in Pagina 12, former Commander Adolfo Francisco Scilingo of the Argentine Navy claims that 1,500-2,000 leftists were thrown out of airplanes into the ocean by the military during the “dirty war” of the 1970s.
6 March 1995 The Russian military claims to have pushed all Chechen fighters out of Grozny.
Józef Oleksy replaces Waldemar Pawlak as Prime Minister of Poland.
Internationale Nederlanden Groep NV (ING) says it will buy most of Barings PLC for £1.
7 March 1995 Yasar Kemal, the most famous living Turkish author, is sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended, for criticizing government restrictions on freedom of speech.
The directors of Wellcome PLC advise its shareholders to accept the hostile takeover by Glaxo PLC amounting to £9,400,000,000. It will produce the largest pharmaceutical company in the world.
City Life for 17 players by Steve Reich (58) is performed for the first time, in the Arsenal de Metz.
8 March 1995 Costis Stefanopoulos replaces Konstantinos Karamanlis as President of Greece.
9 March 1995 The New York Times reports that a secret CIA document shows that 90% of the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia is being carried out by Serbs.
10 March 1995 Masked gunmen attack a mosque in Pakistan killing eleven and injuring 22.
11 March 1995 Heavy Metal Alice for brass quintet by David Del Tredici (57) is performed for the first time, in Detroit.
Tres Piezas Lindas for flute and guitar by William Bolcom (56) is performed for the first time, at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota.
12 March 1995 President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia agrees to allow UN peacekeepers to remain in Croatia.
Compass for piano and orchestra by Luciano Berio (69) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.
Vers une Symphonie fleuve for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm is performed for the first time, in Hamburg on the eve of the composer’s 43rd birthday.
13 March 1995 The Intercourse of Fire and Water for cello and orchestra by Tan Dun (37) is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.
16 March 1995 Akhmatova Songs for soprano and string quartet by John Tavener (51) is performed for the first time, in the Purcell Room, London.
17 March 1995 The French government announces plans to bailout Credit Lyonnais SA for the second time in a year. It is the largest financial institution in Europe.
President Bill Clinton meets with Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein at the White House.
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, a film with music by Philip Glass (58), is released in the United States.
19 March 1995 Parliamentary elections in Finland see strong gains for the Social Democratic Party largely at the expense of the Center Party.
20 March 1995 Members of the Aum Shinrikyo religious group release the nerve gas Sarin in the Tokyo subway during the morning rush hour. Twelve people are killed, 5,000 injured.
The truce in Bosnia ends as government forces launch an offensive against Serb positions on Mt. Vlasic and Mt. Majevica. The Serbs respond by shelling the UN safe areas of Sarajevo, Gorazde, and Tuzla.
Turkish forces enter Iraq to attack the Kurds.
22 March 1995 Japanese police raid the headquarters of Aum Shinrikyo and confiscate two tons of chemicals along with $7,000,000. The leaders of the group flee before police arrive.
Valery Vladimirovich Polyakov returns to Earth in Kazakhstan after 437 days in space, a new record.
25 March 1995 Appassionatamente for orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (68) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.
26 March 1995 The seven signers of the 1985 Schengen Accord, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, eliminate border controls between them, by the terms of the treaty.
27 March 1995 The German government announces plans to deregulate the telecommunications industry.
28 March 1995 Two Japanese banks announce they plan to merge, Mitsubishi Bank Ltd. and Bank of Tokyo Ltd. It would create the worlds largest bank, with assets of ¥72,000,000,000,000.
30 March 1995 Russian forces capture Gudermes, Chechnya.
Hoquetus Petrus for two flutes/piccolo and piccolo trumpet by Harrison Birtwistle (60) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Center, Chicago.
Esprit rude/Esprit doux II for flute, clarinet, and marimba by Elliott Carter (86) is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago. It was composed to honor Pierre Boulez (70) on his 70th birthday.
31 March 1995 Russian troops take Shali, the last Chechen city held by rebels. Fighting continues in the countryside.
6,000 UN peacekeepers officially take up positions in Haiti. Present at the ceremony are UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghalli and US President Bill Clinton.
Popular music entertainer Selena Quintanilla Pérez is shot to death in a motel in Corpus Christi, Texas by the founder of her fan club, Yolanda Saldívar.
2 April 1995 A bomb being assembled by Arab terrorists in Gaza explodes prematurely. Eight people are killed.
3 April 1995 The Beltane Fire, a choreographic poem for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (60), is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston, conducted by the composer.
5 April 1995 Tiit Vähi replaces Mart Laar as Prime Minister of Estonia.
9 April 1995 Two Arab terrorists kill ten people, including themselves, in bombings in the Gaza Strip. 45 people are injured.
Former US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara admits in his new book that he had been “wrong, terribly wrong” about Vietnam, and the US should have withdrawn by 1963.
10 April 1995 Summer for voice and piano by Györgi Ligeti (71) after Friedrich Hölderlin is performed for the first time, at the University of Oregon.
11 April 1995 UN officials sack Maj. General Alyeksandr Perelyakin of Russia as commander of UN forces around Vukovar. He has been aiding the movement of arms and fuel from Serbia to the Bosnian Serbs.
Plane-Song for string quartet and tape by Kevin Volans (45) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC2.
13 April 1995 Social Democrat Paavo Tapio Lipponen replaces Esko Tapani Aho of the Center Party as Prime Minister of Finland at the head of a broad five-party coalition.
14 April 1995 The United Nations Security Council votes to allow Iraq to sell oil to pay for its humanitarian needs.
Lament for Phaedra for cello and soprano by John Tavener (51) is performed for the first time, in Athens Concert Hall.
17 April 1995 In an article published today in the Australian newspaper, former Prime Minister John Gorton admits that his country should not have taken part in the Vietnam War. Gorton was Prime Minister of Australia from 1968-1971.
18 April 1995 Rwandan government troops begin dismantling refugee camps in southwest Rwanda, now home to 250,000 people.
19 April 1995 Tear gas is released by Koji Hara in a train at the main railroad station in Yokohama, Japan. 300 people are taken to hospitals. Hara’s motives remain unclear.
A bomb placed in a truck by anti-government terrorist Timothy McVeigh explodes outside the federal building in Oklahoma City. 169 people are killed, including 19 children, and 400 are injured. The blast creates a crater six meters wide and two-and-a-half meters deep and demolishes one entire side of the building. 200 other buildings are damaged causing a $500,000,000 loss.
20 April 1995 The ashes of Marie Curie are placed in the Pantheon in Paris. She is the first woman so honored.
blessed days of blue for flute, strings, mandolin, guitar, and harp by Jonathan Lloyd (46) is performed for the first time, at Malvern College, Malvern.
Family Tree: Musical Verses for Young People for narrator and orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (64) to words of Tanikawa is performed for the first time, in New York.
21 April 1995 At Tinker Air Force Base, Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh is formally charged in connection with the Oklahoma City bombing.
Turning Points for clarinet and string quartet by Joan Tower (56) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
22 April 1995 Rwandan government soldiers kill about 2,000 refugees who resist forced removal from camps in southwest Rwanda.
23 April 1995 Study for orchestra by Conlon Nancarrow (82) is performed for the first time, in the Juilliard Theatre, New York.
Evocation no.4 for violin, cello, piano, and percussion by Ralph Shapey (74) is performed for the first time, in Kathryn Bache Miller Theatre of Columbia University.
24 April 1995 A mail bomb sent by the Unabomber explodes, killing Gilbert Murray, President of the California Forestry Association.
A radio station in Charlevoix, Michigan suspends conservative commentator James “Bo” Gritz after he said on the air that the Oklahoma City bombing was a work of art.
Convicted felon and conservative radio talk show host G. Gordon Liddy advises listeners on how to shoot federal agents if their homes are raided.
25 April 1995 Russian President Yeltsin orders an end to the fighting in Chechnya.
Terry Nichols and James Nichols are charged with conspiracy with Timothy McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing.
26 April 1995 Turkish forces withdraw from Iraq after destroying Kurdish camps.
28 April 1995 Austria becomes the tenth member of the Schengen Group, eliminating border controls with other members.
World Wide Christian Radio of Nashville, Tennessee removes conservative commentator Mark Koernke after he suggested that the Oklahoma City bombing was the work of the government.
1 May 1995 The Croatian army launches an offensive against Serbs in Western Slavonia, capturing several towns.
The government of Maharashtra changes the name of Bombay to Mumbai.
A Prolific Source of Sorrow for chorus and flute by Samuel Adler (67) is performed for the first time, in Washington.
2 May 1995 Croatian Serbs fire rockets into the center of Zagreb. Six people are killed, 75 injured.
A Sinking Love for soprano and viol consort by Tan Dun (37) is performed for the first time, in London. See 16 May 1996.
3 May 1995 Schliemann, an opera by Betsy Jolas (68) to words of Bayen and the composer, is staged for the first time, in Lyon. See 4 April 1990.
4 May 1995 To Music for orchestra by John Corigliano (57) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.
5 May 1995 Carolísima for chamber orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (60) is performed publicly for the first time, in City Halls, Gloucester conducted by the composer. See 30 August 1994.
6 May 1995 Citing Iran’s nuclear weapons program and its sponsorship of terrorism, US President Clinton orders a complete embargo on all trade with Iran.
7 May 1995 In a run-off of the presidential election in France, conservative Jacques Chirac defeats Socialist Lionel Jospin.
Three Antiphons for chorus by John Tavener (51) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
Time in Tempest Everywhere for soprano, oboe, and chamber orchestra by Samuel Adler (67) is performed for the first time.
8 May 1995 Figment for cello by Elliott Carter (86) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Hall, New York.
9 May 1995 Epilog for soprano, female chorus, and five instruments by Isang Yun (77) is performed for the first time, in Suntory Hall, Tokyo. Also premiered is Yun’s Engel in Flammen for orchestra.
10 May 1995 Scientists from the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention find evidence of the Ebola virus in Zaire.
Former US President George Bush resigns as a life member of the National Rifle Association after receiving a fundraising letter referring to federal agents as “jackbooted Government thugs.”
11 May 1995 The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty is extended indefinitely by 174 countries at the UN in New York.
The World Health Organization confirms an outbreak of the Ebola virus in Kikwit, Zaire.
13 May 1995 Suite for cello and piano by Lou Harrison is performed for the first time, in All Saints Episcopal Church, Watsonville, California on the eve of the composer’s 78th birthday.
I Was Looking At the Ceiling And Then I Saw the Sky, a song play by John Adams (48) to words of Jordan, is performed for the first time, in Zellerbach Playhouse at the University of California, Berkeley the composer conducting. Also premiered is Wake-Up Music for orchestra by Tod Machover (41).
14 May 1995 President Carlos Menem wins reelection by voters in Argentina.
Vers une Symphonie fleuve II for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (43) is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.
16 May 1995 Shoko Ashihara, leader of the Aum Shinrikyo religious group, is arrested in Kamikuishiki in connection with the 20 March subway gas attack.
17 May 1995 Jacques René Chirac replaces François Mitterand as President of France. He appoints Alain Juppé as Prime Minister to replace Édouard Balladur.
20 May 1995 Ulysses Simpson Kay dies in Englewood, New Jersey of Parkinson’s disease, aged 78 years, four months, and 13 days.
Microsoft abandons its plan to buy Intuit, Inc. for $2,000,000,000 after the US Justice Department challenged the deal.
21 May 1995 The ruling center-left coalition of Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene retains its majority in national elections today.
A Piano Sonata in G by Aaron Copland (†4) is performed for the first time, in Washington, 74 years after it was composed.
22 May 1995 Israel suspends its plan to expropriate 54 hectares of land in East Jerusalem.
23 May 1995 Amid growing Serb attacks on the citizens of Sarajevo, Bosnian Serbs take 285 heavy weapons from the UN outside the city.
25 May 1995 NATO planes bomb a Serb weapons depot near Pale. In retaliation, the Bosnian Serbs shell all five UN safe areas. 71 civilians are killed in Tuzla.
Esu Variations for orchestra by Anthony Davis (44) is performed for the first time, in Atlanta.
26 May 1995 NATO planes once again bomb a Serb ammunition dump near Pale. In retaliation, the Bosnian Serbs take 13 UN peacekeepers hostage and chain them to the dump as human shields.
Gesualdo, an opera by Alfred Schnittke (60) to words of Bletschacher, is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Staatsoper.
27 May 1995 Serb shelling kills two UN (France) peacekeepers in Sarajevo.
28 May 1995 An earthquake on Sakhalin Island flattens the town of Neftegorsk killing 1,632 people.
Serbs at Cetingrad, Croatia shoot down a helicopter killing six people, including Bosnian Foreign Minister Irfan Ljubljankic.
Little Requiem for a Polka op.66 for piano and 13 instruments by Henryk Górecki (61) is performed for the first time, in New York, the composer at the piano.
30 May 1995 The Chilean Supreme Court upholds the convictions and sentences of General Manuel Contreras Sepúlveda and Brigadier General Pedro Espinoza Bravo for their roles in the murders of Orlando Letelier and Ronni Moffitt in 1976. They are the first members of the US-backed Pinochet dictatorship to face prison terms.
31 May 1995 Kazakhstan destroys the last nuclear weapons on its territory.
2 June 1995 A US plane is shot down by Serb SAMs over Banja Luka. The pilot ejects safely.
The Bosnian Serbs release 121 of their UN hostages.
6 June 1995 The high court of South Africa rules that the death penalty is inconsistent with the human rights clauses of the constitution.
8 June 1995 US forces rescue a pilot downed 2 June. He has evaded capture by Serbs since that time.
9 June 1995 An agreement between Russia and Ukraine ends tensions over the Black Sea Fleet. The fleet will be divided equally, but Ukraine will sell Russia 80% of its share.
Police arrest Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, leader of the Colombian drug cartel, in Cali.
11 June 1995 The Bosnian Serbs release 111 of their UN hostages.
Guinea holds its first multiparty legislative elections.
A bomb at a music festival in Cali kills 30 and injures 200. It is assumed to be in retaliation for yesterday’s arrest.
12 June 1995 Time and the Raven for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (60) is performed for the first time, in Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, conducted by the composer.
13 June 1995 Bosnian Serbs release all but 26 of the UN peacekeepers they are holding hostage.
14 June 1995 Armed Chechens attack Budyannovsk, 115 km north of the Chechen border. They take over a hospital and hold 2,000 patients and medical personnel hostage, demanding that Russian forces abandon Chechnya immediately.
15 June 1995 The Bosnian army launches an offensive to lift the siege of Sarajevo. The Serbs shell Sarajevo with weapons stolen from the UN.
Popular music entertainer Michael Jackson apologizes for lyrics in his song “They Don’t Care About Us” which are offensive to Jews.
Re-call for 23 instruments by Luciano Berio (69) is performed for the first time, in Paris. Also premiered is Berio’s Sequenza XII for bassoon.
17 June 1995 Russian troops twice storm the hospital in Budyannovsk held by Chechens, but manage to free only about 50 of the 2,000 hostages. The Chechens free another 150.
Vor, während, nach Zaide, comment on an opera by WA Mozart (†203) to a libretto by JD Schachtner, for chamber orchestra by Luciano Berio (69) to words of Arruga is performed for the first time, in Teatro della Pergola, Florence.
Helios a concerto for oboe and orchestra by Thea Musgrave (67) is performed for the first time, in Kirkwall, Orkney.
18 June 1995 After NATO agrees to abandon its plan to protect Sarajevo, the Bosnian Serbs release the last 26 UN peacekeepers they hold hostage. A Serb shell kills seven and injures 12 near Sarajevo.
...and a Time for Peace for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Richard Wernick (61) is performed for the first time, in Ravenna.
19 June 1995 The Chechens holding a hospital in Budyannovsk, Russia agree to free their hostages in return for a cease-fire and direct negotiations over the war in Chechnya. Journalists and members of parliament join the hostage-takers and 60 hostages on board buses and travel to Chechnya. All other hostages are released. In the last week of the hostage standoff, 140 people have been killed.
20 June 1995 Russian and Chechen negotiators agree to a three-day cease-fire. After reaching Chechnya, the Chechens release the last 123 hostages and flee.
Thaw for instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (60) is performed for the first time, in St. Magnus’ Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney conducted by the composer.
21 June 1995 A food convoy reaches Sarajevo for the first time in a month.
Calling Hélène by Betsy Jolas (68), an orchestral transcription of a scene from her opera Schliemann, is performed for the first time, in San Francisco. See 3 May 1995.
22 June 1995 Historia von D. Johann Faustein, an opera by Alfred Schnittke (60) to words of Morgener and the composer after Spies, is performed for the first time, in the Hamburg Staatsoper.
23 June 1995 Of Challenge and of Love, a cycle for voice and piano by Elliott Carter (86) to words of Hollander, is performed for the first time, in Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh.
24 June 1995 Violin Concerto no.2 “Metmorphoses” by Krzysztof Penderecki (61) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.
A Whitman Triptych for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by William Bolcom (57) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.
25 June 1995 Artist Christo presents his Wrapped Reichstag to the German government. The work consists of wrapping the Reichstag in Berlin with 15,500 meters of blue rope.
26 June 1995 Several gunman from Egyptian Islamic Jihad attempt to kill Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak while he passes the Palestinian embassy on his way to the OAU summit in Addis Ababa. Seven people are killed but Mubarak is not hurt.
27 June 1995 Spectral Canticle for violin, guitar and orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (64) is performed for the first time, in Kiel.
29 June 1995 The US space shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir. The combined 223 tons is the largest space vehicle yet seen, and the combination of ten crew members is the largest number of earth beings travelling together in space.
2 July 1995 The UN command in Sarajevo, and the US embassy, are hit by Serb mortar fire.
4 July 1995 Atlantis and Mir decouple.
Israel and the Palestine Authority agree that Israel will withdraw from Arab population centers and that elections will take place shortly thereafter.
6 July 1995 Bosnian Serb troops overrun three UN observation posts taking 30 Dutch peacekeepers hostage.
Two Etudes for double bass by Sofia Gubaidulina (63) are performed for the first time, in Lockenhaus, Austria.
7 July 1995 Simori for flute and guitar by Peter Sculthorpe (66) is performed for the first time, at the Northern Territory University, Darwin.
IN-SCHRIFT for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (43) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
9 July 1995 When the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior II passes into the 20 km exclusion zone around Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia, where nuclear testing is soon to resume, the ship is attacked and boarded by French naval vessels and commandos.
10 July 1995 Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is released from house arrest by the Myanmar dictatorship.
The French navy releases the crew of the Rainbow Warrior II and tows the ship outside the 20 km exclusion zone.
11 July 1995 NATO (United States, Netherlands) planes attack Serb positions but the attacks are halted after the Serbs threaten to kill their hostages.
Bosnian Serbs overrun the UN safe area of Srebrenica. Fearing they will be executed, thousands of Moslem men escape at night and attempt to reach friendly forces at Tuzla, about 55 km away.
A Milan court issues a warrant for the arrest of former Prime Minister Bettino Craxi, currently in exile in Tunisia.
Formal diplomatic relations are opened between the United States and Vietnam.
12 July 1995 Over the next two days, Serbs separate the citizens of Srebrenica by sex. Men and boys are killed, sometimes in gruesome fashion, while women and girls are raped. Over the next ten days, about 8,000 Moslem men will be murdered by Bosnian Serb troops near Srebrenica.
13 July 1995 Banharn Silpaarcha replaces Chuan Leekpai as Prime Minister of Thailand.
Toshihide Iguchi of Daiwa Banks writes a 30-page letter to the president of his bank, explaining that he lost $1,100,000,000 of Daiwa’s money in trading in US Treasury bonds. The leadership of Daiwa sets about to conceal the loss from the public and bank regulators.
Soliloquy for clarinet and string quartet by John Corigliano (57) is performed for the first time, in Portland, Oregon.
14 July 1995 Thousands of demonstrators surround French diplomatic missions in Australia and New Zealand to protest upcoming nuclear tests in Polynesia.
16 July 1995 The first refugees from Srebrenica reach the safety of Bosnian government territory.
President Jacques Chirac of France admits French complicity in the deportation of 76,000 Jews to German death camps during World War II.
17 July 1995 French Prime Minister Alain Juppe announces his government will sell off remaining interests in three large companies, including Renault, by the end of the year.
18 July 1995 Bosnian government troop surround 79 Ukrainian peacekeepers, threatening to use them as human shields if the UN does not halt the Serb advance on Zepa.
The US Senate begins hearings into the Whitewater affair.
Volcanic eruptions begin on Monterrat which will make most of the island uninhabitable.
20 July 1995 Serb forces begin a new offensive in the northwest towards Bihac.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announces the sale of 40% of his Gruppo Fininvest SpA media corporation.
21 July 1995 Serb forces release their 300 Dutch hostages.
Concerto for saxophone quartet and orchestra by Philip Glass (58) is performed for the first time, in Hasselburg, Germany.
24 July 1995 A bomb planted by an Arab terrorist explodes on a bus in a Tel Aviv suburb killing six people including the terrorist. Over 30 people are injured.
25 July 1995 Serb forces overrun the UN safe area of Zepa.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at The Hague indicts Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic and military leader Radko Mladic for crimes against humanity. 22 other Serbs are also indicted.
A bomb explodes on a commuter train in Paris. Seven people are killed, 80 injured.
26 July 1995 The European Commission approves the French government’s plan to bail out Credit Lyonnais.
28 July 1995 Croatian and Bosnian Croat forces take two towns and cut off Serb access to the Krajina Region of Croatia.
29 July 1995 In an interview published today in the New York Times, Senator Jesse Helms says that homosexuals who have AIDS got the disease through their own “deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct.” He adds, “We’ve got to have some common sense about a disease transmitted by people deliberately engaging in unnatural acts.”
30 July 1995 Russian and Chechen officials reach a partial agreement in Grozny to end the fighting.
31 July 1995 Russian officials announce their estimate that 1,800 Russian soldiers were killed in the Chechnya war, while 6,500 were wounded. They also estimate that 20,000 Russian and Chechen civilians were killed.
The Walt Disney Company announces that it will buy Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. for $19,000,000,000.
The Shires Suite by Michael Tippett (90), arranged for orchestra by Bowen, is performed for the first time, in City Hall, Newcastle. See 8 July 1970.
1 August 1995 After the French company Dassault Aviation is banned from bidding on a contract to supply jet fighters to Australia, France withdraws its ambassador from Canberra.
Westinghouse announces that it will buy the Columbia Broadcasting System for $5,000,000,000.
Tan Dun (37) enters upon duties as Associate Composer/Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
4 August 1995 Croatian government forces launch an offensive into the Krajina region of Croatia.
Rhapsody for cello and piano by Ralph Shapey (74) is performed for the first time, at Wellesley College, Massachusetts.
5 August 1995 Croatian troops capture Knin, the capital of Krajina.
7 August 1995 A bomb explodes at Independence Memorial Hall in Colombo, Sri Lanka, killing 22 people including the bomber, a Tamil separatist. 50 people are injured.
The Croatian offensive succeeds in capturing the Krajina region, simultaneously lifting the Serb siege of Bihac, Bosnia. 120,000 Serbs flee Krajina amidst reports of Croatian soldiers killing Serb civilians. Serb planes bomb four Croatian towns.
8 August 1995 Two daughters of Saddam Hussein, with their husbands, both high ranking military men, along with over twenty senior army officers, defect from Iraq to Jordan. They are all granted political asylum.
Three works are performed for the first time, in Gstaad, Switzerland: Darf ich... for violin, chime, and strings by Arvo Pärt (59), Duet for two violins and string ensemble by Steve Reich (58), and Song of the Angel for violin, soprano and strings by John Tavener (51).
10 August 1995 The United States releases satellite photographs showing mass graves in Serb-held areas near Srebrenica.
The German federal constitutional court rules that all crucifixes must be removed from public classrooms.
Committees of the United States Congress conclude their hearings into the Whitewater affair.
12 August 1995 Croatian forces attack Bosnian Serbs around Dubrovnik. Bosnian government forces launch an offensive against Serbs around Donji Vakuf.
14 August 1995 Thousands of Moslem and Croat refugees are expelled from Banja Luka. Serbs shell Dubrovnik again.
15 August 1995 Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama offers a “heartfelt apology” for Japan’s acts of “colonial rule and aggression” during World War II.
Several works are performed for the first time, in Stuttgart: Hör for chorus and orchestra by Luciano Berio (69) to words of Celan, Communio (Lux aeterna) for alto, children’s choir, chorus, and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (43), Lux Aeterna for chorus and orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (60), and Agnus Dei for Requiem of Reconciliation for four soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (61).
16 August 1995 Voters on Bermuda reject independence from Britain.
President Ernesto Samper Pizano of Colombia declares a 90-day state of emergency. He says it is to combat drug violence and paramilitary groups, but critics charge it is to deflect attention from charges he took drug money for his 1994 campaign.
Agnus Dei for Requiem of Reconciliation, for four soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (61) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.
17 August 1995 A bomb set by Moslem militants explodes near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. 17 people are injured.
A team of scientists from Kenya, Australia, and the US announce in Nature the discovery of the remains of the oldest bipedal human ancestor yet found. The fossils were found near Lake Turkana, Kenya and are about 4,000,000 years old. They call the species Australopithecus anamensis.
19 August 1995 Pierre Schaeffer dies at his home in Les Milles, near Aix-en-Provence, aged 85 years and five days.
21 August 1995 An Arab terrorist explodes a bomb on a bus in Jerusalem. Five people are killed including the terrorist. 100 people are injured. Hamas claims responsibility.
Zaire expels 3,500 Rwandan refugees from its territory. Thousands more flee refugee camps to avoid forced repatriation.
22 August 1995 As a result of Ethiopia’s first multi-party elections, Negasso Gidada becomes President. The name of the country is changed to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
23 August 1995 President Negasso Gidada of Ethiopia names Meles Zenawi as Prime Minister.
Three works for orchestra by Frederick Delius (†61) are performed for the first time, in Great Hall of Leeds University: Idylle de Printemps and La Quadroone, both composed in 1889, and Scherzo, composed in 1890.
24 August 1995 The World Health Organization declares the outbreak of Ebola virus in Zaire over. In three months, 244 people have died.
Violin Concerto by Jonathan Lloyd (46) is performed for the first time, in Aldeburgh.
25 August 1995 Present Laughter for chorus, two trumpets, french horn, trombone, and piano by Ned Rorem (71) to words of Shakespeare, Donne, King, and Blake is performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center, Washington.
26 August 1995 Notturno for string orchestra by Luciano Berio (69) is performed for the first time, in Lucerne. See 31 January 1994.
27 August 1995 Incidental music to Gooch’s play Persephone by Philip Glass (58) is performed for the first time, in the Ancient Stadium of Delphi in Greece.
28 August 1995 The first stock exchange in Mongolia begins trading in Ulaanbaatar.
38 people are killed and 86 injured when Serb mortar shells hit the central market and hospital in Sarajevo.
A series of bombs explode in Istanbul. Two people are killed, 40 injured. Nine bombs explode or are diffused over the last 24 hours. Two Islamic groups claim responsibility.
A merger is announced between Chase Manhattan and Chemical Banking Corp. The new company will have combined assets of $297,000,000,000.
29 August 1995 Georgian Head of State Eduard Shevardnadze signs a new constitution in Tbilisi. On the way to the ceremony, a bomb goes off near his motorcade, but he is only slightly injured.
30 August 1995 Over the next two days, NATO planes attack Serb positions throughout Bosnia in response to the events of 28 August. One French plane is shot down. NATO ground troops (United Kingdom-France-Netherlands) fire artillery rounds at Serb positions around Sarajevo. Serbs send mortar rounds into Sarajevo.
The Bosnian Serb leadership agrees that Slobodan Milosevic will represent them in any negotiations.
31 August 1995 Beant Singh, chief minister of Punjab state, and twelve other people are killed by a car bomb in Chandigar. Sikh separatists are suspected.
1 September 1995 A six-member interim ruling council is sworn in in Liberia in an attempt to end the civil war. About 150,000 Liberians have been killed since 1989.
French forces seize two Greenpeace ships to prevent them from protesting a nuclear test in French Polynesia.
3 September 1995 NATO gives the Bosnian Serbs an ultimatum to stop attacking the safe area of Sarajevo and withdraw from the 20 km exclusion zone around the city by 23:00 tomorrow.
Overture on a Nursery Rhyme op. 75a by Robin Holloway (51) is performed for the first time, in Arundel Cathedral.
4 September 1995 Kashmiri separatists explode a bomb in Srinagar. 13 people are killed, 25 injured.
5 September 1995 Taliban forces capture Herat from the Afghan government.
Their ultimatum unmet, NATO airstrikes and ground attacks resume against the Serbs.
France detonates a 20 kiloton nuclear bomb at Mururoa Atoll.
6 September 1995 A Parade for MTT for orchestra by Lou Harrison (78) is performed for the first time, in Davies Hall, San Francisco.
Opponents to the French nuclear test and independence advocates set fire to the main terminal at Tahiti International Airport. Protesters in The Hague try to block access to the French embassy while police in Vienna use tear gas to break up demonstrators attempting to attack the French embassy there. Chile and New Zealand recall their ambassadors from Paris.
7 September 1995 Moslem terrorists explode a car bomb near the Jewish School of Lyon, France. 14 people are injured.
French legionnaires are dispatched to Papeete, Tahiti to quell rioting against French nuclear testing.
Proverb for three sopranos, two tenors, two basses, and four synthesizers by Steve Reich (58) to words of Wittgenstein, is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.
Variations...beyond Pierrot, a sound-play for soprano, flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, hypermedia system, and computer music on tape by Larry Austin (64) is performed for the first time, in Eric Harvie Theatre, Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta, Canada simultaneously broadcast on CBC Radio.
8 September 1995 Bosnia, Croatia, and Yugoslavia agree to a US brokered plan to create two entities within Bosnia, one a Moslem-Croat federation and one Serb. 51% of the land will go to the federation, 49% to the Serbs.
New First Suite for Strings by Lou Harrison (78) is performed for the first time, on Majorca.
10 September 1995 NATO forces use cruise missiles for the first time against the Serbs.
The Interview (Jenipapo), a film with music by Philip Glass (58) is shown for the first time, at the Toronto International Film Festival.
11 September 1995 Croatian, Bosnian Croat, and Bosnian government troops attack Serbs in western Bosnia. 40,000 Serb civilians flee.
12 September 1995 The World Meteorological Organization reports that the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is expanding at a record rate.
13 September 1995 The Greek government announces it will end its 19-month trade embargo and recognize The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Adagio Tenebroso for orchestra by Elliott Carter (86) is performed for the first time, at a BBC Proms concert in Royal Albert Hall, London. See 25 April 1998.
14 September 1995 The Bosnian Serbs agree to the NATO ultimatum of 3 September and the bombing stops.
15 September 1995 President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan decrees that the capital will be moved from Almaty to Akmola (Astana).
Arianna, an opera by Alexander Goehr (63) to words of Rinucinni, is performed for the first time, in Covent Garden, London.
Shofar for chorus and instrumental ensemble by Luciano Berio (69) to words of Celan is performed for the first time, in London.
China Dreams for orchestra by Bright Sheng (39) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.
16 September 1995 Panic for alto saxophone, drummer, and band by Harrison Birtwistle (61) is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.
Seven Cabaret Songs for jazz singer, flute, viola, cello, and piano by TJ Anderson (67) to words of Mullen is performed for the first time, at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. The work is dedicated to William Grant Still (†16) in the centennial year of his birth.
17 September 1995 Seven Etudes for cello by Isang Yun is performed for the first time, on the composer’s 78th birthday.
18 September 1995 Daiwa Banks informs the US Federal Reserve Board that it has lost $1,100,000,000 in US Treasury bonds. They have been covering it up since 13 July.
19 September 1995 Bosnian government and Croat forces end their offensive at NATO insistence.
String Quartet no.5 by Elliott Carter (86) is performed for the first time, in Antwerp.
21 September 1995 Regular deliveries of relief supplies begin to reach Sarajevo. The UN and NATO report that the Serbs have removed their heavy weapons from the 20 km exclusion zone around Sarajevo, as was demanded.
22 September 1995 A merger is announced between Turner Broadcasting System and Time Warner, Inc. Revenues of the new company are estimated at $19,800,000,000.
23 September 1995 For Liverpool for orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (60) is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.
24 September 1995 Israel and the Palestinian authority reach a deal for Israeli withdrawal from several West Bank cities.
The completed restoration of the main manor house of the Rakhmaninov (†52) estate in Ivanovka is opened to the public as a museum. See 28 June 1982.
26 September 1995 Bosnian Moslems and Croats agree to the structure of their new federation.
Quintet for clarinet and strings no.2 by Isang Yun (78) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
28 September 1995 Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Authority President Yassir Arafat sign the Phase Two agreement in Washington, in the presence of President Clinton of the US, President Mubarak of Egypt, and King Hussein of Jordan. Israel is to give up control of certain areas of the West Bank including Hebron.
29 September 1995 The Padrone, an opera by George Whitefield Chadwick (†64) to words of Stevens after the composer, is performed for the first time, in a concert setting in the Thomaston, Connecticut Opera House 82 years after it was composed. See 6 December 1961 and 11 April 1997.
1 October 1995 The leftist Socialist Party wins general elections in Portugal, unseating the ruling Social Democratic Party. The Socialists gain 40 seats but fall four short of a majority.
Ten Moslem terrorists, including Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, are convicted on 48 counts for a conspiracy to commit bombings in New York City.
Svyati for cello and chorus by John Tavener (51) to words of the Orthodox liturgy is performed for the first time, in St. Sampson’s Church, Cricklade. Also premiered is Tavener’s Chant for solo cello.
2 October 1995 St. Petersburg police announce they have arrested two prominent members of the Kirov Ballet on charges of receiving bribes from foreign tour promoters: chief administrator Anatoly Malkov and choreographer Oleg Vinogradov.
France sets off a second nuclear explosion, at Fangataufa Atoll in Polynesia. Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Russia, and the US all announce their opposition to the tests.
3 October 1995 A bomb explodes near the car of President Kiro Gilgorov of Macedonia in Skopje. The President suffers a serious head injury. His driver is killed while three others are injured.
In a high profile case in the US, former American football star OJ Simpson is found not guilty in a Los Angeles court of killing his wife and a family friend.
4 October 1995 The Macedonian Parliament replaces injured President Gilgorov with Stojan Andov.
NATO planes attack Serb SAM sites which had locked on to them.
French troops invade the Comoros and free President Said Mohammed Djohar, imprisoned after a coup six days ago.
5 October 1995 US President Clinton announces a 60-day cease-fire in Bosnia to take effect 10 October. US negotiators have worked out the deal in Sarajevo.
7 October 1995 Let’s Begin Again for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by John Tavener (51) is performed for the first time, in Norwich Cathedral.
8 October 1995 Serb forces attack a Moslem refugee camp killing ten people and injuring 34.
L’Andalouse dans Barcelone op.134 for orchestra by Charles Koechlin (†44) is performed for the first time, in Berlin. It was composed in 1933 for a film called Cruises with the Squadron but this music was replaced at the last minute and was never heard in Koechlin’s lifetime.
String Quartet no.4 by Ned Rorem (71) is performed for the first time, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
9 October 1995 NATO planes bomb Serb positions in retaliation for yesterday’s attack.
A passenger train is derailed east of Hyder, Arizona. One person is killed, over 100 injured. Anti-government terrorists are suspected.
10 October 1995 Israel releases 900 Arabs from prison and withdraws from four West Bank towns.
On the date set for the cease-fire, Serbs engage in ethnic cleansing by forcing 10,000 Moslem and Croat civilians from Banja Luka.
Over half of the public workers in France stage mass strikes to protest a salary freeze.
Innocence for cello, organ, soprano, tenor, chorus, and handbells by John Tavener (51) is performed for the first time, in Westminster Abbey.
11 October 1995 Bosnian government and Croat forces capture Sanski Most and Mrkonjic Grad in the northwest of the country.
12 October 1995 Hezbollah terrorists kill three Israelis in southern Lebanon.
Bosnian Serbs finally restore gas and electricity to Sarajevo, a condition of the cease-fire. The cease-fire is now declared in effect, two days late.
15 October 1995 Hezbollah terrorists kill six Israelis in southern Lebanon.
The Three Kings for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (61) is performed for the first time, in Barbican Hall, London.
17 October 1995 A bomb explodes on a Paris subway injuring 29 people. Algerian Moslem terrorists are blamed.
Glint for flute, violin, and piano by Jacob Druckman (67) is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, New York.
Night Song for clarinet, violin, and piano by Peter Sculthorpe (66) is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, New York.
18 October 1995 Concerto for piano and wind instruments by Kevin Volans (46) is performed for the first time, at De Doelen, Rotterdam.
20 October 1995 Willy Claes resigns as Secretary General of NATO because of corruption charges against him in his home nation of Belgium.
21 October 1995 Popular music entertainer Shannoon Hoon of Blind Melon is found dead on his group’s tour bus, from a drug overdose.
Amen for chorus by John Corigliano (57) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.
22 October 1995 The ruling broad coalition in Switzerland gains 14 seats in parliamentary elections.
23 October 1995 Road Movies for violin and piano by John Adams (48) is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.
25 October 1995 Vers une Symphonie fleuve III for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (43) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.
26 October 1995 Arab terrorist leader Fathi al-Shiqaqi is shot to death by two men on Malta. The gunmen are unknown but may be Israeli agents.
Concerto for pizzicato piano and ten instruments by Tan Dun (38) is performed for the first time, in Geneva.
String Quartet by John Corigliano (57) is performed for the first time, in the Jane Mallett Theatre, Toronto.
27 October 1995 France detonates a third nuclear bomb, at Mururoa Atoll, Polynesia.
28 October 1995 A fire in a subway kills 300 people in Baku. The cause is an electrical malfunction.
Karel Husa (74) is awarded the State Medal of Merit by President Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic.
29 October 1995 A Bird Came Down the Walk for viola and piano by Toru Takemitsu (65) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.
Agraphon for soprano, timpani, and strings by John Tavener (51) to words of Sikelianos (tr. Keeley and Sherrard) is performed for the first time, in Athens Concert Hall.
30 October 1995 The War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague indicts three senior officers in the Yugoslav army for war crimes against Croats.
Socialist António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres replaces Social Democrat Anibal Cavaco Silva as Prime Minister of Portugal.
In a referendum today, voters in Quebec reject separation from Canada by 50.6%-49.4%.
Watershed III for percussion, chamber orchestra, and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (61) is performed for the first time, in the Loeb Center, New York.
1 November 1995 Talks open at an air force base near Dayton, Ohio between the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia with US negotiators to end the war in the former Yugoslavia.
2 November 1995 The US Justice Dept. indicts Daiwa Bank Ltd. of Japan on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy. The bank is ordered to cease its US operations by next February.
3 November 1995 Queen Elizabeth gives royal assent to the Waikato Raupatu Claims Settlement Act in Wellington, New Zealand. The act returns lands and grants compensation for land seized by the British in the 1860s from the Maori. It also apologizes for the acts of the past.
Dialogue de l’ombre double by Pierre Boulez (70), in the version for bassoon and electronic sound generators, is performed for the first time, in Paris. See 28 October 1985.
More than a Day for counter tenor and chamber orchestra by Ned Rorem (72) to words of Larson, is performed for the first time.
Isang Yun dies in Berlin, aged 78 years, one month, and 17 days.
4 November 1995 Zlatko Matesa replaces Nikica Valentic as Prime Minister of Croatia.
Former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti and four others are charged with murder in the Mafia killing of a journalist in 1979.
21:30 Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is shot to death in Tel Aviv by Yigal Amir after addressing 100,000 people at City Hall. He is succeeded by Shimon Peres. The assassin is a conservative Israeli who opposes Rabin’s peace efforts.
5 November 1995 Eduard Shevardnadze is elected President of Georgia under the new constitution.
7 November 1995 Two works by Isang Yun (†0) are performed for the first time, in Vienna: The first of the OstWest-Miniaturen for oboe and cello, and the Quartet for oboe, violin, viola, and cello.
Notations sur La Fontaine, a “feuilleton radiophonique” in 20 episodes by Pierre Henry (67) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of France Culture from today until 2 December.
8 November 1995 Gagok for voice and harp by Isang Yun (†0) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
9 November 1995 Sequenza XIII for accordion by Luciano Berio (70) is performed for the first time, in Rotterdam.
Musik für Oboe und Orchester by Wolfgang Rihm (43) is performed for the first time, in Basel.
Festive Proclamation for organ by Samuel Adler (67) is performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center, Washington.
10 November 1995 The Nigerian government hangs nine of its political opponents, including environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.
Lollapalooza for orchestra by John Adams (48) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Great Britain.
12 November 1995 Kaï for nine instrumentalists by Iannis Xenakis (73) is performed for the first time, in Oldenburg.
A Musical Kaddish “In Sea” for John Zimarowski for soprano and piano by TJ Anderson (67) to words of Belletini is performed for the first time, at Duke University.
13 November 1995 Two bombs explode outside a military training center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven people and injuring 60.
Israel withdraws from Janin, turning it over to the Palestinian authority.
In a continuing budget dispute between President Clinton and the US Congress, 770,000 federal workers are sent home. There is no money to pay them.
14 November 1995 A successful conclusion to the Dayton peace talks is announced.
15 November 1995 A 17-year-old student shoots three people, killing two, at his high school in Lynnville, Tennessee.
16 November 1995 The International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague indicts Radovan Karadzic and Radko Mladic a second time, for the killing of civilians at Srebrenica.
Stedman Doubles by Peter Maxwell Davies (61), is performed for the first time, in the original version for clarinet and three percussionists, at the Royal Northern College of Music Manchester, 39 years after it was composed. See 23 April 1968.
Voile for strings by Iannis Xenakis (73) is performed for the first time, in the Herkulessaal, Munich.
17 November 1995 Kiro Gligorov returns to the presidency of Macedonia after being seriously injured on 3 October.
Salvatore Martirano dies in Urbana, Illinois, aged 68 years, ten months, and five days.
Pale Grass and Blue, and then Red, a ballet by Anthony Davis (44) to a choreography by Lemon, is performed for the first time, in New York.
19 November 1995 Aleksander Kwasniewski of the Democratic Left Alliance defeats incumbent Lech Walesa in a presidential runoff in Poland.
A revised version of An den Wassern zu Babel sassen Wir und weitern by Arvo Pärt (60) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm. See 28 April 1984.
On the Underground Set no.3 (A Medieval Summer) for chorus by Thea Musgrave (67) to words of Chaucer and anonymous is performed for the first time, in St. John’s Smith Square, London.
20 November 1995 After a continuing resolution is agreed to, US government workers return to their jobs.
Happy Valley Blues for violin, guitar, and double bass by Anthony Davis (44) is performed for the first time, at Pennsylvania State University.
21 November 1995 After three weeks of negotiation at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia reach agreement to end the war in Bosnia. The country remains a single state with a single unified capital at Sarajevo. A national presidency and legislature is agreed to. Two states are formed within the country, a Moslem-Croat federation and a Serb state, each with a president and legislature. Refugees are to be compensated or allowed to return home.
France explodes a fourth nuclear bomb, at Mururoa Atoll in Polynesia.
Les petits métiers for tape by Pierre Henry (67) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, Cologne.
String Quartet in F by Benjamin Britten (†19) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, 67 years after it was composed. Also premiered is Britten’s First Loss for viola and piano, 69 years after it was composed.
22 November 1995 The United Nations Security Council votes to lift the arms embargo against all the states in the former Yugoslavia.
23 November 1995 Benjamin William Mkapa replaces Ali Hassan Mwinyi as President of Tanzania.
Louis Malle dies at his home in Beverly Hills, California at the age of 63.
24 November 1995 Most public sector workers in France stage protest strikes against government plans to cut welfare.
Voters in Ireland decide to end the ban on divorce in their country by a vote of 50.3-49.7%.
Flute Concerto by John Harbison (56) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.
26 November 1995 Caliban’s Song for baritone and piano by Michael Tippett (90) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC. It is an excerpt from the Suite: The Tempest. See 14 December 1995.
27 November 1995 US President Clinton asks the country and Congress for support to send 20,000 US troops to help secure the peace in Bosnia.
28 November 1995 Germany agrees to send 4,000 troops to Bosnia.
Russia agrees to send 1,500 troops to Bosnia.
President Michal Kovac of Slovakia signs a law declaring Slovak as the only official language of the country, angering many ethnic minorities, especially Hungarians.
The Canadian government announces it has completed its privatization of Canadian National Railways.
Four works by Benjamin Britten (†19) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3, originating in London: Reflection for viola and piano, 65 years after it was composed; Sonatina for piano, 67 years after it was composed; and Poème no.4 for small orchestra and Sonatina for violin and piano, both 68 years after they were composed.
29 November 1995 President Nelson Mandela of South Africa appoints 17 people to a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate abuses by all parties during the apartheid era. Rev. Desmond Tutu is named chairman.
A Poem of Hate for piano by Benjamin Britten (†19) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, 65 years after it was composed. Also premiered is Britten’s Everyone Sang for tenor and small orchestra to words of Sassoon, 65 years after it was composed.
30 November 1995 The United Nations Security Council agrees to withdraw all UN forces from Bosnia to be replaced by troops from NATO and elsewhere.
ESU Variations for orchestra by Anthony Davis (44) is performed for the first time, in Detroit.
1 December 1995 Nick Leeson, the man chiefly responsible for the collapse of Barings PLC, pleads guilty in a Singapore court to two counts of lying to Barings auditors and the Simex exchange. He is sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.
Watershed I for percussion by Roger Reynolds (61) is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.
3 December 1995 Former President Chun Doo Hwan of South Korea is arrested and charged with staging the military coup which brought him to power in 1979.
4 December 1995 NATO troops begin arriving in Bosnia to enforce the peace treaty.
Teachers, students, telecommunication and hospital workers join growing public sector strikes in France.
5 December 1995 Former President Roh Tae Woo of South Korea is indicted on charges of accepting $370,000,000 in bribes during his presidency. Also indicted are seven of the country’s most prominent business leaders.
Tens of thousands demonstrate in Paris against government plans to cut welfare.
Two Portraits for Strings and an incomplete Piano Concerto by Benjamin Britten (†19) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC Radio 3, 65 years after they were composed.
6 December 1995 Des Turmes Auferstehung for two male choruses and orchestra by Carl Orff (†13) to words of Werfel, is performed for the first time, in Munich 74 years after it was composed. Also premiered is Orff’s Tanzende Faune op.21.
For the Left Hand for piano by Leon Kirchner (76) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
7 December 1995 By this date, public sector strikes in France (begun 24 November) have grown to include 700,000 workers. Today, airline workers and employees at the Banc de France join in.
8 December 1995 Nikoloz Mikheilis dze Lekishvili becomes the first Minister of State (Prime Minister) under the new Georgian Constitution.
Symphony no.3 by Krzysztof Penderecki (62) is performed for the first time, in Munich.
10 December 1995 Todtnauberg for soprano, two clarinets, viola, cello, and double bass by Harrison Birtwistle (61) to words of Celan (tr. Hamburger) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3. See 28 April 1996.
11 December 1995 Israeli forces withdraw from Nablus.
Basque separatists explode a car bomb in Madrid killing six civilian employees of the Spanish navy.
Agnus Dei for two sopranos, female chorus, and chamber orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (61) is performed for the first time, in Oslo.
12 December 1995 150,000 protesters march in Paris demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Alain Juppe. 100,000 march in Marseille. Protests occur in many other French cities. Commuter traffic in and around Paris is at a near standstill. Half of scheduled airline flights are cancelled.
13 December 1995 The European Parliament approves a customs union with Turkey.
14 December 1995 In Paris, the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia formally sign the peace treaty worked out in Dayton.
Suite: The Tempest for tenor, baritone, and instrumental ensemble by Michael Tippett (90) is performed for the first time, in the Purcell Room, London. The suite is arranged by Bowen from Tippett’s incidental music to The Tempest, plus the newly composed Caliban’s Song. See 26 November 1995 and 29 May 1962.
15 December 1995 Leaders of the European Union meeting in Madrid agree to call the new single currency the “euro.” Tradings in euros are set to begin 1 January 1999 and the currency will be introduced in 2002.
Most rail workers in France vote to return to work after a 22-day strike.
16 December 1995 The continuing resolution of 20 November expires and the United States government is forced to shut down again.
17 December 1995 Voters in Russia elect 450 members of the Duma. Communists hold the largest number of seats. Only four of 43 parties contesting the election make the five percent threshold necessary for representation.
In Austrian elections, the Social Democratic Party of Chancellor Franz Vranitzky remains the largest bloc in the parliament. They gain six seats over the last Parliament, the only party to gain seats. The Socialist-Peoples coalition is renewed.
19 December 1995 Workers in the state-owned railroad and airline companies in Belgium go on strike against layoffs, salary freezes, and longer working hours. Air and rail transportation is brought to a standstill.
20 December 1995 The UN commander in Bosnia hands over control to the commander of NATO forces.
Le streghe di Venezia, a ballet by Phillip Glass (58) to a scenario by Montressor, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.
21 December 1995 Israeli forces withdraw from Bethlehem.
Andris Skele replaces Maris Gaillis as Prime Minister of Latvia.
23 December 1995 Former President Hastings Kamuzu Banda of Malawi is acquitted of charges that he conspired in the deaths of four political opponents in 1983.
Aleksander Kwasniewski replaces Lech Walesa as President of Poland.
24 December 1995 Parliamentary elections in Turkey give the Islamic fundamentalist Welfare Party the largest number of seats.
27 December 1995 Israeli forces withdraw from Ramallah.
France explodes a fifth nuclear bomb, under Mururoa Atoll in Polynesia.
28 December 1995 The first deadline in the Dayton accords is achieved. Front line positions have been abandoned by the warring armies.
The United States suspends sanctions against Yugoslavia.
Blue, Yellow, a dance by Kevin Volans (46) to a choreography of Burrows, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC2.
©2004-2012 Paul Scharfenberger
25 January 2012
Last Updated (Wednesday, 25 January 2012 07:42)