A star-studded concert at La Scala commemorating the centenary of Giacomo Puccini’s death on Nov. 29, 1924, became something quite different when the orchestra and chorus decided to strike just as the event was to begin. The sold-out event, … » Read

Giacomo Puccini died 100 years ago, on Nov. 29, 1924, but his works remain omnipresent. “Opera houses across the world,” opines Neil Fisher in The Sunday Times , “would probably have long thrown in the towel without bankers such … » Read

All’s well that ends well for French musician Ophélie Gaillard. On Sept. 24, her 300-year-old cello was stolen (for the second time) from her home. On Nov. 22 she was able to announce that the instrument and two bows had been … » Read

Two years after being told by Arts Council England that it needed to relocate from London or face drastic funding cuts, English National Opera (ENO) has announced plans for its first three years in Manchester. ENO selected the city, albeit … » Read

OPERA America has released Understanding Opera's New Audiences , a deep dive into the post-pandemic motivations, experiences, and barriers faced by new opera audiences. The study was undertaken in collaboration with Slover Linett, a leading … » Read

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, named for and funded by the co-founder of The Home Depot, has gifted $27.5 million to the Atlanta Opera toward its three-year $110 million comprehensive campaign. The monies insure the completion of the … » Read

Peabody Conservatory, the nation’s oldest, is introducing a Bachelor of Music in Hip Hop. The performance-focused undergraduate degree program is the brainchild of producer, pianist, and professor Wendel Patrick and dates back to 2016, when … » Read

A dancer’s day on tour with Shen Yun Performing Arts begins around 7:30 am and doesn’t end until around 11:30 pm. Such a “schedule looks really tiring,” one dancer told the New York Times , but it is “very … » Read

In an effort to help Philadelphia’s smaller arts and cultural groups, the William Penn Foundation is funneling $8 million through the Philadelphia Cultural Fund (PCF). One of the largest gifts to arts and culture in the Foundation’s … » Read

The U.K.-based Doric Quartet has added two new members. Canadian–American violinist Maia Cabeza succeeds first violinist Alex Redington, who as a 15-year-old was an original member when the foursome was founded in 1998. … » Read