PEOPLE IN THE NEWS


People in the News

Defying Racism, a Young Black Composer Emerges

October 28, 2025 | Taylor Grant, Musical America
Connecticut-based composer Kyle Rivera will be the fifth recipient of the Emerging Black Composers Prize (EBCP), renamed the Michael Morgan Prize in 2023 in honor of the late Oakland Symphony music director. The prize includes a $15,000 … » Read
 

People in the News

Opera Director, Fed Up with Misogyny, Quits

October 28, 2025 | Anthony Brown, Musical America
Katie Mitchell, the director whose feminist stagings during the past three decades have won praise and caused controversy, is retiring from opera. “I’m definitely bringing my work in opera to a close because of the misogyny,” … » Read
 

People in the News

Brit Youth Orch Names New Exec

October 28, 2025 | Anthony Brown, Musical America
The U.K.’s National Youth Orchestra (NYO) has appointed Lucy Bayliss as director of engagement & partnerships, a newly created position, effective in mid-November. Her remit, according to the announcement is “to open up orchestral … » Read
 

People in the News

Benita Valente Dies at 91

October 27, 2025 | Taylor Grant, Musical America
Benita Valente, a lyric soprano whose four-decade career established her as one of America’s greatest recitalists as well as a much- admired performer in opera, chamber music, and with orchestras, died in Philadelphia on Oct. 24. She was … » Read
 

People in the News

Aix Names New General Director

October 27, 2025 | Susan Elliott, Musical America
Just on the heels of receiving the 2025 Birgit Nilsson Prize , the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence has announced its General Director as noted opera director Ted Huffman. His five-year contract is effective as of January 1, 2026.  Huffman, … » Read
 

People in the News

Polly Kahn, League Mainstay, Dies

October 27, 2025 | Sarah Shay, Musical America
Polly Kahn, a leading voice in the orchestral field, died on Oct. 14 after a brief illness. She was 77. As vice president for learning and leadership development at the League of American Orchestras between 2000 and 2014, she had a daunting … » Read
 

People in the News

Boston Phil Exec Moves to Portland (ME) Symphony

October 24, 2025 | Susan Elliott, Musical America
The Portland (ME) Symphony Orchestra has a new, full-time executive director in Derek Beckvold. He was previously splitting his time between the Boston Philharmonic, where his most recent job was managing director, and Portland, where he succeeds … » Read
 

People in the News

Thielemann, Batiashvilli, Mehner Join Mozarteum Faculty

October 24, 2025 | Anthony Brown, Musical America
The Mozarteum University Salzburg has added three high-profile artists—conductor Christian Thielemann, violinist Lisa Batiashvili, and pianist Claudio Martínez Mehner—to its teaching faculty as of the beginning of the 2026 … » Read
 

People in the News

New Music Directors: Germany & Argentina

October 23, 2025 | Susan Elliott, Musical America
German conductor Aurel Dawidiuk , 24, is to be the next general music director of the Bochumer Symphoniker in North Rhine-Westphalia. He starts his new job on August 1, 2026, when the current artistic chief, Tung-Chieh Chuang, exits. Dawidiuk is … » Read
 

People in the News

Aspen CEO Will Exit

October 22, 2025 | Susan Elliott, Musical America
Alan Fletcher, longtime CEO of the Aspen Music Festival and School, will exit his position to become president emeritus as of January 1, 2027.  Robert Spano, whom Fletcher takes credit for hiring as music director in 2011 (after David Zinman … » Read
 
 

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