CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, CA.—This seaside village on the southern edge of the Monterey Peninsula is known for its storybook cottages, white-sand beaches, mercurial coastal haze—and lack of street addresses. Originally established as an … » Read

LONDON—Pegasus Opera Company has championed artists of global majority heritage for over 30 years now, overcoming funding hurdles with a by-hook-or-by-crook determination. The death of tireless crusader and founder Lloyd Newton left them in … » Read

CHICAGO—Call it classical music’s Sleep No More , or early music’s answer to Los Angeles’ The Industry . Whatever it may be, comparisons inevitably fall short before the brilliance of Secret Byrd , an immersive performance … » Read

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.—On July 20, Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, gave listeners that all-too-rare opportunity: the chance to hear two brand-new works in one day. You would have had to nose around a bit to … » Read

LONDON—The venerable BBC Proms season launched last week promising plenty of new music to offset the familiar staples. This July 21 concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall was a typical example, with a first half given over to Tom … » Read

AIX-EN-PROVENCE—This year’s Aix Festival has attracted plenty of critical attention for its stagings of operatic works, both familiar ( Don Giovanni ) and less-so (Charpentier’s Louise and Cavalli’s La Calisto ). Alongside … » Read

AIX-EN-PROVENCE—While this year’s Aix Festival took place across all three of the city’s opera venues, it was the 77-year-old auditorium set in the courtyard of the Archbishop’s Palace that housed two of its three … » Read

Ancient Greek theater may not make the most obvious pairing with Black Pentecostalism, but The Gospel at Colonus has garnered an impressive track record. Ever since its initial run at BAM’s Next Wave Festival won the 1984 Obie Award for … » Read

AIX-EN-PROVENCE—Artistic Director Pierre Audi died on May 3 , just two weeks before rehearsals began for the current Aix en Provence Festival. On one level his work was over by that point, all executive logistics in place; on another, he … » Read

AMSTERDAM--Mussorgsky’s opera Boris Godunov takes place in the Time of the Troubles (end of the 16 th beginning of the 17 th century). Its new production for the Dutch National Opera, staged by exiled Russian film, theater, and opera … » Read