When Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally’s opera Dead Man Walking had its world premiere at the San Francisco Opera in 2000, I took to the pages of the San Francisco Chronicle and pronounced it a “masterpiece.” I did it with the … » Read

The Prebys Foundation has announced $13.4 million in new grants to 61 San Diego County arts organizations and venue operators. Monies are  intended to ameliorate the impact of federal and state budget cuts, donor fatigue, and rising … » Read

Despite growing tensions between the U.S. and China, the Philadelphia Orchestra is continuing a program of cultural diplomacy with the Asian nation that dates from 1973 during the Nixon administration. Since the ensemble’s pathbreaking … » Read

David C. Stabler, The Oregonian ’s classical music critic and arts reporter for nearly 30 years, died Sept. 17. He was 72. The cause was acute myeloid leukemia, according to his brother.  Stabler was a finalist for the 2003 Pulitzer … » Read

Baryshnikov Arts, a 20-year-old performance space in Manhattan that hosts primarily dance and music events and has an active artist residency program, has named Jamie Burns as its next director. The announcement was made by Founder and … » Read

The North Carolina Symphony (NCS) has extended Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto’s contract by four years, through 2030-31, one season short of its 100 th anniversary. The announcement is made as the orchestra prepares to launch its … » Read

Given the massive layoffs taking place in public media, as per the current administration’s wishes, it’s somewhat surprising to learn that NPR Music has just hired a new executive director. She is Sonali Mehta, most recently chief of … » Read

In response to the Trump administration’s defunding the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB), NPR is cutting more than $5 million from its annual budget of $300 million. CEO Katherine Maher recently announced at a board meeting that … » Read

CHICAGO—Not all that long ago, electronics were a lifeline for Conrad Tao. Feeling creatively stunted during the pandemic, the pianist and composer sought a way to emulate playing with others in isolation. That led him to electronic patches … » Read

Taking a page from the playbook of the San Francisco Symphony’s musicians , the Baltimore Symphony’s players voted to authorize a strike on Sept. 15 and by day’s end had reached a tentative agreement. The motivating force in … » Read