Carmen is not the first opera that comes to mind when mezzo-sopranos Jamie Barton and Stephanie Blythe square off opposite one another singing lead roles. But in the Chicago Opera Theater’s (COT) gender-bending new semi-staged production of … » Read

A grant of $3M from The Andrew W. Melon Foundation will enable The Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) to assist members and their artist/ensemble partners to reopen venues, resume touring, and re-engage with audiences. “At … » Read

NEW YORK--With its first opera by a Black composer premiering ten days from today, the Metropolitan Opera has announced its second, coming just two years from now: Anthony Davis’s X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X , just two years after … » Read

New statistics from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reveal that the U.S. recorded music industry generated $7.1bn in retail value during the first two quarters of 2021, a 27 percent increase when compared to $5.6bn for the … » Read

CHICAGO—Artistically, Haymarket Opera Company is firmly planted in the Baroque era. For the past decade, the company has been charming Chicago opera lovers with zesty, elegant performances of works by the likes of Handel, Telemann, … » Read

The occasion of opening night 2021 at the Metropolitan Opera grows more momentous as the date of September 27 approaches. The latest news about the first opera on this stage in 18 months— apart from Fire Shut Up in My Bones being the … » Read

The Spoleto Festival USA is putting together a new, specific-to-the-task choir, with auditions scheduled for four cities this fall. The choir’s makeup and formation will follow the model of the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, which hosts … » Read

The English Touring Opera (ETO) has notified nearly half of its musicians that they will not be contracted for the 2022 tour. The reason, says the ETO, is the prioritization of “increased diversity in the orchestra…. in line with the … » Read

The LA Philharmonic’s Dudamel Fellowship Program, now in its 12 th year, is proving to be a highly successful incubator for young conducting talent. While most orchestras engage an assistant conductor or two to step in when needed and to … » Read

The American Ballet Theater (ABT) and Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA. have announced a three-year partnership that will include annual productions of Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker as well as several world and West … » Read