Stephen Nakagawa, the self-described “MAGA former dancer” recently appointed to head up dance programming at The Kennedy Center , is facing a big challenge. Having inherited a season’s programming contracted by his predecessor, … » Read

On Sept. 4, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) and its musicians (Local AFM 2-197) signed a four-year contract that extends through Aug. 31, 2030. The agreement comes one year before the current one expires, guaranteeing stability as the … » Read

LONDON (AP)—When pop groups practice or perform, they rely on their keyboards, guitars, and drums to make music. Oliver McCann, a British AI music creator who goes by the stage name imoliver, fires up his chatbot. McCann’s songs span … » Read

The financial woes of the Metropolitan Opera are no secret. Beset by rising costs and attendance that has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, the company has been forced to withdraw $120 million from its endowment for operations since 2022. Now … » Read

It took Esa-Pekka Salonen barely two months from his fractious parting with the San Francisco Symphony to land in the catbird’s seat.  On Sept. 2 headlines heralded the Finnish conductor/composer’s newly invented role of creative … » Read

Philadelphia’s William Penn Foundation (WPF) has announced nearly $10 million in special funding to support 19 local non-profit organizations that, in the words of the foundation’s press release, are “working to defend … » Read

The San Francisco Symphony musicians have voted to authorize a strike should management not improve terms of the contract offer currently on the table. The season is scheduled to open September 12. The players announced their vote this afternoon, … » Read

Asked for a response to the musicians’ strike vote , the San Francisco Symphony has issued an “update” on negotiations with the musicians’ union, indicating that they had been underway for over a year. Some progress had … » Read

Marcin Kopec, former director of artist management at TACT Artist Management, a huge firm with nearly 200 on its roster, has launched his own agency, to be called MKImpresari. It will specialize in opera singers, 50 of whom have joined Kopec from … » Read

The demise of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has prompted the Los Angeles-based classical music station KUSC-FM (91.5) to lay off employees. James Muhammad, president of Classical California , the entity that operates the nonprofit … » Read