SALZBURG, Austria—The opera world is split in two: European regietheater productions reinvent works in ways composers never imagined, while traditional stagings favored in the U.S. and parts of Italy are condemned by some cognoscenti as … » Read

The pandemic provided an opportunity for considerable soul searching in the world of classical music. One topic that received careful scrutiny was touring . Was it still financially feasible? Did it make sense in a performance universe … » Read

After 58 years, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is to get a permanent home—its first—in Little Rock. On Aug. 12 the ASO broke ground for the new $11.75 million Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, a 20,000-sq.-ft. state-of-the-art … » Read

Pointing to “economic headwinds,” the Metropolitan Opera Guild has declared it will be “scaling back,” as in laying off some 20 employees and ceasing publication of Opera News magazine as a standalone entity.  … » Read

Given the profile, context, and treatment of women in opera, it’s not surprising to discover that having an intimacy coordinator involved in staging a traditional opera, with its outdated views, is as important as having one on hand for … » Read

The Philadelphia Symphonic Choir has unionized after a majority of its members signed union cards authorizing the American Guild of Musical Artists to bargain on their behalf. The process took about 20 months and was facilitated when POKC … » Read

SALZBURG, Austria (AP) — People fill the cobblestone streets of the city where Mozart was born, rushing to 213 performances over six weeks. While many classical music institutions struggle to regain audience, the Salzburg Festival is on … » Read

Lincoln Center’s coming season, announced yesterday and starting in September, continues to avoid classical music, save for two one-off collaborations with Juilliard and the Metropolitan Opera. Lumping programming of all stripes, including … » Read

The upcoming season will be the 19 th for the JACK Quartet, a foursome dedicated to the performance, commissioning, and appreciation of 20th- and 21st-century music.  The group was Musical America’s 2019 Ensemble of the Year. The … » Read

This year’s Bard Music Festival, running August 4-13, is devoted to “Vaughan Williams and His World,” focusing on the composer’s belief that his art was a communal exercise. “The composer,” he wrote in 1912, … » Read