In a departure from the norm, the Metropolitan Opera has announced its weekly free streams schedule significantly in advance, targeting the first two weeks of February as its celebration of Black History Month. From February 1 -14, some of the … » Read

Raymond Menard, production stage manager for the Met Opera, has penned a letter to the new President and Vice President of the U.S. on behalf of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), of which he is president. Weakening his argument by … » Read

The UK government has clarified its stance on visa-free post-Brexit travel for musicians touring in EU countries, and its not good news. The Tory government will not pursue a waiver scheme, announced the digital and culture minister Caroline … » Read

The UK government’s digital, culture, media, and sport (DCMS) committee is currently investigating the economics of music streaming. In hearings characterized by many testy exchanges, things are not going well for the big three record … » Read

For the few major orchestras that are attempting indoor performances, some with limited audiences—Houston, Dallas, Minnesota, and Utah among them—the amount of caution exercised to protect employees, including daily Covid tests for … » Read

Hong Kong Philharmonic has announced the continuation of its 15-year sponsorship by Swire Pacific Limited, securing $6 million as of April 2021, the biggest corporate grant in the orchestra’s  history. Swire is a vast, Hong Kong based … » Read

On Feb. 4 the San Francisco Symphony will launch SFSymphony Plus, a membership-based streaming service offering original digital content, including all-new SoundBox programs and CURRENTS episodes, as well as other special projects. “The … » Read

The Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL) has released the schedule for its Wednesday Night Series--three groups of programs, each with a different host, streamed live from its DiMenna Center for Classical Music, which celebrates its tenth … » Read

The day has finally arrived. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are to be sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States by, respectively, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Harris is the … » Read

Does the U.S. need a cultural czar—a Secretary of Culture to represent and promote the arts and humanities at the highest governmental level? Mark Swed, music critic for the Los Angeles Times makes the case for one, though he’s … » Read