Choral singing is the musical exemplar of what not to do during the coronavirus pandemic. Large groups of people assemble in close proximity to one another and sing, often quite loudly. They are, in today’s medical lingo, … » Read

In the midst of a viral pandemic and a cratering economy, asking voters to approve a tax dedicated to the support of the arts would seem a fool’s errand. Fortunately, no one told that to a group of Jersey City civic leaders. On Nov. 3, 64 … » Read

Late last summer the time seemed right for saxophonist/composer Hafez Modirzadeh to call for systemic change at the School of Music at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Inspired by the university president’s speech embracing a … » Read

The state of the classical music world in Western Europe—from shutdowns to reopenings—has been intensively documented since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The actions of nations in other regions of the world have come in for … » Read

The Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is cancelling the remainder of its mainstage productions for the 2020–21 season. Live in-person performances will (hopefully) return in the fall of 2021. “We of course want to return to live opera on the … » Read

ROME—The Dec. 7 season premiere at Milan’s La Scala opera house, a gala event that is one of Italy’s cultural highlights, is being cancelled after a rash of coronavirus infections among musicians and chorus members. The … » Read

On November 4, the musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic, along with Valery Gergiev and pianist Denis Matsuev, arrived in Fukuoka, Japan, greeted at the airport with general good cheer and water-cannon salutes. Though Japan’s concert halls … » Read

Lincoln Center’s indoor stages have been mostly dark since the start of the pandemic but there are signs of life stirring on the tenth floor of the Rose Building above the Juilliard School. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center next … » Read

Even for musicians under contract, the pandemic has caused major income adjustments, reflective of the amount of performances their employer has been allowed to present under law. At the San Francisco Symphony, where that number is zero, apart … » Read

The British government’s new lockdown has darkened theaters and opera houses, once again, although orchestras and recital halls—including Wigmore Hall—appear to be allowed to perform behind closed doors for streaming/recording … » Read