In a year-end roundup rife with local boosterism (the Los Angeles Philharmonic is “surely the most successful arts organization of the century"), Los Angeles Times critic Mark Swed notes the town’s “near-contagious institutional … » Read

Calling the soon-to-end decade “transformative” for classical music, the Chicago Sun-Times points out a few highlights in more or less in chronological order. They begin—literally—with the arrival on September 19, 2010, of … » Read

Ivan Hewett, classical music critic for The Telegraph , doesn’t especially like the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s (VPO) New Year’s Day Concert, which reaches more than 60 million viewers in almost a hundred countries around … » Read

In its year-end review of classical music, The San Francisco Chronicle , makes the case that it’s been a great year for women. “Maybe,” writes critic Joshua Kosman, “we [can] even give Bach and Beethoven and the rest of … » Read

SAN FRANCISCO — It was a tumultuous year in the opera world, a year in which sexual harassment allegations against superstar Plácido Domingo prompted his disappearance from American stages and sparked deep soul-searching. Opera … » Read

As part of her Best of the Year wrap-up (“outstanding music around the UK this year distracted us from woes about the planet and Brexit”), Fiona Maddocks does a quick run down of all the changes anticipated at major UK orchestras: … » Read

PARIS (AP) — The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral says the Paris landmark is still so fragile that there’s a “50 percent chance” the structure might not be saved, because scaffolding installed before this year’s fire … » Read

The Billings Symphony Orchestra & Chorale has received two significant year-end gifts. By way of its Montana Development Co., the Sukin family has given a building in downtown Billings to the orchestra for use as office space. It is the … » Read

10. Vienna Philharmonic’s performance of Mahler Symphony No. 9 at Carnegie Hall under Michael Tilson Thomas. “Spacious, glimmering, and grand.” 9. MusicAeterna chorus and orchestra in the Verdi Requiem under Greek-Russian … » Read

In an internal memo obtained by Le Figaro , Paris Opera General Director Stéphane Lissner [pictured] "shares [his] concern" that the company’s losses due to ongoing worker strikes could amount to "at least 12 million euros." Monday … » Read