As it returns from its 12 th tour of China since being the first American orchestra to do so, in 1973, the Philadelphia Orchestra joins the current rash of east-west classical musical partnerships, this one putting the Philadelphians in close … » Read

What do members of the American Federation of Musicians have in common with millions of other U.S. union members? They are facing imminent reductions in benefit payments as managers struggle to keep pension funds from running out of money in the … » Read

La Scala's new season, announced Monday, signals a continuation of Alexander Pereira's strategy of offering a large number of titles, focusing on the Italian repertoire, and bringing back artists historically associated with the theater. The … » Read

When Disney Hall, the Frank Gehry-designed home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, opened 16 years ago, it signaled a new level of ambition for the orchestra and held out the potential for transforming the surrounding Grand Avenue neighborhood. As … » Read

When a conference panel is stacked with likeminded people who largely agree on everything, things can quickly turn dull or self-promotional. At the May 15-19 Classical:NEXT conference in Rotterdam, the best of the discussions avoided this trap. … » Read

The shrinking audience for opera has become a familiar trope that often occasions a combination of hand wringing and ill-conceived efforts to lure younger attendees. “The traditional subscription audience is declining as people age out of … » Read

The estate of Harold Arlen is taking Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other of the  largest tech retailers to court, alleging copyright infringement of some of the songwriter’s most iconic creations, either through streaming or … » Read

If you’re someone who just can’t turn off your smart phone wherever you may be, you’ll love the BBC Philharmonic’s new web app called Notes. Beginning next September, audience members seated in a special section of the … » Read

The growth of music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and others has done little to advance the availability of classical music. While this genre comprises only 5 percent of the recorded music market, its core audience … » Read

ROTTERDAM— For three days ending May 18, some 1,300 people from 45 countries gathered in this city of striking postwar architecture to talk about the future of classical music. It wasn’t a doom-and-gloom affair. The gathering, … » Read