Aidan Lang has announced his retirement as general director of the Welsh National Opera (WNO) at the end of this year. Perhaps spurred on by Arts Council England’s cuts to the WNO   and its touring program, Lang will be exiting after … » Read

The good fairies generously allotted the skills required to succeed as a conductor to Stephanie Childress . Or so it occurred to me while recently seeing this 24-year-old phenomenon in action leading a spirited, remarkably poised account of … » Read

For the next few months composer Jake Heggie is going to be a very busy man. Dead Man Walking , his breakout opera of 2000, opens the Metropolitan Opera’s season this evening. Across the Lincoln Center Plaza three nights later, The Elements … » Read

Over three days beginning on Sept. 22, Jonathon Heyward began his much-anticipated tenure as the 13 th music director for The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with a series of concerts for about 5,000 music lovers. Heyward is in many ways an … » Read

Alfrelynn Roberts has joined the Portland (OR) Opera as director of artistic planning and operations; she comes to Portland from Fort Worth Opera, where she was associate artistic director & chorus master from 2018-2023. Roberts succeeds … » Read

Mumbai-born Priti Gandhi is the new associate director of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She succeeds Brady Walsh, who left the job in August. Gandhi comes to the Met after serving as artistic director of the Portland Opera for just … » Read

Who’s in charge is the question of the moment at the San Carlo Opera House in Naples. Is it Stéphane Lissner, who was dismissed in June after the passage of a law capping tenure for foreign general directors of state-run opera houses … » Read

After nearly three decades as general director of Opera North, Richard Mantle has announced he will step down this December. He will leave behind a company much improved by his presence. After postings at English National Opera, Scottish Opera, … » Read

NEW YORK -- Tenor Stephen Gould, who announced earlier this month that he had been diagnosed with incurable bile duct cancer, has died. He was 61. Gould's agent Stephanie Ammann confirmed the singer died Tuesday in Virginia. No other details were … » Read

Beginning with the 2025/26 season, Tomáš Netopil will become the chief conductor and music director of the Prague Symphony Orchestra. He will succeed Tomáš Brauner, in the post since 2020. Currently principal guest … » Read