SAN FRAISCO (AP)—Part fairy tale, part psychodrama, Richard Strauss’s Die Frau Ohne Schatten (The Woman Without a Shadow) calls for three big-voiced sopranos who can do justice to a long and difficult score. That’s one reason … » Read

Michelle Williams, head of casting for the English National Opera since 2016, is to be the new director of artistic administration for the Garsington Opera as of next September. She succeeds Laura Canning, the new general director and CEO of … » Read

The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra (WVSO), now in its 85 th year, has hired American conductor Maurice Cohn as its 11 th music director, effective immediately. He arrives after a two-year search, which brought six finalists to conduct as … » Read

The Royal Academy of Music has appointed Barbara Hannigan to be the Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music. Named one of her most important mentors (he died in 2020), the position calls on her to direct ensembles, mentor singers, and help students … » Read

American conductor Roderick Cox [pictured] has joined the roster of HarrisonParrott. Cox won the Solti Conducting Award in 2018 and has since gone on to lead most of the major American ensembles; now based in Berlin, he has guest conducted that … » Read

Already a frequent and popular guest of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR), Marin Alsop is to become its artistic director and chief conductor as of next season, a position in which she will undoubtedly do far more than rehearse … » Read

Kaija Saariaho, the Finnish composer who left an indelible mark on opera and electroacoustic music, died at her home in Paris on June 2. According to her publisher, the cause of death was glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with … » Read

Speranza Scappucci is to be principal guest conductor of the Royal Opera House as of September 2025, the first to assume the role in over 25 years. The Italian conductor arrives when Czech conductor Jakub Hruša takes over as music director … » Read

Richard Egarr will exit the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) at the end of 2023-24, having served as music director for three seasons. The reasons, according to the PBO, are personal—his young family is based in Amsterdam. … » Read

The talent migration from Los Angeles to the East Coast in the world of classical music continues, with Chad Smith as the latest emigrant. As soon as this fall, he is set to succeed Gail Samuel, in the position less than two years, as president … » Read