Musicologist and arts administrator Paolo Pinamonti is to be the next artistic director of the Macerata (Italy) Opera Festival for three years, starting next summer, with Tosca featured on the schedule. He succeeds Barbara Minghetti, in the job … » Read

Composer/arranger/conductor Stephen J. Lawrence, who wrote over 300 songs and scores for Sesame Street , died on December 30 in Belleville, N.J. He was 82. No cause of death was reported. For his 30 years of work for Sesame Street he was awarded … » Read

American conductor James Gaffigan becomes general music director of the Komische Oper Berlin as of  2023/24, succeeding Ainars Rubikis, in the position since 2018/19. His appointment was announced this morning in Berlin by Klaus Lederer, … » Read

CHICAGO—Despite the upheavals of 2020, 2021 has turned out to be a very good year for composer Jessie Montgomery. In April the Chicago Symphony Orchestra named her to a three-year term as composer in residence. The orchestra performed her … » Read

In early December Jonas Kaufmann was due to sing in London over the Christmas holiday, so an interview by Stuart Jeffries for The Guardian seemed in order. Jeffries caught up with the 52-year-old German divo in Naples opposite the Teatro di San … » Read

At the request of Anne Parsons, the outgoing President and CEO of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the organization’s governing board has accepted her immediate resignation to allow her to focus on treatment for her cancer. The current Vice … » Read

German conductor Felix Mildenberger is to be the new principal guest conductor of the Filarmonica Teatro Regio in Turin. Winner of the 2018 Donatella Flick Competition, he has been assistant conductor of the London Symphony for the last three … » Read

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in Palm Beach has tapped Phillip Bergmann as artistic advisor for classical music. His responsibilities will include the “Regional Arts Classical Concert Series,” entering its 47 th … » Read

Acclaimed heldentenor Stuart Skelton is to be the new chairman of opera at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as of January 3. He succeeds Marie-France Lefebvre, in the job two years; she plans to remain on the faculty as … » Read

Dutch percussionist Dominique Vleeshouwers (pictured) has signed with Maestro Arts, his cross-genre explorations apparently in sync with the ten-year-old agency’s varied roster of 40 artists, directors, performers, and choreographers. Last … » Read