Gil Wechsler, who as the Metropolitan Opera’s first resident lighting designer spent over 20 years casting light on 114 productions (74 of them new), died on July 9. He was 79. He first arrived at the Met in 1977, having already designed … » Read

Emmanuel Hondré is to be the next general director of the Opéra National de Bordeaux, effective as of August 2022 and succeeding Marc Minkowski as his term expires. Hondré has been director of the Concerts and Shows … » Read

Capping a new leadership lineup underway over the last several years under President and CEO Paul W. Hogle, the Cleveland Institute of Music has named Scott Harrison executive VP and provost—a new position at CIM. Harrison is a familiar … » Read

When Chinese-born pianist Tianxu An returns to the Curtis Institute of Music in September, he will have advanced his career by leaps and bounds under the least likely of circumstances—the Covid-19 pandemic. Since March 2020—when … » Read

Guido Lamell, Music Director of the Santa Monica Symphony, and for over 40 years a violinist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, passed away on July 13 after suffering a heart attack. Lamell, a much-loved instrumentalist and maestro, had been … » Read

Ian Robertson, Chorus Director at San Francisco Opera, is to retire at the end of 2021 after a remarkable 35 years in the role. His period with SFO constitutes the longest tenure of any individual in an artistic leadership role in the … » Read

Portland Opera has announced that Priti Gandhi will be the company’s new Artistic Director. Gandhi arrives from Minnesota Opera where she was Chief Artistic Officer. Her responsibilities will overlap with those of PO’s former Director … » Read

Last year's Bayreuth Festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year, history will be made again when Oksana Lyniv becomes the first woman to mount a podium previously occupied by the likes of Hermann Levi, Wilhelm Furtwängler, and … » Read

As if the COVID outbreaks in the Tokyo Olympic Village were not bad enough, now the Japanese composer Keigo Oyamada has resigned from the creative team for the opening ceremony of the Games. Oyamada, 52, admitted to having bullied children with … » Read

A Spanish provincial government has barred its regional orchestra from accompanying veteran tenor-turned baritone Plácido Domingo at a music festival in September citing the singer’s alleged history of sexual misconduct. The … » Read