Dame Fanny Waterman, a founder of the Leeds International Piano Competition and its longtime chairman and artistic director, died on December 20 in a residential care home in Yorkshire, UK. She was 100 years old. In comments, current Artistic … » Read

This spring Nathalie Stutzmann will stand in front of the Philadelphia Orchestra for her first time as principal guest conductor. No stranger to the ensemble—she has led it several times in recent years—she will spend three weeks each … » Read

After eight years, Sakurako Fisher stepped down as board president of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) on Dec. 9. Priscilla Geeslin will succeed her. “It’s been a gift, an honor and a privilege to serve the Symphony,” she told … » Read

Well, that was quick. In September, Jesse Rosen stepped down as CEO of the American Symphony Orchestra League. At the time, he indicated he would be retiring after 22 years, the last 12 of which as the top executive. Leaving the job, perhaps, but … » Read

The Amsterdam Concertgebouw has announced that Fabio Luisi has been forced to cancel his Christmas Matinee concert with the orchestra having tested positive for Covid-19, requiring him to quarantine for ten days. Wunderkind Klaus … » Read

Every year since 1954, King’s College Cambridge has presented its annual Christmas Eve television broadcast, Carols from King’s , featuring its famous boychoir augmented by choral scholars—the older voices, who are generally … » Read

The musicians of the New York Philharmonic may not be able to return to David Geffen Hall for many months to come, thanks to the pandemic, but things are clearly moving along in the executive suite. As of January 1, President and CEO Deborah … » Read

A 250th birthday celebration is a big deal. Only a miniscule number of figures from history merit a worldwide outpouring after so much time. So what is it about Beethoven that elicits such a personal reaction from masses of people? Even during an … » Read

Julia Fischer, among the world’s top violinists, today divides her time between international concert appearances (pre- and post-Covid) and teaching at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts in her hometown. In a thoughtful … » Read

Stephen R. Smoot, who for 15 years produced hundreds of concerts for the Ravinia Festival, died suddenly on Nov. 27 at the age of 57. No cause of death was given by the festival. Smoot was a master at making artists (and audiences) happy through … » Read