The undeniable impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the performing arts should not overshadow the occasional glimmers of light emanating from an intrepid organization like the Chicago Opera Theater (COT) and its music director, Lidiya … » Read

NEW YORK (AP) — Once worth nearly a billion dollars, opera-loving philanthropist Alberto Vilar is seeking financial relief from what his lawyers describe as a destitute existence following his 2018 release from prison. Vilar’s lawyers … » Read

NEW YORK (AP) — Roger Berlind, a producer of more than 100 Broadway plays and musicals and the winner of 25 Tony Awards, has died. He was 90. He died Dec. 18 at his home in Montana. His family said cardiopulmonary arrest was to blame, The … » Read

At first glance, it might seem to be no more than the female equivalent of “concertmaster,”  the most significant section leader in an orchestra. But, argues violinist Laurie Niles on Violinist.com , the term concertmistress … » Read

PARIS--Israeli virtuoso violinist Ivry Gitlis has died in Paris aged 98, his family told AFP Thursday. As one of the modern greats of classical music, he not only performed with the best orchestras in the world but never stopped experimenting, … » Read

Longtime San Francisco Symphony pianist Robin Sutherland died of brain cancer on Dec. 18, at his San Francisco home. He was 69. Passionate about the music of Bach and Mozart, Sutherland in his 45-year SFS career showed a deep commitment to the … » Read

Polish conductor Marzena Diakun , 39, is to be the new artistic director and principal conductor of the Orquesta y Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid (ORCAM) from the fall 2021. She succeeds Victor Pablo Pérez in the post. Diakun, first guest … » Read

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