Lilian Barbash, often called Long Island’s first lady of the arts, died on July 4 at her home in Brightwaters, NY. She was 92 and suffered from heart disease. She and her late husband Maurice, a real estate developer, were among the … » Read

Two regional opera companies recently named new general directors, two women succeeding men. Clare Burovac , recent director of artistic operations for Portland Opera, is to take over at the New Orleans Opera in September, in the meantime holding … » Read

While major American opera companies will not be returning to the stage anytime soon, a few in Europe are, albeit carefully. Among the most aggressive is Madrid’s Teatro Real, which is presenting 27 performances of La Traviata, uncut. While … » Read

Since the beginning of April, a remarkable number of music industry notables have died, most of them men. Not all of their deaths can be attributed to COVID-19, but many of them, especially among elder statesmen, can be. They include the designer … » Read

MILAN--For the 2020/21 edition of the Maggio Musicale Festival in Florence, superintendent Alexander Pereira has pulled out all the stops. Star-studded programs feature names like Anna Netrebko, Riccardo Muti and Zubin Mehta, but one in … » Read

Musical America was curious as to why Alexander Pereira, in designing his first season as intendant of Maggio Musicale Fiorintino, was intent on having James Levine on the roster. Following is a transcription of his conversation with … » Read

ROME (AP) — Oscar-winning Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who created the coyote-howl theme for the iconic Spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and often haunting soundtracks for such classic Hollywood gangster movies as The … » Read

Andrés Holder , recent general manager of the Washington Ballet, is the new executive director of the Boston Children’s Chorus, an organization comprising 13 choirs from 110 different Boston-area zip codes. He succeeds Anthony … » Read

Drew McManus is gathering his annual compensation reports, posting music director and executive salaries for orchestras in the 2017-18 season. The list of Top Ten Earners shows Riccardo Muti way out in front among music directors, earning … » Read

Like most opera singers right now, Vuvu Mpofu’s 2020 calendar is a patchwork of cancellations and question marks. Locked down in her grandmother’s house in Port Elizabeth, however, the South African soprano has a more immediate … » Read