Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecien has announced his immediate retirement after a 27-year career during which he sang in more than 200 performances at the Metropolitan Opera. Health issues stemming from a slipped disc suffered during a Met … » Read

The honeymoon continues, even as it crosses an ocean. This morning, the Boston Symphony Orchestra announced another extension to Andris Nelsons’s contract as music director, which keeps him on the podium through 2025. It supersedes his … » Read

Richard Woitach, pianist and staff conductor at the Metropolitan Opera for 38 years, died on October 3 at Mt. Sinai Morningside Hospital in Manhattan after a long illness. He was 84; his death was reported by his wife, Jeryl Metz Woitach. Prior … » Read

Sean Michael Gross has resigned his position as Director of Global Strategy and Innovation at London-based Askonas Holt, which, pre-pandemic, was one of the largest agencies in the world, with a staff of 75 and a roster of 240 artists. Gross … » Read

The death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, at the hands of Louisville police is but one instance of violence against Black people that has roiled the U.S. over the past year. Incidents that seem to occur with alarming regularity have had a … » Read

Pre-eminent clarinetist Michael Collins is to be the new artistic director in-residence of the London Mozart Players, a two-year appointment that starts September 2021 and fits in well with his evolution into conducting. LMP has recently launched … » Read

Now that Ed Yim has left as president and CEO of the American Composers Orchestra , a search for his successor is underway. In the interim, Lyndsay Werking, development director since 2017, will add the president’s responsibilities to her … » Read

Handel’s opera Rinaldo offers unusual opportunities for instrumental virtuosity, of which the most charming is the recorder obbligato in a classic “bird call” aria. Tabea Debus did the honors for the English Concert’s 2018 … » Read

Nigel Redden, longtime general director of the Spoleto Festival USA, has said he will step down in October 2021 after 35 years of ever-imaginative, often bold artistic and executive leadership. During the shutdown necessitated by the pandemic, … » Read

The 2020 Bayreuth Festival was cancelled, due to the pandemic, but things are looking up for next summer. For one, Katharina Wagner returned to the helm on September 21, apparently recovered from what sounds like a very serious illness, as DW … » Read