William “Bill” Winstead, former principal bassoonist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and a much beloved composer and teacher, died at the age 77 on Feb. 12.  A month earlier the CSO had premiered his Passages in Time , … » Read

JERUSALEM--Despite objections from sexual abuse activists, the Israeli Opera will host a weeklong singing competition organized by Spanish opera star Plácido Domingo in Tel Aviv later this year. Domingo, 80, has withdrawn from all U.S. … » Read

Daniel Harding has withdrawn from conducting the Vienna Opera Ball two days from now, “due to a serious illness in the family,” reports the Staatsoper. James Conlon, who in December led successful performances of Die Zauberflöte … » Read

Telling the Courier Journal that the job was not what he had expected, Robert Massey announced he would leave his position as  CEO of the Louisville Symphony after barely more than a year. He characterized the decision as a mutual one, and … » Read

French conductor Emmanuel Villaume, music director and chief conductor of the Prague Philharmonia and music director of The Dallas Opera, has joined Cambridge, UK-based Hazard Chase for general management. He was previously with Opus 3. Villaume … » Read

As Seattle Opera’s inaugural scholar-in-residence, Naomi André occupies a unique position. “Many opera companies have an expert in opera history . . . and some have internal committees that work on issues such as implicit … » Read

The Philly Pops has a new music director and principal conductor in David Charles Abell. He succeeds Todd Ellison who has “abruptly” departed, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, after barely a year in the job. Ellison, a busy … » Read

Stephan Zilias (pictured), Kapellmeister at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, has been appointed general music director of the Hannover State Opera, starting next fall. He succeeds Ivan Repušic, now music director of the Munich Radio Orchestra. … » Read

The Juilliard School has promoted Music Division Director Adam Meyer to the position of provost, succeeding Ara Guzelimian, who announced last year that he would be resigning from the chief academic post. Meyer, who is also deputy dean of the … » Read

Canadian virtuoso Angela Hewitt lost her “best friend” when her one-of-a-kind F278 Fazioli piano was dropped by movers. “I hope my piano will be happy in piano heaven,” she says, describing the handmade instrument as … » Read