She has captivated audiences from the Metropolitan Opera to the Mariinsky Theater, where she began her career mopping the stage. Yet there is little of the distant, aloof diva in Anna Netrebko, who regularly shares pictures of herself and her … » Read

The protests in Hong Kong will be at the core of two new projects by the dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. The first, a new production of Puccini’s Turandot , which he will design and direct for the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, is … » Read

David Polk is leaving his position as program director of Chicago’s classical music station WFMT after 13 years with the company. He started as an intern under the late Andrew Patner, when he was critic-at-large. Polk had worked his way up … » Read

The Cincinnati Pops has tapped American conductor/actor Damon Gupton as principal guest conductor beginning with the upcoming season. “Damon is a fantastic musician who has really connected with both our audiences and musicians,” said … » Read

An affair between Dmitri Shostakovich and Bolshoi ballerina Nina Ivanova is documented in a series of ten love letters, apparently recently surfaced, set to be auctioned on August 22 for up to 800,000 rubles (about $12,000). The news is reported … » Read

In the wake of the  Associated Press’s report about Plácido Domingo’s past unwanted indiscretions, the reactions on either side of the pond are quite different. Stateside, the  Philadelphia Orchestra and the  San … » Read

Dalya Alberge, a free-lance reporter writing in The Guardian , has managed to raise the hackles of Stuart Murphy, the CEO of the English National Opera (ENO). Her offense—describing the ENO as “beleaguered.” Alberge reported on … » Read

Kirshbaum Associates has a new addition to its roster, and he is undoubtedly the youngest on the list. The company has signed 20-year-old Zlatomir Fung , recent first prize winner in the cello division of the International Tchaikovsky … » Read

As the Dubai Opera prepares for its fourth season, CEO Jasper Hope is proud that the venue has become an anchor for the UAE’s cultural scene and a hot spot in Dubai’s downtown. Since arriving from Royal Albert Hall, Hope has presented … » Read

For decades, Plácido Domingo, one of the most celebrated and powerful men in opera, has tried to pressure women into sexual relationships by dangling jobs and then sometimes punishing the women professionally when they refused his … » Read