When the call came telling jazz singer/composer Cecile McLorin Salvant that she was to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, commonly referred to as a “genius grant,” she told the caller, “You made a mistake. Because it’s … » Read

Musicians unable to follow a regular performance schedule—i.e., most of them—are eager to find other ways to engage with their artistic colleagues. One way attracting increasing attention is the commissioning of new works. The … » Read

Marin Alsop has been named music director of the annual National Orchestral Institute + Festival at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. She’s its first ever music director, but has been active over the … » Read

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Helen Reddy, who shot to stardom in the 1970s with her rousing feminist anthem I Am Woman and recorded a string of other hits, has died. She was 78. Reddy’s children Traci and Jordan announced that the actor-singer … » Read

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