James Arkatov, who 51 years ago founded the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) and became its first principal cellist, died on Saturday, May 12. He was 98. Arkatov arrived from Russia in San Francisco at age five with his family. He began … » Read

A little over a year ago, the Hamburg State Opera, unbelievably,  fired soprano Julie Fuchs because she was four months pregnant. It did so without input from her or her physician. At the time, she wrote on Facebook, “The Staatsoper … » Read

On May 19 the Chaminade Music Club in Yonkers, NY, will present Her/Music; Her/Story , a program featuring women composers that includes two works by Cécile Chaminade. The French composer and pianist “was one of the most popular and … » Read

Conductor Ward Stare, 36, will not renew his contract as music director of the Rochester Philharmonic when it expires at the end of the summer in 2021. He has been in the job since 2014. He arrived at a chaotic time for the orchestra, which had … » Read

Women conductors are busy making up for years of neglect. Yesterday, the  Boston Symphony announced Anna Rakitin, a recent conservatory graduate on her way to LA to be a Dudamel Fellow, would be its next assistant music director. Today, the … » Read

When Susan Wadsworth founded Young Concert Artists (YCA) in 1961, she often staged the fledgling organization’s recitals in an Armenian restaurant in Greenwich Village. After 58 years, Wadsworth will retire on Thursday, May 16, to be … » Read

When conductor Brandon Keith Brown was  “relieved of his duties” from Brown University two years ago (two days before a performance with the orchestra), neither the university nor Brown, 39, commented. Now living in Berlin, he … » Read

George Hanson is the new executive director of the Alexandria (VA) Symphony Orchestra as of June 1. He succeeds Paul Frank, who died two years ago after four months in the job. Hanson arrives in the Virginia orchestra’s top administrative … » Read

Michigan’s Ann Arbor Symphony, with an annual budget of $1.6 million, is in for some major changes at the top. Mary Steffek Blaske, the orchestra’s executive director of 25 years, has said she will retire. At the same time, the … » Read

Anthony Parnther [pictured] is the new music director of the San Bernadino [CA] Symphony, effective next fall. He becomes the 16th individual to do so since the organization’s founding in 1929. Also music director of the Southeast … » Read