When Gustavo Dudamel first burst on the scene with his Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, one of their signature pieces was “Mambo” from West Side Story . The players, often clad in their signature yellow-red-and-blue bomber … » Read

After a two-year search, the Phoenix Chorale, a professional chamber choir based in Phoenix, AZ, has named former Kings Singer Christopher Gabbitas [pictured] as artistic director starting next season. He succeeds Charles Bruffy who led the choir … » Read

Longtime Metropolitan Opera Orchestra trombonist Weston Sprott is the new dean of Juilliard’s preparatory division, overseeing the school’s pre-college division and Music Advancement Program (MAP). He will also remain with the MET … » Read

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