In a famous 1917 essay “The Sahara of the Bozart,” the acid-tongued critic H. L. Mencken dismissed the South’s cultural life as “an awe-inspiring blank.” One can only wonder what he would make of the decision by a … » Read

James Jorden, founder and editor extraordinaire of Parterre Box: The Queer Opera Zine , aka Parterre.com, perhaps the most read opera website in the business, has died. He was 69. Information as to the cause is not immediately available; he was … » Read

Five new musicians join the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the 2023-24 season, its last under music director Louis Langrée [pictured]. These are in addition to the 11 new players added this past January, bringing Langrée’s … » Read

Sue Elliott is to be general director and CEO of the Calgary Opera as of November 20 th , 2023. She succeeds Heather Kitchen, who is retiring after five years in the job and 40 in arts administration. Elliott arrives to the 50-year-old opera … » Read

Students at the Cleveland Institute of Music have won their campaign against CIM Orchestral Studies Director and Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar. Two weeks after their sit-in to protest investigation results that cleared him of selected … » Read

Pianist Russell Sherman died on September 30 at his home in Lexington, MA. He was 93. Mr. Sherman was born in New York and made his Town Hall debut in 1945. After spending time in New York's contemporary music circles, a move to California and … » Read

Upon first blush, the appointment of Christian Thielemann to succeed Daniel Barenboim as music director at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden beginning with the 2024-25 season seemed a good fit. One of the great interpreters of Wagner, Bruckner, and … » Read

Scott Altman, current president and CEO of the Cincinnati Ballet, onetime opera singer and opera company executive, is to be the new president and CEO of the Los Angeles Master Chorale as of January 2. He succeeds Jean Davidson, who exited in … » Read

On Sept. 22, Alejandro Meerapfel suffered a fatal heart attack and died on stage while performing at the Ambronay Early Music Festival in France. The 54-year-old Argentinian baritone was singing the role of God the Father in Antonio … » Read

BERLIN (AP) — Christian Thielemann has been chosen as the new general music director of Berlin’s Staatsoper, months after Daniel Barenboim ended his three-decade reign , the city government said Wednesday. The 64-year-old German … » Read