See also, Part I. Sybarite5 (Sami Merdinian and Sarah Whitney, violins; Angela Pickett, viola; Laura Metcalf, cello; and Louis Levitt, bass) is a standout among groovier new music ensembles. Its latest disc, Live from New York , is a diverse … » Read

VIENNA – As Joni Mitchell wrote, “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” This made the surprise reopening of Vienna’s wondrous Musikverein for three weeks in … » Read

While COVID-19 continues to stamp out the prospects of live performance—at least in the U.S.—it’s never been a better time to listen to recordings. To judge from the contents of my download folder, new American music is still … » Read

No one could have predicted the value of A New Century , the latest recording from the Cleveland Orchestra and the first release on its new in-house label. Conceived as the kickoff to a new, post-centennial era under Music Director Franz … » Read

These are banner times for opera online , but viewers would do well to check out BR Klassic’s new Die Walküre (four CDs) with Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (which follows their Das Rheingold from 2015). The … » Read

Following hot on the heels of operatic galas and new-music marathons from the Met Opera and Bang on a Can, U.K.-based Gramophone magazine came up with the classical music all-star equivalent, a three-hour May 10 virtual concert by 30-or-so of the … » Read

Last week it was the four-hour Met Gala, and now contemporary music powerhouse Bang on a Can (BOAC) has embraced the new normal with an inspiriting six-hour May 3 online marathon. “We are all waiting for the world to heal, but until it … » Read

The COVID-19 pandemic may have put paid to live performances, but so far it’s had little effect on the steady flow of recordings—and especially of new music—coming onto the market. Here are seven of the most interesting recent … » Read

The Metropolitan Opera’s April 25 At-Home Gala was a welcome ray of light and a credit to the determination of General Manager Peter Gelb to keep opera—and the Met in particular—in the public spotlight. Hosted by Gelb and Met … » Read

One of Gustavo Dudamel’s first acts as music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic was to appoint John Adams to the newly created position of Creative Chair, cementing a relationship with the orchestra that already dated … » Read