LONDON—Founded by Iván Fischer and the late Zoltán Kocsis in 1983, the Budapest Festival Orchestra has been a guarantee of artistry for decades. Its regular BBC Proms performances are invariably sold out, which was why a … » Read

EVANSTON, Ill.— After Sir Andrew Davis was diagnosed with leukemia, the conductor and his son Ed Frazier Davis began to discuss end-of-life plans. Rather than a funeral, the elder Davis wanted a musical “celebration of life” … » Read

LOS ANGELES—Given the current administration’s predilections, this might seem a dangerous time in which to launch a festival celebrating the music of two late Black and/or homosexual avant-gardists. But the first-time consortium of LA … » Read

CHICAGO—The world needs more tenors like Karim Sulayman. Sulayman, 48, showed uncommon grace, levity, and nuance in a Feb. 27 recital hosted by the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC). Sulayman was born and raised in Chicago; … » Read

LONDON—The adrenaline was flowing at this February 28 Barbican Centre concert with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBCSO) and Elim Chan. Not only was the Hong Kong-born conductor—a rapidly rising star and the first woman to win the … » Read

Moby-Dick arrives the Metropolitan Opera with an impressive track record. In the years since its 2010 Dallas Opera world premiere, the Jake Heggie/Gene Scheer opera has racked up performances in a dozen different opera houses. This production, … » Read

The breadth of America’s contemporary music scene is captured in Adjacence , the latest release from Brooklyn-based guitarist Daniel Lippel . The double album brings together an eclectic group of 14 chamber works for ensembles large and … » Read

The Vienna Philharmonic historically has had no music director, but if it did, Riccardo Muti in all likelihood would hold the post. Having first conducted the orchestra in 1971, he has led more than 500 concerts, including annual New Year’s … » Read

LONDON—February 26 marked the latest installment in the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s so-called "Moments Remembered" season, a concept so vague that any piece of music would seem to qualify. Excellent though much of the event was, … » Read

SAN FRANCISCO—As part of its cost-saving regimen, the San Francisco Symphony has said it will commission fewer new works in the future. But one that was already in the pipeline, Xavier Muzik’s Strange Beasts , received its world … » Read