SAN FRANCISCO—It was at the turn of the millennium that composer Poul Ruders and librettist Paul Bentley adapted The Handmaid's Tale into an opera. These days, however, their version of the dystopian novel Margaret Atwood published in 1985 … » Read

LONDON—English National Opera may be stricken with grant cuts and other budgetary woes, but it seems determined to celebrate the Puccini centenary with gusto. This September 27 presentation of Suor Angelica (part two of the composer’s … » Read

The September 27 world premiere of the opera Silent Light marked the first full-length work by Paola Prestini to be mounted at Brooklyn’s National Sawdust. Given that she founded the venue and remains its artistic director, the occasion … » Read

SAN FRANCISCO—When soprano Julia Bullock appears onstage, attention must be paid. That was affirmed once again on September 27, when the singer anchored an American Modern Opera Company (AMOC) staging of Olivier Messiaen’s 1945 song … » Read

LONDON—New York-born Ted Huffman has carved a niche in Europe as a distinctive director of emotionally profound, psychologically probing opera productions. From Monteverdi to Maxwell Davies and beyond, his work teems with ideas, often … » Read

George Brant, librettist of the opera Grounded , with music by Jeanine Tesori, has fashioned its text from his 2013 play of the same name. In order to turn what was originally a one-woman show into a full-scale opera, the creators have added … » Read

Expansive but not imposing, profound but never weighty, Meredith Monk's new, 80-minute music-theater piece Indra's Net handily filled the Park Avenue Armory's vast drill hall on September 23, while also shrugging off any pretensions of … » Read

CHICAGO— It’s one thing to perform for 1,500 people, the capacity of downtown Chicago’s Harris Theater. How about performing for 15,000 people? Music of the Baroque grew its audience by at least that much on September 18, thanks … » Read

PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill.— It would be herculean for even a major orchestra to tackle three symphonies on a single program. Now imagine a regional orchestra doing the same, with three symphonies most musicians haven’t heard live in their … » Read

It was hard to discern the through-line in the New York Philharmonic’s September 19 program. It was billed as having been “curated by the orchestra’s musicians”––a team of players working alongside … » Read