LONDON—Two musical behemoths, of comparable duration and employing near-identical forces, filled London’s Barbican Hall with sound March 23. As well as the healthy economics of engaging four singers for an entire evening rather than a … » Read

Nonesuch Records has championed Steve Reich for four decades with a slew of first recordings, many of them definitive. They form the bedrock of a 27-disc set of Reich’s “Collected Works,” released this month. A handful of … » Read

LOS ANGELES—Over the past decade or so, the Mozart/Da Ponte opera cycle— The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni , and Così fan tutte— has established prominent beachheads in California. First, Gustavo Dudamel and the Los … » Read

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