CHICAGO—The first and last time the Chicago Symphony played Samuel Barber’s Toccata Festiva —commissioned to break in a new organ at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, in 1960—was in 2003, more than 20 years ago. With … » Read

When Simon Rattle became music director of the London Symphony Orchestra in 2017 after 16 years leading the Berlin Philharmonic, the London press welcomed back the U.K.’s foremost conductor with open arms. Yet his tenure at the LSO lasted … » Read

BOSTON—Did any composer ever love Shakespeare more than Berlioz—even Verdi, with his three major operas based on the master's work? Berlioz even went so far as to become infatuated with an actress playing Juliet, and one masterpiece … » Read

LONDON—There was a time it looked like the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Ring Cycle would never be completed. Chief Conductor Vladimir Jurowski polished off Das Rheingold and Die Walküre in 2018 and 2019. Siegfried sneaked in a … » Read

Things didn’t proceed quite as planned for Hilary Hahn’s final concerts with the New York Philharmonic as artist in residence. The orchestra’s change of personnel, due to the scandal, extended to the podium, where future Music … » Read

At a casual glance, Cio-Cio San, the title character of Madama Butterfly , seems like an archetypal Puccini “piccola donna”: a delicate young woman along the lines of La bohème ’s Mimì or Turandot ’s … » Read

LONDON--The Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Artists Programme is not just about fostering talent, it enriches the artform through staged performances that often reach beyond the regular canon. This April 26 double bill in the Linbury … » Read

Alsop on Adams Marin Alsop has been quietly championing John Adams abroad—and now at the Met Opera conducting his El Nino—for decades. A new Naxos recording with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra demonstrates her flair and … » Read

Nadia Boulanger was “the most influential woman in music history,” according to Neal Goren, the innovative artistic director of New York’s Catapult Opera. It’s a big statement, but one that is hard to argue with. In the … » Read

LONDON—This April 18 London Symphony Orchestra concert at London’s Barbican Centre was rewarding on so many levels. First, the smartly conceived program was littered with subtle links and echoes, many not apparent until you actually … » Read