“I have to say, you guys are very brave, showing up to hear a piece that hasn’t been heard in 127 years,” clarinetist Graeme Steele Johnson cheerily greeted an audience in Gilder Lehrman Hall at the Morgan Library & Museum … » Read

CHICAGO— Before It All Goes Dark , the newest opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer, commissioned by the Music of Remembrance organization, is short. A one-act piece, it’s barely 40 minutes long. The musical forces … » Read

Environmental themes run through much of director Peter Sellars’s work. In his 2019 Salzburg Idomeneo , the god Neptune sought revenge on the human race for spoiling the oceans. His libretto for John Adams’s 2005 Doctor Atomic … » Read

LOS ANGELES—What to do with Puccini’s Turandot ?  Among the most popular operas on the boards—thanks in particular to “Nessun dorma”—it is also one of the most difficult to stage convincingly. It has … » Read

LEWES—According to the arts commentator Richard Morrison, writing in the London Times, unless there’s a shift in political will (which seems unlikely) the distinctly English curiosity known as “country house opera” may … » Read

If admirers of choreographer Mark Morris helped to ensure the warm reception accorded his production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice upon its return to the Metropolitan Opera May 16, fans of Anthony Roth Costanzo were similarly celebratory as … » Read

CINCINNATI – What happens to your fond farewells when your guest of honor is late to the party? The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra had earmarked the end of the current season with a two-week tribute to outgoing Music Director Louis … » Read

The depth of New York City’s cultural offerings can be astounding. In addition to the flagship musical organizations, a plethora of smaller companies regularly present adventurous programs ranging from newly commissioned pieces to works … » Read

Not seen on its stage since 2016, then following a 22-year career hiatus, Kathleen Battle returned to the Metropolitan Opera on May 12, in a concert produced by AMP Worldwide, presenter of Disney-in-concert films and the like. Now age 75, she … » Read

CHICAGO—If someone is to do double duty on a Chicago Symphony concert, it’s probably going to be Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider. The Danish conductor and violinist, 48, has built a career from wielding both bow and baton in the same … » Read