LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s cruise through its centennial year suddenly hit some rough road as summer turned to fall. Simon Woods, the Phil’s CEO for only 20 months, abruptly departed Sep. 16 for reasons, … » Read

CHICAGO—There’s something surprisingly luxurious about seeing Verdi’s Luisa Miller live. For one thing, it’s rarely performed. Lyric Opera of Chicago, which unveiled a splendidly sung production Saturday night at the Lyric … » Read

LONDON—The French have a word for it: loufoque . It means zany, bizarre, bewildering…in fact all things preposterous. In opera, there is nothing more “loufoque” than Offenbach’s satirical operetta Orphée aux … » Read

Jörg Widmann is no stranger to the U.S. Music by the Munich-born composer (and Juilliard trained clarinetist) has proved popular over here with works popping up on the programs of most major orchestras. This summer he was resident at the … » Read

With its 99 choristers, 75 supernumeraries and enough bling to sink the Titanic, Franco Zeffirelli’s ultra-lavish production of Turandot is rightly considered a trinket in the Metropolitan Opera’s treasure chest, having held its place … » Read

As the train pulls into Ossining, in Westchester, NY, I catch the glimmer of the barbed wire surrounding Sing Sing Prison through the window. It’s an eerie welcome; the proximity successfully magnifies the impact of The Wait Room , San … » Read