LONDON—The February 25 Philharmonia concert at London’s Festival Hall saw the welcome return of Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, the orchestra’s conductor laureate, alongside pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. They … » Read

Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) will mark its 50 th anniversary with an 18-month celebration throughout 2026 and half of 2027. During the past five years the company’s budget has grown to more than $15 million and its audience has increased both … » Read

The Gran Teatre del Liceu will launch its first new Ring cycle in over ten years next season. The staging by Tobias Kratzer is a co-production with the Bayerische Staatsoper, where it launched in October of 2024 with Das Rheingold ; Die … » Read

The Cleveland Orchestra (TCO) has named five new players to its violin and viola sections. With these additions, Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, now in his 24 th year, will have appointed more than half of the orchestra. In May Elizabeth … » Read

The tales of musicians refused boarding for a flight because they not allowed to stow their instruments as carry-on luggage are legion. Even the most enlightened policies don’t work if gate agents and ticket sales staff are unfamiliar with … » Read

Yuja Wang, superwoman of the keyboard, has accused Norman Lebrecht, classical music commentator known for breaking news, much of it editorialized, of “derogatory misogynistic bullying.” Lebrecht had been trying for over a year to … » Read

Gustavo Dudamel conducted Beethoven’s Missa solemnis with the Los Angeles Philharmonic last weekend in Disney Hall, his maiden voyage with the composer’s most demanding work, and arguably the summit of his farewell season. When Klaus … » Read

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO )  appears to be spreading its programming wings in 2026–27 season, opening with a jazz gala on September 25 with Music Director Jonathon Heyward and the orchestra spotlighting jazz vocalist Samara … » Read

Xian Zhang will launch her second season as music director of the Seattle Symphony on Sept. 19 with a gala to include Yuja Wang performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The season’s start will also introduce patrons to the … » Read

Since its return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban “outlaws music, and criminalizes performing or even listening to music,” writes Sarah Dawood in Index on Censorship . Thousands of musical instruments and sound … » Read