The announcement on June 25 that the papers of composer Stephen Sondheim, who died in 2021, were coming to the Library of Congress (LOC) marked the culmination of a courtship that began over three decades ago. In 1993, Mark Horowitz, a senior … » Read

The passing of Alfred Brendel on June 17, 2025 has prompted remembrances and encomiums from across the classical music world. One of the most touching—from Sir Simon Rattle—appeared in The Guardian . He recalls first hearing Brendel … » Read

Philadelphia-based chamber chorus The Crossing, still thriving and winning accolades 21 years after its founding by conductor Donald Nally, is preparing for a 2025-26 season of premieres and works relevant to the times, both the good and the bad. … » Read

Karita Mattila, the Finnish operatic soprano who has graced many of the world’s leading stages, has joined Opus 3’s roster for worldwide general management. Known for a dramatic and vocal range that stretches from Mozart to Wagner, … » Read

The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) Jazz Arts division, soon to enter its 41 st year as an MSM degree-granting department, has announced that composer/saxophonist James (Jim) Saltzman, a longtime faculty member, is to be its next dean of Jazz … » Read

Two orchestras have announced new assistant conductors. Na'Zir McFadden [pictured], 25, has been tapped by the Jacksonville (FL) Symphony to succeed Kevin Fitzgerald, who exits at the end of his three-year tenure. McFadden starts next fall; he … » Read

Music, insists Robert Zatorre, one of the world’s leading experts on the neuroscience of music, “touches everything… memory, perception, motor skills, emotions, and reading.” The professor at the Montreal Neurological … » Read

When Terry Harper retired as the sole piano tuner at Sydney’s Opera House on June 20, he ended a family legacy that began with his father Ron when the iconic venue opened in 1973. Three years later the 19-year-old son, after a one-year … » Read

Hawijch Elders [pictured] bested two other finalists to take home the top award at the 2 nd Antonio Mormone International Prize, which concluded on June 22 in Milan. The 26-year-old Dutch violinist received a €30,000 cash prize, a recording … » Read

A recent recital at Children’s National Hospital in northwest Washington, D.C. served as a reminder both of music’s healing powers and of the need for parents of sick children to find a bit of relief. “Opera Italiana is in the … » Read