One of my favorite recordings of 2023 was Ennanga by harpist Ashley Jackson. An assured and original debut on the pioneering Bright Shiny Things label, it explored West African musical traditions and the importance of the African American … » Read

Trumpeter Esteban Batallán’s much-ballyhooed move last August from the Chicago to the Philadelphia Orchestra has proven to be less than the “beautiful partnership” the Spanish-born musician suggested might lead him to … » Read

LONDON—February 26 marked the latest installment in the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s so-called "Moments Remembered" season, a concept so vague that any piece of music would seem to qualify. Excellent though much of the event was, … » Read

The Florida Orchestra’s gala benefit concert last weekend featuring Yo-Yo Ma provided the backdrop for the announcement of two separate $1 million gifts. Edward Kaloust, the founder and former CEO of MEDI-Weightloss, made one of the gifts … » Read

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) pays musicians a base salary of about $110,000 for a 20-week classical series as well as pops concerts and live-with-film performances. This level of compensation is a stark contrast to that for members of … » Read

The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) has found a short-term solution to its need for a successor to Carlos Kalmar, whose contentious departure from CIM in late 2023 found its way into the courts. Tito Muñoz [pictured] , former music … » Read

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is initiating the Jazz Legacies Fellowship, a program that will honor 20 jazz musicians with a no-strings-attached $100,000 grant. The only requirement—the recipients must be at least 62 years old. "Many of … » Read

When Leonard Foglia was invited to direct an opera based on Herman Melville’s masterpiece about a white whale, his first reaction was: “Moby-Dick. That’s great!” “Then I ran to a used bookstore and got the … » Read

Eastern Music Festival (EMF), est. 1962, has cancelled its upcoming iteration for the first time ever, save for the pandemic. The event, scheduled this year for June 28-August 2, is held annually on the campus of Guilford College in Greensboro, … » Read

Yuki Hirano took home first prize at the Seventh International Heifetz Competition for Violinist s, held on Feb. 21 and 22 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The 21-year-old Japanese musician, currently a student at the Music and Arts University of the City … » Read