The classical music world lost a wealth of talent in 2023. Here are a number of artists, pedagogues, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the field during the course of their lives. Italian soprano Renata Scotto , whose … » Read

In accordance with recent tradition, the Metropolitan Opera instituted a new production on New Year’s Eve (December 31). Its unremarkable choice of Bizet’s Carmen this time may have been motivated more by the present trend to … » Read

Among high-profile music (as opposed to film) critics, opinions of Bradley Cooper’s Maestro are mostly positive, or “pretty good” as Mark Swed writes in the Los Angeles Times . Cooper’s commitment to getting the story … » Read

LONDON—Of all the instruments in an orchestra, the French horn is the most exposed. One crack and the whole audience winces. Listening to a fiendish bit of Peter Maxwell Davies a few months back at London’s Wigmore Hall, it was a … » Read

BERLIN (AP) — The Austrian government said Saturday that it is giving the country’s centuries-old Vienna Boys Choir 800,000 euros ($884,000) to help it out of severe financial difficulties. “It goes without saying that we will … » Read

As the annual de rigueur “End of the Year” summary, Musical America focusses not on the big events of the past but on the emerging stars of the future. Discovered in action by our critics, the 12 New Artists of the Month in 2023 range … » Read

On Christmas Day, Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lubimova invited Valery Gergiev, pianist Dennis Matsuev, and three cultural bureaucrats from the Moscow Philharmonic, Russian State Television and Radio (VGTRK), and her own Ministry of Culture … » Read

Life for musicians in the U.K. can be pretty grim at the moment. A recent census of over 6,000 of their peers found that 30 percent of professional musicians are experiencing low mental well-being, due largely to financial circumstance. "It's … » Read

The enthusiasm of post-pandemic audiences for a return to live performances has thus far been less than full-throated. The ready availability of streamed concerts and plays has disrupted long-established patterns of cultural consumption and … » Read

Jean Kellogg, who joined the Merola Opera Program in 2011 as its first executive director, will officially retire as of January 1, 2024. She has agreed to serve as a consultant to the Merola’s board until a successor is found, hopefully by … » Read