The Springfield (MA) Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Local 171 of the American Federation of Musicians have reached a two-year collective bargaining agreement that extends through 2026–27. SSO President and CEO Paul Lambert called the new … » Read

When Samuel Barber was nine years old, he told his parents he wanted to be a composer. A year later, in 1920, he wrote an operetta, and by 1922 had become a church organist. He was “a genius, and a prodigy,” argues the British … » Read

LONDON—Nestled among the Chiltern Hills, Garsington is one of the most picturesque venues on the English country-house-opera circuit. Founded in 1989, the company relocated in 2011 to Wormsley Park at the invite of Mark Getty, younger son … » Read

In Strauss and Hofmannsthal’s Ariadne auf Naxos , an opera seria ensemble and a commedia dell’arte troupe are ordered to perform “gleichzeitig”—simultaneously. In fact, Ariadne ’s opera-within-an-opera achieves … » Read

The Atlanta Opera has appointed Iván López Reynoso as its new principal conductor with the start of the upcoming 2025–26 season. He debuted with the company this past season with a much-acclaimed performance of Verdi’s … » Read

Although Keith Lockhart’s first concert as the successor to John Williams was in 1995, his debut with the Boston Pops came two years earlier. So Boston’s "Keith Lockhart Day" and celebratory concert on June 6 was several years late … » Read

The 12 th International Stanislaw Moniuszko Vocal Competition, a triennial event, crowned its winners on June 7 in Warsaw at the Polish National Opera. Tenor Samuel Stopford from Great Britain took home the €20,000 first prize. The 23 rd … » Read

LOS ANGELES—Arriving for the third performance of LA Opera’s current run of Verdi’s Rigoletto on June 12 felt like entering an updated authoritarian Mantua in the twilight zone. The streets were almost deserted, as an 8 p.m. … » Read

The  passing of Alfred Brendel brings a flood of memories. And it’s a reminder of the fragility of life, even for those lofty souls who stride atop classical music’s Mt. Olympus. Mr. Brendel’s place among those immortals … » Read

The Cleveland Orchestra has added four new musicians to its ranks—one last fall and three this summer. Their addition means that Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, entering his 24 th year and set to leave in 2027, has selected more than … » Read