One of the biggest, coolest, most important new music events in New York, the three-day Long Play Festival is a 21st-century universe, the complicated elements of which perhaps can't be fully appreciated until something goes wrong. On the final … » Read

NEW YORK—Ever since Giacomo Puccini died without finishing his last opera, Turandot , audiences have thrilled to its soaring melodies like “Nessun Dorma,” but also perhaps lamented the lack of a proper ending. Now the Washington … » Read

Abravanel Hall, the home of the Utah Symphony, may be under threat of being swept aside by an ambitious downtown “entertainment district” promoted by the Smith Entertainment Group. Headed by billionaire Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah … » Read

On April 28, the Civic Orchestra of Los Angeles (CO-LA) debuted at First Congregational Church. The ensemble, barely a month old, had only four rehearsals before presenting a program that included Aleksandra Pakhmutova’s Concerto for … » Read

In a recent study , SMU Data Arts used financial information from 233 arts organizations to analyze trends in the bottom line and amount of working capital over the four years between FY 2019 and 2023. Working capital provides a good measure of … » Read

NEW YORK (AP) — Oksana Lyniv, Speranza Scappucci, Marin Alsop, and Xian Zhang filled their lockers in the guest conductors’ dressing room off the Metropolitan Opera’s orchestra pit. Just four women had led the orchestra from … » Read

The traditional stereotype of the conductor--an unapproachable, god-like genius unencumbered by everyday concerns--is undergoing a generational transformation. So argues Andrew Mellor when considering the recently concluded Malko Competition , … » Read

There can be no question that opera in the U.K. is in crisis, what with the government’s misguided slashing of the funds that arts groups have long depended upon. (It’s not doing all that well in the U.S. either, but fewer … » Read

By any measure, Marin Alsop has had an extraordinary career. The first woman to lead a major American orchestra--she spent 14 somewhat fractious years at the helm of the Baltimore Symphony --she has also held prestigious appointments in Europe … » Read

The sudden announcement by Gustavo Dudamel in late May of 2023 that he was stepping down as music director of the Paris Opera shocked the classical music world. He was leaving only two years into a contract extending to 2027. The press release … » Read