Latvian violinist Marta Sparnina has resigned as concertmaster of the Sinfonietta Riga after 14 years, explaining that she no longer wants to play music by Russian composers while the war in Ukraine continues. At the very moment that Russian has … » Read

The Richmond (IN) Symphony Orchestra, with a season of six concerts on an annual budget of $450,000, has chosen Andrés Lopera to be its next music director after a two-year search. He succeeds Guy Victor Bordo, who retired after 25 years … » Read

TOKYO (AP) — Ryuichi Sakamoto, a world-renowned Japanese musician and actor who composed for Hollywood hits such as The Last Emperor and The Revenant, has died. He was 71. Japan’s recording company Avex said in a statement Sunday that … » Read

CHICAGO—Even in this lively arts town, for two principal opera companies to unveil world premieres over the same weekend is unprecedented. On March 24, Lyric Opera of Chicago premiered Proximit y , a megawatt, mixed-up triptych of new … » Read

The Paris Opera has launched Paris Opera Play (POP), its new streaming service available in international markets. The site offers live performances; exclusive documentaries, artist biographies, and masterclasses; and a catalogue of nearly 80 … » Read

As he describes the career choices that have led to his current position, Sameer Patel refers to a verse from the Bhagavad Gita: “‘It’s better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of … » Read

As previously reported , on March 28 Apple Classical Music (ACM) finally went live—unfortunately only on I-Phones, for now. Apple subscribers are promised access to more than 20,000 composers, 115,000 works, and five million tracks. … » Read

On Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago located above the Arctic Circle, plans are underway to create the Global Music Vault (GMV). Deep within the same mountain that houses the Global Seed Vault (also known as the Dooms Day Vault), capsules of … » Read

Andrés Orozco-Estrada is to be the new general music director of the City of Cologne as of 2025, assuming responsibility for the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and the Cologne Opera. He succeeds François-Xavier Roth, in the job … » Read

Like pre-draft NFL quarterbacks jumping from team to team, conductors on the music directorship carousel elicit much speculation. Take Susanna Mälkki, for instance. She’s much admired, especially as a deeply experienced middle-aged … » Read