Two queens; one throne; unfaithfulness; sacrilege. Such a combination can hardly miss on the opera stage. And in a rare revival of Saint- Saëns’s Henri VIII on July 23 at Bard College, it did not. The event was the school’s … » Read

On July 28, four months after its acquisition by Universal Music Group (UMG), Hyperion Records announced the first release to all streaming platforms of 200 selections from its catalogue of more than 2,000 recordings. “These first 200 … » Read

New Jersey’s Symphony in C, which identifies as a “training orchestra,” has a new music director who arrived earlier this month. She is Israeli-born conductor Noam Aviel, the first to hold the position since Stillian Kirov … » Read

For many classical music lovers, the music of Arnold Schoenberg exemplifies the chasm that evolved between composer and listener during the first half of the 20 th century. Born into a lower middle-class Jewish family in Vienna in 1874, … » Read

EAST SUSSEX—Based on Ovid, Handel’s Semele was written to an English libretto and originally given in concert form. But with its magical landscapes and fantastical effects, it’s hard not to see it as an opera masquerading in … » Read

On July 26 the U.S. District Court rejected the Philly Pops’ request that the Kimmel Center be ordered to allow its return to Verizon Hall for upcoming performances. In a pretrial hearing, Judge Mia Roberts Perez ruled that the Pops had … » Read

When Alice in Wonderland cried “Curiouser and curiouser!” she might well have been anticipating Arts Council England’s bungled funding relationship with English National Opera. Since ACE’s November 2022 announcement that … » Read

Gianandrea Noseda received the Puccini Award on July 20 at the conclusion of his tour with the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia at the Puccini Festival. The award, established in 1971, recognizes artists for perpetuating the … » Read

Many of the accusations of abusive behavior within the world of classical music have focused on the sexual predations of headline-making conductors , singers , and instrumentalists . Although conservatories have received their share of the blame … » Read

Earlier this week, the Philadelphia Orchestra announced the  cancellation of a planned four-concert tour of California in March of 2024, citing "unforseen circumstances."  Nathalie Stutzmann, the orchestra’s principal guest … » Read