The 50 th anniversary of The Cleveland Orchestra’s (TCO) Blossom Music Festival will take place from July 3 through September 7 at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The program is an eclectic mix of classical chestnuts, film scores, Broadway … » Read

Pianist Jonathan Biss has joined Colbert Artists for North and South American representation. Apart from being a much-admired international soloist, Biss is known for his imaginative programming: … » Read

German conductor Hermes Helfricht , 33, has cancelled his contract to become music director of the Hagen Philharmonic Orchestra as of next season, an appointment announced last June. Apparently, he’s gotten a better offer for the same job … » Read

Joe Mantello, the acclaimed stage and screen actor and director, has made a $1 million gift to The School of Drama at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). A 1984 graduate, Mantello over his career has received five Tony … » Read

In a Grove and Black Lodge , two offerings at the January 9-19 PROTOTYPE Festival, were both marked by their innovative approaches to sung drama. In a Grove , with music by Christopher Cerrone and libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann, felt less like … » Read

VIENNA—As I write, it has been over ten hours, and my mind is still reeling. Something very rare and extraordinary happened on Monday night (Jan. 20): A performance changed my life. I have heard Bach’s Goldberg Variations probably at … » Read

Knowing when it’s time to quit is one of life’s hardest decisions. Hanging on too long can risk public humiliation and embarrassment as well as resentment from rising generations eager for their moment in the spotlight. A drop-off in … » Read

For the past 12 years the Washington National Opera’s (WNO) American Opera Initiative (AOI) has paired three teams of composers and librettists with professional mentors to produce concert-ready 20-minute operas that, notes the Washington … » Read

Next summer’s Colorado Music Festival will offer 19 orchestral performances by the Festival Orchestra, with Music Director Peter Oundjian and four guest conductors on the podium; chamber music featuring two string quartets; and a dozen … » Read

SAN FRANCISCO—John Adams can’t help himself. Even when he’s not writing for the stage, as in such operas as Nixon in China, The Death of Klinghoffer, and Doctor Atomic , the Bay Area-based composer has an irrepressible … » Read