CHICAGO— Let’s get one thing straight: Chicago classical music needs more projects like The Factotum . It bordered on surreal to see the city’s predominantly Black South Side depicted onstage Feb. 3 by the Lyric Opera of … » Read

Flutist Tara Helen O’Connor , a highly credentialled performer and pedagogue, has been appointed visiting associate professor, adjunct, at the Yale School of Music, effective next fall. A contemporary music champion, she has premiered … » Read

The motion picture Tár is silent as to whether its protagonist has conducted both the Berlin and the Vienna philharmonics, but in real life only one woman enjoys that distinction—62-year-old Australian maestro Simone Young. The chief … » Read

Theater and opera director Mary Birnbaum is to be the new general and artistic director of Opera Saratoga, whose origins date back some 60 years (it was previously known as Lake George Opera). She succeeds Larry Edelson, who announced in May that … » Read

CHICAGO—It had to happen sometime. Like rules, records are meant to be broken. For 39 years, Georg Solti held the record for the most Grammy wins. At the 1984 Grammy ceremonies, he won four awards, putting his total at 23, well ahead of … » Read

LONDON—When Edward Gardner became principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra there was always a chance he’d import some of the repertoire that helped make his name during his time at the helm of ENO. And La Damnation de … » Read

Assembling an orchestra of Ukrainian musicians from within and without that war-torn country and arranging its 12-concert tour of six nations in a matter of weeks is no mean feat. Donagh Collins, CEO of Askonas Holt, managed the feat and was … » Read

Over the next several months, Italy’s opera houses are mounting “Viva Verdi,” an effort to save Sant’agata Villanova Sull’arda, the farmhouse in the Italian province of Piacenza that was the home of Giuseppe Verdi … » Read

NEW YORK (AP) — Burt Bacharach , the singularly gifted and popular composer who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and dozens … » Read

Gustavo Dudamel’s decision to leave the Los Angeles Philharmonic for New York represents the departure of much more than a exceptionally talented maestro. Since his arrival in LA as music director in 2009, he has become a larger-than-life … » Read