German pianist and conductor Lars Vogt died on September 5 after a long battle with cancer. He was 51 years old. His management firm, Askonas Holt, has confirmed his death. A winner of the 1990 Leeds International Piano Competition, where he … » Read

BAYREUTH—Richard Wagner created this festival and designed its festspielehaus, specifically for his Ring cycle. Always been run by the composer’s descendants (currently his great-granddaughter Katarina), the venerable event has … » Read

Last weekend, New York and Hong Kong philharmonics Music Director Jaap Van Zweden led his first rehearsals with the latter orchestra in two years. In a bizarre coincidence, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) announced at about the same time … » Read

The Isidore String Quartet, a new ensemble of Juilliard students under the tutelage of Joel Krosnick, among others, has won the Banff International String Quartet Competition. Sunday’s win concludes seven days at the Banff Centre for Arts … » Read

After a four-year period of gestation, Antony and Cleopatra will open on Sept. 10, launching the San Francisco Opera’s 100 th season. The product of a collaboration between director Elkhanah Pulitzer, composer John Adams, and dramaturge … » Read

As the unanimity that initially characterized mask and vaccine mandates for live performances has dissipated, arts presenters are facing choices bound to displease some audience members. While some won’t enter a theater without masking, … » Read

Norwegian conductor Grete Pedersen has been announced as the new artistic director and principal conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival, which prides itself on being “the longest-running summer music festival in California.” Somehow … » Read

The idea of creating a permanent opera company in San Francisco one hundred years ago might have seemed a fool’s errand. Although the art form could be found there as early as the 1840s during the gold rush, the city’s location on the … » Read

As orchestras prep for the coming season, quite a few are filling vacancies left from even before the pandemic, since auditions were impossible during that time. The Cincinnati Symphony has ten newcomers, eight of whom are coming into tenured … » Read

VIENNA (AFP) – Dutch opera director Lotte de Beer took over Thursday as artistic director of the Volksoper opera house in Vienna, the first woman to hold the post. De Beer, 41, won the International Opera Award in the Newcomer category in … » Read