Canada’s Pacific Opera Victoria has announced the departure of its Founding Artistic Director Timothy Vernon after 43 years in the job. He plans plans to remain closely involved, however, finishing out his five-year contract through June of … » Read

At 86, Zubin Mehta is a reminder of the largely bygone era when a conductor ruled his orchestra with an iron fist and felt free to strike terror in the hearts of musicians during rehearsals. But in a conversation with Ivan Hewett, chief classical … » Read

The Salzburg Festival’s old hostility toward Puccini, long moribund, has been laid to rest. Its last major proponent was Gerard Mortier, whose final year at the festival’s helm was 2001. “Puccini is vulgar and … » Read

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Opera star Plácido Domingo’s name has appeared in an investigation of a sect-like organization in Argentina that also had U.S. offices and whose leaders have been charged with crimes, including … » Read

The enthusiasm with which the performing arts world has greeted the return of post-pandemic live performances has been tempered by the failure of audiences to respond in kind. “People got used to not going places during the pandemic,” … » Read

The Philadelphia Orchestra ran afoul of relaxed public health protocols at the Edinburgh International Festival when it asked the Edinburgh Festival Chorus to wear face masks for an Aug. 25 performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. When … » Read

Ukraine-born conductor Valentin Uryupin, onetime winner of the triennial Mahler Conducting Competition, has resigned as chief conductor of the Moscow New Opera Theater Kolobov. Russian media report the reason as being his public condemnation of … » Read

Argentine prosecutors have linked Plácido Domingo, 81, to a Buenos Aires criminal front for sex trafficking, including of minors, and other crimes. Fifty police raids against the Buenos Aires Yoga School have led to 19 arrests. A wiretap … » Read

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be losing historic musical memory on August 21, when assistant principal oboe Michael Henoch and bassoonist Dennis Michel play their final concert at Ravinia. Both are retiring, Henoch after 50 years, Michel … » Read

As symphony and opera orchestras prepare for the coming season, pandemic salary levels severely reduced—in some cases nonexistent—are inching back up to normal. The  Pittsburgh Symphony opted to “kick the can  down the … » Read