In addition to movement within the extant ensemble, the Minnesota Orchestra has named a number of new musicians, several of them replacing retirees. Among principals, Katherine Siochi, principal harp of the Kansas City Symphony, will arrive in … » Read

Details are hard to ascertain, but Kirill Petrenko, famed chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, has had a “serious foot injury” that required surgery and so has been advised by medics to “reduce his workload.” The … » Read

English National Ballet has named Aaron S. Watkin to succeed Tamara Mojo as artistic director of the company. Mojo exits to  take over the San Francisco Ballet in the fall; Watkin arrives after 16 years with the Semperoper Ballett Dresden, … » Read

This fall Princeton University Concerts (PUC) will introduce “Healing with Music,” a three-concert series by musicians who will share their personal relationships to music during illness and other forms of personal upheaval. Clemency … » Read

LONDON—Apart from the ever-ubiquitous Messiah , enthusiasm for Handel oratorios seems to have paled next to the passion for restaging his operas. It’s a far cry from the 1740s when the English biblical choral blockbuster replaced … » Read

Brian Wendel (pictured) former principal trombone of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO), inaugural member of Carnegie Hall’s 2013 National Youth Orchestra USA, and competition winner extraordinaire, is the new principal trombone of the … » Read

The 2022 Rossini Opera Festival concluded on Aug. 21 in Pesaro, Italy, the birthplace of the composer. The 43 rd edition of the annual celebration, reports the festival, was a considerable success, despite the lingering aftereffects of the … » Read

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