Valérie Sainte-Agathe, artistic director and conductor of the San Francisco Girls Chorus since 2013, is the new director of the Philharmonia Baroque Chorale. She arrives at the end of Richard Edgarr’s first season as music director … » Read

Musicians of the New York Philharmonic have been made whole again, following understandable reductions to their salaries during the pandemic's 18 months of concert cancellations. Base pay will return to $2,952 per week, as it was in the 2019-2020 … » Read

As an exhausting season came to an end on June 10, the Metropolitan Opera could claim a very rare measure of success—not a single one of its nearly 200 performances was cancelled amid the ongoing turmoil resulting from the coronavirus … » Read

The Seattle Opera has selected Dennis Robinson, Jr., as its next director of programs and partnerships. He succeeds Alejandra Valarino Boyer, in the position since late 2018. Robinson has extensive experience as a theater administrator, most … » Read

The Montreal International Music Competition, Voice 2022, concluded on June 9 with Canadian mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh and American soprano Meredith Wohlgemuth taking home the top prizes. Five of the six prizes in the two competition divisions … » Read

The Monterey (CA) Symphony has said Jayce Ogren [pictured], 43, is to be its next music director. Also a composer, he is particularly popular among new music circles, having led the world premieres of David Lang’s Symphony for a Broken … » Read

How important is eye contact among musicians? For conductor Leonard Slatkin, eyes work where words fail. “The most expressive tool we have is our eyes.” While most musicians agree, they also acknowledge that not all eye contact is … » Read

MILAN--While Amilcare Ponchielli’s La Gioconda was an instant hit when it premiered at La Scala in 1876, the opera is rarely performed today. Casting its six big leading roles is no easy task, and barely credible elements of the story, not … » Read

Klaus Mäkelä, 26, is to be the new chief conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra as of 2027. He will start as artistic partner in August for five years, leading five programs in 2022-23 alone. He is also chief conductor of the Paris … » Read

The recording industry has certainly bounced back with orchestras and choirs returning to the studio with a vengeance. There’s no lack of new music either with plenty of rediscoveries alongside the latest compositions. Feelgood music first. … » Read