Film music, an essential component of the motion picture art, has often been considered the musical equivalent of a red-headed step child—underappreciated and not quite up to classical standards. Ironically, these days, writes Mark Swed for … » Read

CLEVELAND—Plenty of rising artists have gained attention by substituting for their more established colleagues at the last minute. Pianist Tom Borrow, however, is making a career out of it.   Still just 21 years old, Borrow has hit the … » Read

MILAN--The 1750 London premiere of Handel’s Theodora was a flop, receiving only three performances in its opening run. The oratorio’s La Scala debut on Nov. 20 was a different story, the audience erupting into raucous applause at the … » Read

Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez is to be the next artistic director of the Rossini Opera Festival, an annual summer event dedicated to its namesake. He was recommended by his predecessor in the position, Ernesto Palacio, also a Peruvian … » Read

Opera Australia is hoping the third time is the charm. After twice postponing its premiere of the world’s first fully digital production of Der Ring des Nibelungen , it has scheduled Wagner’s iconic tetralogy for December 2023 at … » Read

The world of musical theater lost a titan when Stephen Sondheim died at 91 on Nov. 19. “It is no exaggeration to say that Sondheim changed the nature of theatrical storytelling,” writes theater critic Charles McNulty in the Los … » Read

NEW YORK — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, music director of the Metropolitan Opera, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Orchestre Métropolitain of Montreal, is taking a four-week sabbatical from all conducting starting Dec. 19 … » Read

PARIS (AP) — France is inducting Josephine Baker — Missouri-born cabaret dancer, French World War II spy and civil rights activist — into its Pantheon, the first Black woman honored in the final resting place of France’s … » Read

The Handel and Haydn Society (H&H) has received an anonymous gift of $10mn, by far the largest in the Boston-based ensemble’s 206-year history. The gift honors Harry Christophers [pictured], who will retire as artistic director of the … » Read

LONDON--Since winning the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award in 2016, Karina Canellakis has become one of the most in-demand conductors of her generation. Already appointed Chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and principal guest … » Read