In the world of opera, making the leap from performer to administrator is difficult under the best of circumstances. For a Black man, it might appear all but impossible. Russell Thomas, a 44-year-old tenor who has sung on the stages of, among … » Read

On Jan. 26 a brief illness claimed the life of Eva Coutaz, who was key to the success of the Harmonia Mundi label for over 40 years. “Her passing leaves an immense void,” her colleagues wrote in a memorial statement. “Her … » Read

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center has received a $20 million gift to its endowment, a bequest from the late Betty Wold Johnson, matriarch of the Johnson & Johnson family and fortune. The monies cap her long history of generosity to NJPAC, … » Read

In November the Opéra-Comique began offering new productions of traditional repertoire for online viewing only. First up was Rameau’s  Hippolyte et Aricie.   On Jan. 19 came a second classic from the French Baroque, … » Read

The Colorado Symphony, whose annual pre-pandemic budget was about $14 million, is the recipient of an anonymous $2 million gift that, it reports, will be used to continue paying staff and musicians through June of 2021, as well as covering … » Read

No one would ever describe orchestras and opera companies as nimble institutions. Seasons are planned years in advance, due in equal part to traditional practices and the need to pin down scheduling commitments from star talent. “It strikes … » Read

After a $90mn transformation, the 1931 Art Deco Warner Grand Theater in downtown Milwaukee is set to make its debut on Feb. 6 as the Bradley Symphony Center, the new home of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO). The project, which survived … » Read

Julia Noulin-Mérat, co-artistic director of Boston’s artist-led Guerilla Opera, is the new general director and CEO of Opera Columbus . She succeeds Peggy Kriha Dye, who left after six years to become general director and CEO of … » Read

The heightened awareness of racism, of which opera companies and orchestras have long been accused, has led to a huge movement among arts groups to appoint diversity and inclusion officers or create special task forces to address the issue. The … » Read

The latest crop of contemporary music recordings is striking for its breadth, spanning politically tinged messages, soothing sounds, and exotic textures from far corners of the globe. Below are recordings of current repertoire issued between late … » Read