Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecien has announced his immediate retirement after a 27-year career during which he sang in more than 200 performances at the Metropolitan Opera. Health issues stemming from a slipped disc suffered during a Met … » Read

Richard Woitach, pianist and staff conductor at the Metropolitan Opera for 38 years, died on October 3 at Mt. Sinai Morningside Hospital in Manhattan after a long illness. He was 84; his death was reported by his wife, Jeryl Metz Woitach. Prior … » Read

For all the uncertainties that currently haunt the performing arts, presenters of all kinds are finding fresh ways to connect with audiences—sometimes live and in-person, but more often through computers, phones, and TV screens. Whereas … » Read

Sean Michael Gross has resigned his position as Director of Global Strategy and Innovation at London-based Askonas Holt, which, pre-pandemic, was one of the largest agencies in the world, with a staff of 75 and a roster of 240 artists. Gross … » Read

The Metropolitan Opera’s HD Live in Schools program is going online exclusively for the 2020–21 school year. Approximately 15,000 students in 56 school districts across 42 states will participate in the program, which is entering its … » Read

The five name Texas opera companies--Houston Grand Opera (HGO), Austin Opera (AO), The Dallas Opera (TDO), Fort Worth Opera (FWO), and OPERA San Antonio (OSA)—have joined forces to create the Texas Opera Alliance (TOA). Pooling promotional … » Read

The impact of COVID-19 on ticket sales for the performing arts is getting worse. That is the finding of a new monthly study—the September “COVID-19 Sector Benchmark Insight Report”—by TRG Arts, international arts … » Read

The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago has canceled its entire 2020-21 season at the Lyric Opera House. The decision will cost the troupe over $9 million at the box office. At the same time, the company will make available plenty of online material, with … » Read

Handel’s opera Rinaldo offers unusual opportunities for instrumental virtuosity, of which the most charming is the recorder obbligato in a classic “bird call” aria. Tabea Debus did the honors for the English Concert’s 2018 … » Read

The death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, at the hands of Louisville police is but one instance of violence against Black people that has roiled the U.S. over the past year. Incidents that seem to occur with alarming regularity have had a … » Read