ROME—The Dec. 7 season premiere at Milan’s La Scala opera house, a gala event that is one of Italy’s cultural highlights, is being cancelled after a rash of coronavirus infections among musicians and chorus members. The … » Read

London’s Southbank Center, Europe’s largest arts complex, has said it is struggling to survive. It has laid off hundreds of employees, many of whom have, in the recent past, accused it of institutional racism. This week, the Center … » Read

The state of the classical music world in Western Europe—from shutdowns to reopenings—has been intensively documented since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The actions of nations in other regions of the world have come in for … » Read

Donald Runnicles, having recently added “Sir” to his name courtesy of last month’s Queen’s Birthday Honors, has renewed his contract as general music director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin through 2027. Runnicles is … » Read

Lincoln Center’s indoor stages have been mostly dark since the start of the pandemic but there are signs of life stirring on the tenth floor of the Rose Building above the Juilliard School. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center next … » Read

Composer Jake Heggie, of Dead Man Walking, Moby-Dick fame, has a new podcast that takes a deep dive into the world of opera singing. Although he conceived Sing LOUDER in the summer of 2019, well before the coronavirus was on anyone’s radar, … » Read

Even for musicians under contract, the pandemic has caused major income adjustments, reflective of the amount of performances their employer has been allowed to present under law. At the San Francisco Symphony, where that number is zero, apart … » Read

The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) and the ELMA Music Foundation, in partnership with the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation, have named two new “Masekela Scholars” for the 2020–21 academic year. Zoe Molelekwa (Jazz Arts, piano) … » Read

The British government’s new lockdown has darkened theaters and opera houses, once again, although orchestras and recital halls—including Wigmore Hall—appear to be allowed to perform behind closed doors for streaming/recording … » Read

With public performances remaining severely curtailed, not to mention the travel bans still in place, frustrated artists are finding new ways to communicate, often using newly available technology for remote, real-time collaborations. Meredith … » Read