On June 28, the First Baptist Church in Dallas, which boasts 14,000 members, celebrated Freedom Sunday, with Vice President Mike Pence as the featured speaker. The “freedom” being celebrated was an amalgam of religion infused with … » Read

In a piece focusing on the pandemic’s impact on the Metropolitan Opera, General Manager Peter Gelb tells a reporter that the company’s nightly streams have broadened its donor pool by nearly 30,000 and that April’s At-Home Gala … » Read

Orchestras the world over are facing a number of challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. When and how to reopen concert halls and resume performances surely top the list, but close behind is the future for orchestral touring. … » Read

MILAN--In April 2016, the Verona Arena Festival, which has presented lavish productions in the world’s largest amphitheater since 1936, teetered on the brink of liquidation. Debts had spiraled from €17m in 2008 to €32m, largely as … » Read

Despite its impact on live performances, the COVID-19 crisis has failed to stem the tide of new recordings, and especially new recordings of new music. As this latest crop proves, new music is hardly the sole province of the young. From George … » Read

As the pandemic has shuttered concert halls around the U.S., music lovers appear to have turned to making their own music at home. Since the March lockdown, piano sales have soared. “I thought this was going to be the final nail,” … » Read

Like most opera singers right now, Vuvu Mpofu’s 2020 calendar is a patchwork of cancellations and question marks. Locked down in her grandmother’s house in Port Elizabeth, however, the South African soprano has a more immediate … » Read

On June 28 as yet unidentified hackers sabotaged an online performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO). Billed as a fundraiser to offset losses from concerts cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the cyber-attack prevented tens of … » Read

Drew McManus is gathering his annual compensation reports, posting music director and executive salaries for orchestras in the 2017-18 season. The list of Top Ten Earners shows Riccardo Muti way out in front among music directors, earning … » Read

When on the podium in front of an orchestra, a conductor can elicit sounds that can move his or her audience to tears. When alone, only silence. “We don’t make sound as conductors,” said James Gaffigan, whose opening night of … » Read