The Oregon Symphony has been forced to cancel its fall season due to the pandemic, having already laid off its orchestra and much of its staff last March . The plan is to return to business as usual in January, although finances indicate that may … » Read

Since the beginning of April, a remarkable number of music industry notables have died, most of them men. Not all of their deaths can be attributed to COVID-19, but many of them, especially among elder statesmen, can be. They include the designer … » Read

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, historically one of the largest supporters of the performing arts, has announced a shift in focus to social justice under its president of two years, Elizabeth Alexander. That, however, apparently does not mean a … » Read

While major American opera companies will not be returning to the stage anytime soon, a few in Europe are, albeit carefully. Among the most aggressive is Madrid’s Teatro Real, which is presenting 27 performances of La Traviata, uncut. While … » Read

The pandemic is producing all sorts of innovative responses from musicians eager to perform. The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) has chosen one of the most unusual yet—a benefit concert at the YUL Montreal-Trudeau … » Read

In what some perceive as a means of forcing schools to open in the fall, as per Donald Trump’s previously stated desire (not to mention his immigration policies), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced last night, July 7, that … » Read

On the same day that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 569 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number in over a month, the Minnesota Orchestra announced the cancellation of the four weeks of concerts it had scheduled for August and … » Read

NEW YORK (AP) — One of the country’s oldest retreats for artists — The MacDowell Colony — will drop “Colony” from its name and call itself “MacDowell.” “This name change is at once a … » Read

The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (PBO) has cancelled all concerts through the end of 2020 and will instead present 2020/VIRTUAL , a robust series of online programs.  New Music Director Richard Egarr will headline one of the … » Read

Black composers are too often assumed to write little beyond jazz, blues, and rap—music said to “exemplify” the Black experience. But as the composer and musicologist George Lewis argues in The New York Times , “A cone of … » Read