For performers, touring is essential, both for exposure and revenue. But as the impact of travel on the environment becomes ever more apparent, many feel a moral dilemma. While a well-established band such as Coldplay can decide not to tour to … » Read

Esa-Pekka Salonen’s inaugural, 2020-21 season at the artistic helm of the San Francisco Symphony is smashing, as much for the choice of repertoire as for the introduction of a new way forward for symphony orchestras. At the top of the list … » Read

The coronavirus has scuttled the Hong Kong Philharmonic’s six-city tour of Japan, Korea, and Shenzhen, China, scheduled for March 5-28. It has also put the orchestra’s hometown season on hiatus, having caused all arts venues in Hong … » Read

Daniel Harding has withdrawn from conducting the Vienna Opera Ball two days from now, “due to a serious illness in the family,” reports the Staatsoper. James Conlon, who in December led successful performances of Die Zauberflöte … » Read

The distribution of funds to arts and recreation groups from Utah’s so-called ZAP (Zoo, Arts and Parks) tax—one tenth of one percent sales tax--is under scrutiny. The Utah Symphony | Opera’s allotment, which helped the … » Read

French conductor Emmanuel Villaume, music director and chief conductor of the Prague Philharmonia and music director of The Dallas Opera, has joined Cambridge, UK-based Hazard Chase for general management. He was previously with Opus 3. Villaume … » Read

William “Bill” Winstead, former principal bassoonist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and a much beloved composer and teacher, died at the age 77 on Feb. 12.  A month earlier the CSO had premiered his Passages in Time , … » Read

When the local critic advises that the best way to experience Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades at Chicago’s Civic Opera House is “simply to close your eyes and listen, for the music-making hardly could have sounded … » Read

Violin lessons with a teacher half a world away are helping 14-year-old Yunhe Tang cope with the need to stay indoors to combat the coronavirus. Once a week Kevin, as he prefers to be called, works via Skype with American violinist Anthea … » Read

LONDON—Two words caught my ear as the London Coliseum emptied on February 12. “Death wish.” I don’t know who uttered them but it’s pretty clear they were aimed at English National Opera rather than any of the … » Read