The conductors of many of America’s leading orchestras are today expected to possess “broad horizons” that focus as much on contemporary music as on traditional repertory. But, as critic Alex Ross argues in The New Yorker , … » Read

The Metropolitan Opera has found its new Dutchman in bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin, who takes the role over from Bryn Terfel in the company’s new, François Girard staging of Der Fliegende Holländer . Terfel is undergoing … » Read

LOS ANGELES—The legend of Orpheus and Eurydice has been prime fodder for composers for centuries, from Monteverdi to Stravinsky and beyond. Yet for reasons that no one has been able to definitively explain, the fetish for all things … » Read

Alexei Ratmansky is known as a highly musical choreographer, celebrated for his reconstructions of 19th-century classics and explorations of Eastern European folk-inspired styles. So the announcement that his newest work for New York City Ballet … » Read

Sam Jackson, senior managing editor of Global, Europe’s largest radio company, has been appointed Executive VP Global Classics and Jazz for Universal Music Group (UMG). Jackson, whose current portfolio includes Classic FM, which … » Read

Admirers of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony often marvel that the composer was deaf when he composed it between 1822 and 1824—or so history would have us believe. But as celebrations of the 250 th anniversary of the icon’s birth are … » Read

Since she finished in Hamburg where she headed up the Staatsoper and Philharmonic from 2005 to 2015, Simone Young has become an increasingly sought-after guest on the international circuit. From 2022, the Australian-born conductor will take up … » Read

Gaining admission to an elite conservatory is a key step toward success; in itself, it represents a considerable achievement. Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, for example, accepted just four percent of applicants in the fall of … » Read

It’s rare to chat with a singer for an hour without them once raising the subject of “the voice.” John Brancy may not be your typical singer, but diffidence certainly isn’t holding back the 31-year-old New Jersey-born … » Read

A niece of Aretha Franklin said she's quitting as representative of the late singer's estate, citing a rift in the family  since handwritten wills were discovered  last year. "Given my aunt's love of family and desire for privacy, this … » Read