The Hong Kong Piano Competition is underway after the two-day delay necessitated by pro-democracy protests rocking the city. The Chopin Society of Hong Kong , which organizes the event, wrote on Facebook that the schedule changes were needed to … » Read

Barrie Kosky, Intendant at Berlin’s Komische Oper since 2012, enjoys a well-deserved reputation as an innovative producer of operettas as well as traditional operas. His rendition of Offenbach’s Orphée was the hit of this past … » Read

The Sarasota Opera (SO) has purchased more than 30,000 costumes, some of which have been worn by legendary performers such as Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills, and Marilyn Horne. Malabar Ltd.’s owner Luigi Speca initiated the sale to the … » Read

Minnesota Orchestra is off to exotic climes once again, this time heading to South Korea and Vietnam in June, where it will perform in Hanoi to honor the 25 th anniversary of restored relations with the U.S. They’ll also play in Ho Chi Minh … » Read

Newly arrived executive and artistic director of Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, Jeremy Geffen, is putting together his staff. He has moved Katy Tucker from interim director of artistic planning to director. She succeeds Rob Bailis, who left … » Read

The Paris Chamber Orchestra (L’Orchestre de chambre de Paris), has named German pianist/conductor Lars Vogt, 49, as its new music director. With approval of the city and the Ministry of Culture, and in consultation with the members of the … » Read

Lincoln Center plans to experiment with Yondr for selected  cell-phone-free performances during its 10 th White Lights Festival, which begins Oct. 19 and extends through Nov. 24. Before taking their seats, audience members will place their … » Read

The Orchestra of St. Luke’s has added a violist to its core of 25 players. Katarzyna Bryla-Weiss [pictured] has been free-lancing with the orchestra for the last seven years and also plays with the New York City Ballet Orchestra and the New … » Read

The decision by London’s National Theater to end its sponsorship by Shell next year makes it the latest high-profile cultural institution to sever ties with the fossil fuel industry; last week the Royal Shakespeare Company did the same, … » Read

LONDON—The French have a word for it: loufoque . It means zany, bizarre, bewildering…in fact all things preposterous. In opera, there is nothing more “loufoque” than Offenbach’s satirical operetta Orphée aux … » Read