Opera, among the costliest of art forms, is rapidly establishing a beachhead in the oil-rich Arab states of the Gulf region. Leading the way is Sultan Qaboos of Oman, where the Royal Opera House, Muscat (ROHM) opened in 2011. Considered one of … » Read

Mariss Jansons has been advised by doctors to take a three-month “regenerative” break. The 76-year old conductor has been forced to cancel his summer concerts and tour with the Bavarian Radio Symphony, of which he is chief conductor. … » Read

This year marks the 50 th anniversary of the Stonewall riot, the event often credited as the spark that lit the gay liberation movement. Stonewall , premiered recently by The New York City Opera, captures the broad “spectrum of drag queens, … » Read

As its enters its 54th season, the Eugene (OR) Symphony will have a new concertmaster. Jenny Estrin , a member of the violin section since 2014, has been acting in that capacity in 2018-19, as well as undergoing an official audition and a trial … » Read

For American opera goers, the summer of 2019 could be known as the summer of world premieres. From Saratoga, FL, to Long Beach, CA, just about every opera company/festival active in the summer months has a world premiere on its docket, a … » Read

The Göteborg Opera has tapped Henning Ruhe [pictured], 41, as its new artistic director opera/drama. Currently head of artistic administration at the Bavarian State Opera, he will succeed Stephen Langridge, who recently moved to … » Read

ROME -- Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, known for his politically charged contemporary works, will try his hand at opera by directing Turandot , which is set in his homeland. The Rome Opera said on Friday Ai will direct Giacomo Puccini’s work and … » Read

MILAN—In May of 2018, La Scala announced with great fanfare that it had teamed up with mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli to mount three Handel operas, starting next fall with a new, Robert Carsen production of Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto. … » Read

Garry Walker , chief conductor of the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie in Koblenz, is to be music director of Opera North (ON) as of 2020/21. He succeeds Aleksandar Markovic, who quit two years ago after less than a year in the job. … » Read

In a statement, Universal Music Group [UMG] has described The New York Times expose of the disastrous fire, alleged to have destroyed 500,000 recording masters, as filled with "numerous inaccuracies, misleading statements, contradictions and … » Read