HAMBURG—He's under house arrest in Moscow without a phone or the internet, yet Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov's new opera is set to premiere in Germany on Sunday. A modern take on Verdi's Nabucco , the work at the Hamburg Opera deals … » Read

Chicago’s MacArthur Foundation, home of the “genius grant,” has a new president—John Palfrey. An educator, author, and scholar with a focus on digital technology, Palfrey, 46, will succeed Julia Stasch, in the job since … » Read

It’s always gratifying to see a good turnout for new music, and if the line snaking through security at David Geffen Hall on March 6 was anything to go by, Zhao Lin’s Concerto for Pipa, Cello and Orchestra was a highly anticipated … » Read

Riccardo Muti has, once again, chosen to side with the musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, of which he is music director. Last month, the players held a news conference in the lobby of Orchestra Hall to announce that  they would go … » Read

Twenty-nine vocalists make up the 2019 class of the 62 nd annual Merola Opera Program in San Francisco. Chosen from among 800 applicants from around the world, participants receive training in repertory, languages, diction, acting, and stage … » Read

Even the classical world’s leading lights occasionally stub their toe. In 1966 the Houston Symphony signed 37-year-old André Previn as its new chief conductor, replacing Sir John Barbirolli, 30 years his senior. Previn, who had … » Read

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Benjamin Zander, who turns 80 on March 9, is a serial optimist. He’s the founder and music director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and its youth orchestra; he’s a noted Mahler conductor; he’s a … » Read

A new deal struck between the English National Opera (ENO) and the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theater Union (BECTU) has closed the gap in pay between men and women working in the company’s costume, wardrobe, and wigs … » Read

The Annapolis (MD) Opera, nearing 50 years of operation, is in for major change. Both its artistic director and primary stage director have announced their intention to step down as of June 30, 2020. In the former position, Ronald J. Gretz, with … » Read

The Adelaide Festival has entered an exclusive partnership to co-produce and co-commission major opera productions with the Aix-en-Provence Festival. The two events will also launch initiatives supporting emerging artists in South Australia, who … » Read