On July 1, Robert Kyncl, CEO of the Warner Music Group (WMG), informed staff via an internal memo that layoffs were imminent as part of an effort to restructure and reduce costs by $300 million. Citing the need to “future proof” the … » Read

On July 16 artificial intelligence startup company Arthos (a blend of the words art and ethos) will go public with its first product—Mozart AI. The company has raised €625,000 to underwrite the development of the AI-powered digital … » Read

For two decades beginning in the mid-1960s, Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra released multiple recordings on the Columbia label each year, introducing classical music to millions of Americans. Now a new boxed set— The Columbia … » Read

San Francisco Opera and its orchestra have signed a contract retroactive to August 1, 2024 and valid through July 31, 2026. This essentially one-year agreement contains the provision that the two parties will negotiate a new multi-year deal … » Read

The musicians and administration of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) have signed a new three-year contract extending through the 2027-28 season. The new agreement calls for a 41-week playing season, with 3 percent pay increases in the … » Read

Philadelphia-based chamber chorus The Crossing, still thriving and winning accolades 21 years after its founding by conductor Donald Nally, is preparing for a 2025-26 season of premieres and works relevant to the times, both the good and the bad. … » Read

When Terry Harper retired as the sole piano tuner at Sydney’s Opera House on June 20, he ended a family legacy that began with his father Ron when the iconic venue opened in 1973. Three years later the 19-year-old son, after a one-year … » Read

Music, insists Robert Zatorre, one of the world’s leading experts on the neuroscience of music, “touches everything… memory, perception, motor skills, emotions, and reading.” The professor at the Montreal Neurological … » Read

This marks the continuation of Fred Cohn’s coverage of the National Arts Center Orchestra’s Asian tour. “Even though touring an orchestra makes no sense financially, on a human level there are few things that make more … » Read

A recent recital at Children’s National Hospital in northwest Washington, D.C. served as a reminder both of music’s healing powers and of the need for parents of sick children to find a bit of relief. “Opera Italiana is in the … » Read