The Atlanta Opera has appointed Iván López Reynoso as its new principal conductor with the start of the upcoming 2025–26 season. He debuted with the company this past season with a much-acclaimed performance of Verdi’s … » Read

Although Keith Lockhart’s first concert as the successor to John Williams was in 1995, his debut with the Boston Pops came two years earlier. So Boston’s "Keith Lockhart Day" and celebratory concert on June 6 was several years late … » Read

The 12 th International Stanislaw Moniuszko Vocal Competition, a triennial event, crowned its winners on June 7 in Warsaw at the Polish National Opera. Tenor Samuel Stopford from Great Britain took home the €20,000 first prize. The 23 rd … » Read

LOS ANGELES—Arriving for the third performance of LA Opera’s current run of Verdi’s Rigoletto on June 12 felt like entering an updated authoritarian Mantua in the twilight zone. The streets were almost deserted, as an 8 p.m. … » Read

The  passing of Alfred Brendel brings a flood of memories. And it’s a reminder of the fragility of life, even for those lofty souls who stride atop classical music’s Mt. Olympus. Mr. Brendel’s place among those immortals … » Read

The Cleveland Orchestra has added four new musicians to its ranks—one last fall and three this summer. Their addition means that Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, entering his 24 th year and set to leave in 2027, has selected more than … » Read

The Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) has announced that Shalisa Kline Ugaz will join the organization as its next president and CEO on July 7. She succeeds Mark George, who resigned after a 15-year tenure this past February . Founded in 1931, the … » Read

The Bastille Opera in Paris opened in 1989, presenting a modern face that was a stark departure from the opulent Palais Garnier, built for the Paris Opera between 1861 and 1875 at the direction of Napoleon III. The 36-year-old building has not … » Read

Another descendant of the famed Chicago Brass section that originated under Fritz Reiner and flourished for some 70 years— even after mainstay and principal trumpet Bed Herseth retired in 2004—has announced his retirement. Assistant … » Read

Italian Baroque composer Alessandro Stradella is known to many a young voice student for a single song, “Pietà, Signore,” included in a classic G. Schirmer anthology 24 Italian Songs and Arias . Some musicians may recognize him … » Read