LA Phil Minimises Its Music Director
The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced British conductor Daniel Harding as its new music director, but the appointment arrives amid a sprawling leadership structure that includes outgoing maestro Gustavo Dudamel, Creative Director Esa‑Pekka Salonen, several Creative Chairs, and newly created posts for Latin music and film. Harding, who also leads Rome’s Santa Cecilia orchestra, will primarily focus on commissioning new works. The move mirrors recent shifts at Boston and San Francisco, where traditional music‑director authority has been diluted.
A Boston Symphony Director Writes: The Rot Began in 2002
Former Boston Pops Business Director Helen Brady argues that the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s current crisis stems from a 2002 rewrite of its bylaws that stripped the board of direct oversight. The governance change insulated senior management, allowing decades of unchecked...
The Sands of Time: Anita Lasker-Wallfisch at 100
Faber has reissued Anita Lasker‑Wallfisch’s memoir *The Cellist of Auschwitz* with a new preface by renowned war‑crimes lawyer Philippe Sands. The updated edition, retitled *Inherit the Truth*, revisits Lasker‑Wallfisch’s experiences as a survivor‑musician and probes the relevance of Holocaust testimony...
Writs Fly as San Antonio Gets Another Start-Up
Conductor Jeffrey Kahane announced the Harmonium of Texas, a new orchestra and education program in San Antonio, featuring guest artists Joshua Bell, Emanuel Ax, Tessa Lark, Inna Faliks and Jeneba Kanneh‑Mason. The inaugural concert is set for October 2, 2026. The launch coincides...
Label News: Finnish Orchestra Gets Deal
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra has signed a long‑term recording contract with independent label Ondine. The partnership will debut with a complete Sibelius symphony cycle, directly challenging Decca’s established series. Conductor Jukka‑Pekka Saraste emphasizes the orchestra’s historic ties to Sibelius, having...
Canadian Cellist Is Killed in Crash, Wife Critically Injured
Cris Derksen, a 45‑year‑old Cree‑Mennonite cellist and composer, died in a road accident in northern Alberta while returning from a family funeral. Her wife, Rebecca Benson, remains in critical condition. Derksen, a Juno‑nominated artist, was celebrated for fusing classical training...
She Shall Have Prizes
South Korean composer Unsuk Chin, based in Germany, received the $67,000 Daewon Music Award in May 2026, adding another high‑profile honor to her résumé. The award joins a string of prestigious prizes she has collected, including the Grawemeyer (2004) and...
Note to JEG: The Monteverdis Are Going Places
The Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras announced a new European and South American tour, marking a major expansion after the recent dismissal of its founder. The ensemble will partner with Oxford’s Schwarzman Centre and feature three guest conductors—Jakob Lehmann, Christophe Rousset...
The Year of Lithuanian Ascendancy
Lithuanian artists are taking leading roles in major European ensembles. Conductor Giedrė Šlekytė becomes music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, following Mirga Gražinytė‑Tyla’s tenure at Birmingham. Opera stars Asmik Grigorian, soprano Ausrine Stundyte, and tenor Edgaras Montvidas are...
Influential Cellist, 98
Renowned Portuguese cellist Henrique Fernandes died at 98 on May 10, 2026. He spent four decades as principal cello of the NBC Symphony Orchestra and founded the Estoril Chamber Orchestra, where he regularly performed as a soloist. From 1967 he...
Big Time: Lise Goes Arena
Lise Davidsen, the world’s most sought‑after Wagnerian soprano, will stage her first arena concerts this Christmas, performing at Norway’s DNB Arena in Stavanger on December 2 and Oslo Spektrum on December 5. She will be accompanied by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, the Stavanger...
A Taste of the Met’s Coming Women
The Metropolitan Opera is set to premiere two new operas by women composers: Gabriela Lena Frank’s "El Último Sueño" opens this week and Missy Mazzoli’s "Lincoln in the Bardo" will debut in October. Frank, a recent Pulitzer winner, reimagines the mythic love of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, while Mazzoli...
So, Jonas Kaufmann, What’s with the Microphone?
World‑renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann, age 57, performed at Lucerne’s acoustically celebrated KKL hall using a microphone, sparking a backlash from Swiss media. Critics argue the electronic aid smooths over vocal imperfections but creates a uniform, bland sound that diminishes dynamic...
Sad Death of UK-Ukrainian Bass, 67
Pavlo Hunka, the 67‑year‑old UK‑Ukrainian bass, passed away, prompting mourning across the global opera community. Born in England to a Ukrainian father and English mother, he first trained as a linguist and lawyer before dedicating his life to singing. Over...
The Ordering of Moses Gets a Hearing
The Oakland Symphony will open its “Resist. Persist.” season on May 15 with Beethoven’s revolutionary “Eroica” Symphony followed by Nathaniel Dett’s 1932 choral‑orchestral work “The Ordering of Moses.” The concert highlights Dett’s historic blend of African‑American spirituals with classical form,...