Ruth Leon Recommends… Empress of the Blues – Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith, born in 1894 and orphaned at nine, rose from the segregated South to become the legendary “Empress of the Blues.” A new documentary chronicles her meteoric career, battles with racism, and the enduring legacy of her powerful voice. Smith’s sole film appearance, the 1929 short *St Louis Blues*, captures her unmatched vocal intensity. She died at 43 in a 1937 car crash, cementing her status as the 1930s’ most popular female blues singer and a lasting influence on modern music.
Most Recorded Artist, RIP
Legendary Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle, aged 92, died yesterday, cementing her status as the most recorded artist in history with over 12,000 songs in 20 languages. Guinness World Records recognized her record‑breaking output, and her voice remains one of...
Two Queer Operas Back-to-Back in Bach’s Capital
Erfurt staged Heggie’s “For a Look or a Touch” after Wuorinen’s “Brokeback Mountain”. The pocket opera, originally a 45‑minute Seattle debut in 2007, is now twice as long and marketed to audiences 14 and older, with weekday morning shows. The...
1,000 Year-Old Church Instals Young Organist
The 1,000‑year‑old Eidsvoll Kirke in Akershus, Norway, has appointed Serbian‑born Milkica Radovanovic as its new organist. The medieval church, built around 1190, houses a historic Orgelbau Kuhn organ. Radovanovic is renowned for her interpretations of J S Bach and Norwegian composers. Her appointment marks a...
1,126 Hopefuls Tussle for Opera Prize
The Neue Stimmen competition, one of the world’s largest opera talent searches, launched its second round in Gütersloh, Germany, featuring 1,126 hopefuls from 69 nations. After an initial screening, the field has been narrowed to 467 singers who will perform...
Opera Debut at 73 for In-House Stage Director
Andrea Breth, the 73‑year‑old German stage director famed for two decades at Vienna’s Burgtheater, made her opera debut at Frankfurt Opera with a politically charged production of Turandot. The staging blends Japanese Noh dancers with a reimagined chorus, culminating in a...
Malta Mourns Maestro, 49
Maestro Aurelio Belli, the 49‑year‑old head of operations for the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, died after a six‑year battle with cancer. The orchestra and Malta’s prime minister, Robert Abela, issued heartfelt tributes, highlighting Belli’s courage, resilience, and cultural influence. Tenor Joseph Calleja described...
Boston Chiefs Shun Nelsons’ After-Party
Andris Nelsons conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a highly praised Carnegie Hall concert, the first of a two‑night engagement. Shortly after, BSO management abruptly terminated his contract, a move the musicians say lacked transparency. The American Federation of Musicians Local 802...
Dorian Gray – the Opera
A brand‑new opera, *Dorian Gray*, premiered in Poznań after Teatr Wielki commissioned Polish‑French composer Elżbieta Sikora. David Pountney wrote the libretto and directed the production, while Jacek Kaspszyk conducted the English‑sung performance with Polish subtitles. The work reinterprets Oscar Wilde’s...
Alastair Macaulay: Ravel Emerges Clearer in Pink Tweed
Critic Alastair Macaulay praised French pianist Cédric Tiberghien’s inventive program at Wigmore Hall, where Ravel’s *Le Tombeau de Couperin* was interwoven with authentic Couperin pieces, highlighting a dialogue between Baroque and modernist idioms. He noted Christopher Hampton’s *Liaisons Dangereuses* at...
Finn Fades in France
Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski is scaling back his role as music director of the Orchestre National de Capitole de Toulouse, limiting his schedule to just four concerts over five weeks next season and only three weeks the following year. The reduction...
Something Different From the O. In Rotterdam
A Myth, a six‑performer sensory opera at Rotterdam’s O., blended brass, percussion, piano and movement into an immersive soundscape. The work streamed live on 10 April 2026 across CET, London and New York time zones via OperaVision, reaching a global audience. Its myth‑challenging...
Cecilia Bartoli: Why I Turned Down Salzburg Festival
Italian mezzo‑soprano Cecilia Bartoli turned down an invitation to serve as interim general director of the Salzburg Festival, citing her existing artistic commitments. The festival’s board subsequently named former Burgtheater chief Karin Bergmann as interim director, despite her limited experience in...
Andris Nelsons: I’d Be Happy to Stay in Boston
Boston Symphony Orchestra chief conductor Andris Nelsons told a Mahler symposium he would be happy to stay in Boston and has no desire to leave. He thanked the musicians, audience and staff for their deep support and emphasized a shared...
The Pianist – the One with the Nice Nazi – Is Now a Musical
The world premiere of The Pianist musical will open at London’s Park Theatre on 15 October 2026. The stage adaptation draws from Wladyslaw Szpilman’s memoir, which inspired Roman Polanski’s Oscar‑winning film. Written and directed by Thom Southerland, the production features Szpilman’s original compositions with...
Boston Symphony Rolls Out New Season as if Nothing Happened
The Boston Symphony Orchestra unveiled its 2026‑27 season, marking the 13th and final year of Music Director Andris Nelsons. He will conduct 15 of the 25 subscription concerts, including a gala with Yo‑Yo Ma and a month‑long Tchaikovsky celebration. The program...
Just In: LA Phil Appoints German Conductor for Three Years
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has appointed 29‑year‑old Anna Handler as its new Conductor‑in‑Residence on a three‑year contract. Handler, a former assistant conductor in Boston, recently became chief conductor of the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast and is slated to be artist...
Classic FM Has a New Hall of Fame Hero
Classic FM’s annual Hall of Fame poll, long dominated by Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2 and Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, saw a surprise upset on April 7, 2026. Listeners voted Sir Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace as the top...
Why Boston Passed over Bernstein
In 1949 Serge Koussevitsky urged the Boston Symphony Orchestra board to name Leonard Bernstein as his successor, praising his unmatched conducting gift. The board rejected the recommendation, opting for the more seasoned Charles Munch, a decision rooted in minutes dating...
Poles Mourn Vital Violist
The National Opera in Warsaw is mourning the loss of violist Beata Prylinska, who died at 51 after a severe illness. Prylinska spent two decades as a core member of the opera’s orchestra, contributing to both classical productions and contemporary...
A Daring Pianist Plays the Most Boring Composer
Eclectic pianist Behzod Abdurimov opened his recent recital with a 13‑minute rendition of Carl Czerny’s Op.33, a work often dismissed as tedious technical study. The piece, based on a theme by Pierre Rode, showcases virtuosic execution despite its reputation for...
Bluey Is Called in to Recruit for Apple Classical
Apple Music Classical has enlisted the Australian preschool hit Bluey to attract young listeners. The partnership launches “Bluey: Up Here,” a new album of 17 orchestral tracks recorded with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Camerata chamber group, conducted by...
Rach 3 with Good Irish Craic
The National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland delivered a standout performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Concerto, featuring Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik‑Dzurko as soloist. The concert was broadcast live on RTE Lyric Live, with the concerto’s opening at the 47:42 mark. Critics praised the orchestra’s...
Watch Vienna’s Monumental New Fidelio
Vienna State Opera’s new staging of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, is directed by Nikolaus Habjan, who splits Leonore and Florestan into puppet‑driven inner selves and live outer figures. The concept aims to lift the drama above any specific era, focusing...
Ruth Leon Recommends… Hans Christian Andersen
Ruth Leon’s latest column commemorates Hans Christian Andersen on his 157th birthday, spotlighting the Danish author’s enduring fairy‑tale canon. The piece lists his most famous stories— from “The Emperor’s New Clothes” to “The Ugly Duckling”—and references Danny Kaye’s celebrated 1952 biopic...
Deconstructing Carlos Kleiber for Our Troubled Times
The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s abrupt leadership change has reignited debate over what a conductor truly does. The article uses the legendary Carlos Kleiber’s 1970 rehearsal of Die Fledermaus as a case study to illustrate the qualities of a great maestro. It...
Kazuki Opens with ‘Unperformable’ Work
Kazuki Yamada, newly appointed artistic director of Tokyo’s Metropolitan Theatre, opened his tenure with Shuko Mizuno’s 1992 *Symphonic Metamorphosis*. The work, described by Yamada as the largest‑scale symphonic piece ever written, calls for a 550‑voice chorus and up to 350...
Italian Pianist Goes to US Prison
Italian concert pianist Filippo Gorini became the first musician granted permission to perform inside U.S. prisons, with Oregon as the sole state allowing the concerts. He played at Eastern Oregon Correctional Facility on March 13 and Coffee Creek on March...
Valery Gergiev Leads ‘Biggest Ever’ Russian Easter Festival
Valery Gergiev is spearheading Russia’s largest Easter cultural festival, moving the Bolshoi and Mariinsky orchestras by charter train across roughly 40 cities over 29 days and covering more than 20,000 kilometers. The tour launches on April 12 in Tver, with a...
Composer’s Heirs Sue the Pants Off New Jeans
The heirs of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius have sued a budget retailer for using his portrait and the slogan “The price is music to my ears” in a new‑jeans advertising campaign. The estate claims the ad infringes on their trademark...
Violin Star Lays Into Salzburg Leadership
Renowned violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja has publicly denounced the abrupt removal of Markus Hinterhäuser from his role as artistic director of the Salzburg Festival. She described the decision as a betrayal of the festival’s soul and lamented the loss of his visionary programming....
The Best Conductor in America?
On March 6, 2026, the Boston Symphony Orchestra abruptly terminated Andris Nelsons, a conductor celebrated for multiple Grammy Awards, post‑pandemic attendance growth, and a critically acclaimed Turangalîla‑Symphonie recording. The board justified the dismissal by citing a lack of alignment on...
Judy Collins, 87, Will Be Tanglewood Highlight
Veteran singer‑songwriter Judy Collins, 87, has joined the Tanglewood Music Shed lineup as part of her farewell tour, performing this summer alongside Mary Chapin Carpenter (68) and Rosanne Cash (70). The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s board added her to attract broader...
How Artist Agencies Bury Bad News
Harrison Parrott, after selling part of its business to a French family fund, saw its chief operating officer and general counsel, Lorna Aizlewood, announce her departure. Aizlewood, a former EMI Classics legal chief, cited personal reasons and a desire to freelance...
It’s Streaming Bach, Bach, Bach…
Apple Music’s weekly Classical chart is overwhelmingly populated by Johann Sebastian Bach, with Yunchan Lim’s Goldberg Variations taking the top spot. Nine of the ten entries feature Bach either directly or through Bach‑inspired works, underscoring the composer’s streaming dominance. The list...
Mourning for Popular Blind Organist
David Aprahamian Liddle, the blind organist who served St. Barnabas Pimlico for over four decades, has passed away. Liddle, who lost his sight at age 12, adopted the surname of his mentor, critic Felix Aprahamian, and built a distinguished career performing...
Does Classical Music Help Students to Concentrate?
Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw has launched a program allowing students to study for free during daytime concerts. The initiative, run by the venue’s youth association Entree, aims to draw younger audiences by offering a scenic environment with live classical music. While the...
Boston Showdown: Chad Smith Pleads for a Rebuild of Trust
Boston Symphony Orchestra President Chad Smith publicly acknowledged the urgent need to repair relations after the board’s abrupt dismissal of music director Andris Nelsons, a move that was unanimously rejected by the musicians. Smith described the ouster as a deliberate...
Muti Mouths Off at Chicago Audience
Riccardo Muti marked his 600th concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on March 20, 2026, performing opera excerpts from Catalani’s “La Wally.” About twenty minutes into the show, a wave of late‑arriving patrons entered the hall, prompting Muti to halt the performance...
Ruth Leon Recommends…. Leonard Bernstein’s 70th Birthday Performed by Lauren Bacall
Ruth Leon highlights a rare recording of Leonard Bernstein’s 70th‑birthday tribute, originally written by Stephen Sondheim. The piece fuses Kurt Weill’s "The Saga of Jenny" with snippets of Bernstein’s own music, featuring a spoken‑word performance by Lauren Bacall, piano accompaniment from...
German Quartet Imports US Violist
The Schumann Quartett, a German string ensemble founded in 2007, has announced its third violist change. The new violist is American Matthew McDowell, currently Artist‑in‑Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium. McDowell replaces the previous violist, continuing the group’s tradition...
Forget Tosca, I’m Having a Baby
British‑Ukrainian soprano Natalya Romaniw announced she will withdraw from the Glyndebourne Festival’s production of Tosca after learning she is expecting a baby in June 2026. The decision, made on medical advice, means she will miss the summer run and be...
Two Covent Garden Chiefs Head for Champs-Elysées
The Théâtre des Champs‑Elysées announced that half of its upcoming season will be directed by senior staff from London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Four new productions are slated, including a fresh staging of Manon Lescaut by Oliver Mears and musical direction...
Editorial: Boston, Salzburg and the New Brutality
The editorial condemns the abrupt dismissals of Andris Nelsons from the Boston Symphony and Markus Hinterhäuser from the Salzburg Festival, arguing neither deserved such treatment. Both leaders had delivered artistic excellence—Nelsons over a twelve‑year tenure and Hinterhäuser revitalizing Salzburg amid...
A Baroque Opera for Children. Try It.
Paris Opéra‑Comique’s youth ensemble premiered *La Grande Affabulation*, a baroque‑inspired opera for children composed by Geoffroy Jourdain and Benjamin Lazar. The work blends early‑opera fable style with modern musical elements and features performers aged 12‑23. It was streamed live on...
NY Cello Star Calls Time on Career
The New York Philharmonic announced that principal cellist Carter Brey will retire this summer, ending a three‑decade tenure with the orchestra. Brey, 71, has been a defining musical presence and an active participant in New York’s chamber music scene. Incoming...
Concertgebouw Names American Composer in Residence
American composer Carlos Simon has been appointed composer‑in‑residence at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw for the upcoming season. His residency will launch with a performance of Four Black American Dances by the Pittsburgh Symphony on September 7. Simon describes the role as his...
New Title for Herbert Blomstedt
Renowned Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt, now 98, was appointed honorary conductor of the Norrköping Symphony on March 26, 2026. The orchestra marks the occasion as a homecoming, since Blomstedt launched his professional career there in 1954 and led as principal...
Girl, 9, Gets to Play Mozart’s Half-Size Violin
Freya Chen, a 9‑year‑old student in Juilliard’s Pre‑College program, was granted the rare opportunity to perform on Mozart’s half‑size violin, a historic instrument from the International Mozarteum Foundation currently exhibited at New York’s Morgan Library and Museum. The violin, once...
Sicilian Opera Sacks Conductor over Jeffrey Epstein Links
Teatro Massimo in Palermo dismissed French conductor Frédéric Chaslin after email correspondence linking him to Jeffrey Epstein surfaced. Chaslin, who was slated to lead a May performance of Aida, denied any wrongdoing and cited a law‑office investigation that found no complaints or charges....