Latest Classical music News
Book Review: ‘Mozart in Motion’ by Patrick Mackie seeks to bring composer to life in new ways
“Mozart in Motion: His Work and His World in Pieces” by Patrick Mackie (Macmillan Publishers). Writing a biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart nowadays is no easy task. The daunting list of predecessors, which spans centuries, who have already undertaken the assignment complicates...
Acclaimed composer Kaija Saariaho dies at age 70 of brain tumor
Kaija Saariaho, who wrote acclaimed works that made her the among the most prominent composers of the 21st century, died Friday. She was 70. Saariaho died at her apartment in Paris, her family said in a statement posted on her Facebook page. She had been diagnosed in February 2021...
Festival at Greece’s ancient theaters dedicated to Maria Callas and century since her birth
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The music from “Madame Butterfly” and other major operas is known to Greek audiences largely through the recorded performances of Maria Callas, the U.S.-born Greek artist who died in 1977 and is still revered here. For theatergoers in Athens, watching the...
Heyward to become music director of Mostly Mozart, which will get new name
NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathon Heyward will succeed Louis Langrée as music director of Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Orchestra, which will be given a new and as yet undetermined name by the summer of 2024. The 30-year-old conductor will start a three-year contract in 2024, the...
Daniel Pearl scholarship winner wants to change society through music
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A student who said he got goosebumps the first time he played the violin in an orchestra is this year's recipient of a college scholarship given in honor of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan in January 2002 while...
La Scala announces 2023-24 season as new government decree creates uncertainty
MILAN (AP) — The French general manager of Milan’s famed Teatro alla Scala is facing the threat of a tenure cut short, even as he unveiled a star-studded 2023-24 season and announced record sponsor revenues on Monday. A government decree adopted earlier this month would require...
Green carpet in United Arab Emirates welcomes India's film elite for Bollywood awards ceremony
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Indian celebrities and Bollywood stars on Friday walked a green carpet for a second year in a row in the United Arab Emirates — the signature color of the International Indian Film Academy awards. The 23rd edition of the “Bollywood...
Dudamel in surprise move resigns from Paris Opéra 2 years into 6-year contract
Gustavo Dudamel announced his resignation as music director of the Paris Opéra on Thursday, a surprise decision two seasons into a six-year contract scheduled to run through the 2026-27 season. A 42-year-old Venezuelan who lives in Madrid, Dudamel was hired in February by the New...
Today in History: May 24, first major league night game
Today in History Today is Wednesday, May 24, the 144th day of 2023. There are 221 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 24, 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse transmitted the message “What hath God wrought” from Washington to...
Music Review: Robert Ellis proves he's today's news on moody, vulnerable album 'Yesterday’s News'
“Yesterday's News” by Robert Ellis (Niles City) In the title track to his new album, “Yesterday's News,” singer-songwriter Robert Ellis suggests in thinly-veiled terms that he's washed up. But the album proves he's anything but. Ellis isn't for everybody, and...
