Latest Classical music News
Review: Ed Sheeran’s ‘Autumn Variations’ is a beautifully honest exploration of adult despondency
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “I’ve been up all night, thinking about dying,” Ed Sheeran opens “When Will I Be Alright”, one of his new album’s final tracks. “I’ve just been wasting time," he continues. “God is not on my side.” Somehow, that’s not even the most...
Jonas Kaufmann battles back from infection in Claus Guth's 'Doppleganger'
NEW YORK (AP) — Finally recovered from a string of illness, tenor Jonas Kaufmann rose from one of 62 neatly ordered hospital beds at the Park Avenue Armory to perform a collection of Schubert songs in “Doppleganger.” For 80 solid minutes, the spotlight shone on Kaufmann, whose...
Quincy Jones is State Department's first Peace Through Music Award as part of new diplomacy push
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quincy Jones, who once embarked on an international diplomatic tour with jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, will receive the U.S. Department of State's inaugural Peace Through Music Award. A ceremony honoring the 28-time Grammy winning producer, musician and arranger...
At Jai Paul's kickoff show, an elusive pop phenomenon proves his stardom in a live arena
LOS ANGELES (AP) — He emerged in front of piercing, sunset-colored LED screens that flashed like strobe lights, percussion pulsing from the stage to the audience floor. In the crowd, it was felt first in our chests, then throughout our bodies. He opened with “Higher Res,” a malleable Big Boi...
Christian Thielemann chosen to succeed Daniel Barenboim as music director of Berlin's Staatsoper
BERLIN (AP) — Christian Thielemann has been chosen as the new general music director of Berlin's Staatsoper, months after Daniel Barenboim ended his three-decade reign, the city government said Wednesday. The 64-year-old German conductor will take the job at the Staatsoper, or...
Sister Helen Prejean's 'Dead Man Walking' arrives at Met in Jake Heggie's operatic version
NEW YORK (AP) — Sister Helen Prejean remembered when she first spoke with Jake Heggie about adapting her book “Dead Man Walking.” “I don’t know boo-scat about opera,” she told him. “I just got two requests. One, you’re not going to do that atonal thing, are you? Are...
Louisiana folklorist and Mississippi blues musician among 2023 National Heritage Fellows
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana folklorist Nick Spitzer and Mississippi blues musician R.L. Boyce are among nine 2023 National Heritage Fellows set to be celebrated later this month by the National Endowment for the Arts, one of the nation’s highest honors in the folk and traditional arts. ...
`10 Days in a Madhouse' opera premieres in Philadelphia, celebrating women's voices
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kiera Duffy is disturbed by “10 Days in a Madhouse” as much as an 1887 public was outraged by the squalid surroundings exposed by trailblazing reporter Nellie Bly. “The idea of the hysterical woman trope really does persist today,” the soprano said ahead...
Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians get 3% annual raises in 3-year labor contract
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians voted Tuesday to ratify a three-year labor contract that incudes 3% annual salary raises. The deal was announced Sunday and replaces a five-year contract expiring this month. The...
Music Review: With reissue of ‘Last Splash,’ The Breeders make waves 30 years later
The Breeders are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their second studio album with the release of “Last Splash (30th Anniversary Original Analog Edition),” out Friday on 4AD. The re-release won’t rewrite the history of the '90s alt-rock band, but it surfaces new curiosities...
