T/classical-music

  1. Why Composers of Any (or No) Faith Are Drawn to Sacred Music Culture, Yesterday

    Many Christmas standards were not written by Christians. David Lang explains the appeal for him, a Jewish composer of a modern holiday classic.

  2. A D.I.Y. ‘Messiah,’ Starring You and Yours as Choristers Weekend, December 19

    Our critic joined with amateur singers and professionals for a “Messiah” sing-in at David Geffen Hall, just one “Messiah” on the city’s holiday calendar.

  3. 36 Hours in Innsbruck, Austria Interactive, December 19

    Futuristic architecture rubs shoulders with centuries-old opera houses in this picture-perfect Austrian ski town.

  4. When Your $3 Million Cello Gets Bumped From Your Flight Culture, December 17

    The cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason had to cancel a concert in Toronto last week after an airline refused to let him board with his instrument, even though he had bought a ticket for it.

  5. On Disc, the Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas Is Prolifically Himself Arts & Leisure, December 17

    As Thomas turns 80, new collections of his recordings reveal the legacy of a maestro who has exuberantly refused to conform to expectations.

  6. An Exiled Conductor’s Once and Future Orchestras Present Dueling Concerts Culture, December 16

    Banished from his ensembles after striking a singer, John Eliot Gardiner has assembled a new group, with the same programming at the same venue.

  7. The Breakout Stars of 2024 Culture, December 16

    Across the arts world, these 10 performers broke away from the pack this year by channeling guts and grit into their work.

  8. Here Comes the Bride (Just Not to That Song) Styles, December 14

    More couples are skipping the traditional processional to Richard Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus.”

  9. At the Piano With Jon Batiste Podcasts, December 13

    How the artist found the blues in Beethoven

  10. 36 Things That Stuck With Us in 2024 Arts & Leisure, December 13

    The movie scenes, TV episodes, song lyrics and other moments that reporters, critics, editors and visual journalists in Culture couldn’t stop thinking about this year.

  11. Shadow of a Childless Woman: The Mythic Roots of Strauss’s ‘Frau’ Culture, December 11

    What’s behind the strange emphasis on childlessness in “Die Frau ohne Schatten,” the Strauss-Hofmannsthal opera now at the Met? Look to the ancients.

  12. Best Classical Performances of 2024 Arts & Leisure, December 10

    Standouts included the soprano Lise Davidsen and the Berlin Philharmonic, a new opera by Missy Mazzoli and bits of old ones by Schubert.

  13. A Contemporary Music Festival Trolls for Aesthetics’ Sake Culture, December 9

    The directors of the London Contemporary Music Festival discuss this year’s edition, the event’s 10th anniversary.

  14. El instrumento que une ‘El cascanueces’ con ‘Harry Potter’ En español, December 7

    Recién inventada, la celesta estaba en pañales cuando Tchaikovsky empezó a imaginar cómo podría escribir para ella. Su sonido se ha extendido por toda la música clásica y en el pop.

  15. William Kentridge’s Collaged Fever Dream of Shostakovich Culture, December 6

    Kentridge’s film played over Shostakovich’s 10th symphony at a New York Philharmonic concert led by Keri-Lynn Wilson.

  16. The Stewards of Czech Musical Heritage Return to Carnegie Hall Culture, December 6

    Over three nights, the Czech Philharmonic presented Dvorak’s concertos and more, including a rare performance of Janacek’s “Glagolitic Mass.”

  17. How an Orchestra Plays Along With a Live Video Game Culture, December 6

    A controller will direct a conductor’s baton during live performances of Journey at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

  18. Poking Fun at Classical Music, With Wigs, Hula-Hoops and Puns Weekend, December 5

    After 11 years, Eddy Chen and Brett Yang are moving on from their beloved, enormously popular comedy duo TwoSet Violin.

  19. Gustavo Dudamel: El escenario ofrece un espacio para hallar sentido y armonía En español, December 4

    La música ofrece un puente para salvar diferencias y hallar puntos en común, incluso en un mundo a menudo marcado por la polarización y el aislamiento, reflexiona el director de orquesta.

  20. Finding a Sense of Purpose and Harmony Onstage Special Sections, December 4

    In a world frequently defined by polarization and isolation, music offers an opportunity to bridge divides and find common ground.

  21. The Revolutionary Sound at the Heart of a Holiday Classic Arts & Leisure, December 3

    Listen to how Tchaikovsky uses the celesta in “The Nutcracker,” unleashing the potential of the instrument to signal playfulness and fantasy.

  22. The Classical Music Our Critics Can’t Stop Thinking About Culture, December 3

    Watch and listen to five recent highlights, including performances by Davóne Tines and Lise Davidsen, and a new album by Ethan Iverson.

  23. New York Philharmonic Looks to Philadelphia for Its Next Leader Culture, December 2

    Matías Tarnopolsky, who manages the Philadelphia Orchestra, will come to New York as the Philharmonic works to recover from a trying period.

  24. Yunchan Lim, a Piano Star at 20, Casts Light on Chopin Weekend, November 28

    Performing with the New York Philharmonic and Kazuki Yamada, Lim played Chopin’s F minor Concerto with imperturbable calm and eloquence.

  25. 5 Classical Music Albums You Can Listen to Right Now Weekend, November 28

    A Shostakovich quartet survey, contemporary choral works and piano music written and performed by Marie Awadis are among the highlights.

  26. A Guide to N.Y.C. Holiday Events: Music, Lights and More Culture, November 27

    “The Nutcracker,” light displays and ice skating: Here are some of our favorite things to do this season.

  27. Does the Conductor Klaus Mäkelä Deserve His Meteoric Rise? Culture, November 24

    The 28-year-old maestro, entrusted with two storied ensembles, visited Carnegie Hall with the superb Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam.

  28. How a Pop Pianist Spends Her Sundays Metro, November 23

    Chloe Flower, who performed with Cardi B at the Grammy Awards, indulges in luxury shopping, a foot massage and three-hour dinners with loved ones on her “me” day.

  29. Jaap van Zweden’s Brief, Fraught Time Atop the New York Philharmonic Arts & Leisure, May 28

    He arrived on a mission to reshape the ensemble as its music director. Now, as he departs, he’s still making sense of his pandemic-interrupted tenure.

  30. Audience Snapshot: Four Years After Shutdown, a Mixed Recovery Culture, March 12

    Covid brought live performance to a halt. Now the audience for pop concerts and sporting events has roared back, while attendance on Broadway and at some major museums is still down.

  31. It’s Never Too Late to Find a New Career (a Mile Above Your Old One) Projects and Initiatives, March 12

    Patrick Milando, an accomplished French horn player, now splits his time between the orchestra pit and the cockpit, where he teaches budding pilots like he himself once was.

  32. Channeling the Pain of Chinese Immigrants, in Music and Verse Arts & Leisure, January 7

    “Angel Island,” an oratorio by Huang Ruo, brings to life the stark poetry of the people who were detained on the California island in the early 1900s.

  33. Raising Our Glasses to a Pianist Who Loves Vodka Metro, October 13

    Gary Graffman, who is turning 95, is a man of many enthusiasms, including citrus infusions.

  34. Audiences Are Coming Back to Orchestras After ‘Scary’ Sales Last Fall Culture, May 23

    “It seemed like a switch flipped right before Thanksgiving,” the leader of the Chicago Symphony said.

  35. The Met’s Efforts to Increase Ticket Sales for Operas Letters, December 30

    Readers praise plans for more contemporary works. Also: Zelensky and American values; protecting the minority; remote work; the Groucho exception.

  36. Onstage, It’s Finally Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Again Culture, December 21

    After one holiday season lost to the pandemic and another curtailed by Omicron, seasonal staples including “The Nutcracker,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Messiah” are back in force.

  37. After Covid, Playing Trumpet Taught Me How to Breathe Again Magazine, November 29

    The benefits of group (music) therapy.

  38. In New York, Masks Will Not Be Required at the Opera or Ballet Culture, October 17

    Many arts groups, worried about alienating older patrons, have maintained strict rules. Now “the time has come to move on,” one leader said.

  39. Live Performance Is Back. But Audiences Have Been Slow to Return. Culture, August 21

    Attendance lagged in the comeback season, as the challenges posed by the coronavirus persisted. Presenters hope it was just a blip.

  40. Theater at Geffen Hall to Be Named for Two Key Donors Culture, August 3

    The Wu Tsai Theater will honor a $50 million gift from Joseph Tsai, a founder of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, and Clara Wu Tsai, a philanthropist.

  41. San Antonio Symphony to Dissolve Amid Labor Dispute Culture, June 17

    The decision will make San Antonio the largest American city without a major orchestra.

  42. San Antonio Symphony to Dissolve Amid Labor Dispute Culture, June 17

    The decision will make San Antonio the largest American city without a major orchestra.

  43. Never Missing a Curtain This Season, the Met Opera Takes a Final Bow Culture, June 13

    As it ended a challenging pandemic return, the Met had one last marathon: a matinee, an evening performance, and then moving out as American Ballet Theater moved in.

  44. New York Philharmonic Agrees to Restore Pay for Musicians Culture, June 13

    After a stronger-than-expected season, the orchestra said it would reverse pay cuts imposed at the height of the pandemic.

  45. At the Met This Season, Opera Was Icing on the Cake Arts & Leisure, June 12

    Amid a labor battle, the continuing pandemic and war in Ukraine, it often felt as though the real drama was in simply putting on a show.