T/classical-music

  1. The ‘Gigantic, Fecal Baby’ Inside Every Populist Ruler Arts, Today

    Olga Neuwirth’s new opera, “Monster’s Paradise,” leans into the absurd to examine the phenomenon of the strongman leader (with added zombies).

  2. 28 Things to Do in New York City in February Arts, Today

    This month offers a Valentine’s Saturday, a Fat Tuesday and a month of Black history, plus the Harlem Globetrotters and a last call for Gumby.

  3. Solutions for the Crisis in Classical Music Opinion, Yesterday

    Readers discuss ways to rescue the industry.

  4. Premios Grammy 2026: la lista completa de nominados En español, January 30

    Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter y Leon Thomas son los artistas que más nominaciones recibieron en esta edición de los premios a lo mejor de la música.

  5. Philip Glass’s Protest at the Kennedy Center Opinion, January 29

    Readers discuss Philip Glass’s refusal to allow the performance of his symphony at the Kennedy Center. Also: Real leaders at a time of crisis.

  6. Dudamel and the Philharmonic Partner With Carnegie Hall on Operas Arts, January 29

    Gustavo Dudamel, the New York Philharmonic’s incoming music and artistic director, plans to lead annual operas in concert at Carnegie Hall.

  7. Strauss and Haydn Take a Hit as Cash-Crunched Vienna Cuts Budgets Arts, January 28

    Amid a broader austerity push, historical sites and an opera stage will shut temporarily, though many worry the closures will be permanent.

  8. How Did a 2017 Song Get a 2026 Oscar Nomination? Movies, January 28

    “Sweet Dreams of Joy,” from the documentary “Viva Verdi!,” was indeed eligible under academy rules even if it was recorded nearly 10 years ago. Here’s how.

  9. Philip Glass Withdraws From Kennedy Center, as Its Symphony Vows to Play On Arts, January 27

    Amid cancellations and turmoil, the National Symphony Orchestra is planning to stay. “I cannot make everybody happy,” its conductor said.

  10. A 62-Disc Set Offers a Last Word on a Magisterial Pianist Arts, January 27

    Maurizio Pollini’s complete recordings for Deutsche Grammophon have been gathered in one place, allowing listeners to trace his entire career.

  11. Denyce Graves Says Goodbye to the Opera Stage After 40 Years Arts, January 26

    Graves, who gave her last performance on Saturday at the Met, talks about “Carmen,” the doctor who told her she would never sing again and at the Kennedy Center.

  12. Renée Fleming Won’t Perform at Kennedy Center Concerts Arts, January 24

    The soprano, who previously resigned as an artistic adviser, was scheduled to sing with the National Symphony Orchestra in May.

  13. A Warning of American Despair Returns to the Philharmonic Arts, January 23

    Thomas Adès led the New York Philharmonic in an expanded version of his “America: A Prophecy” that strikes notes of caution and consolation.

  14. The Philharmonic Finally Plays Radio City New York, January 23

    The famous orchestra, which has never performed in the celebrated theater, is gearing up for a concert Sunday. “It’s going to be a rush,” said the principal cellist.

  15. The Cliburn, Known for Piano Competitions, Will Hold One for Conductors Arts, January 22

    The trailblazing conductor Marin Alsop will chair the jury for the inaugural Cliburn International Competition for Conductors in 2028.

  16. Old Is New Again: Salonen Returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Arts, January 21

    Esa-Pekka Salonen, the orchestra’s longtime music director, came back to lead his first concerts since being named its creative director.

  17. The World’s Reigning Carmen Breaks Down Her Signature Aria Arts, January 20

    Aigul Akhmetshina, performing now at the Met, shares her thoughts on what it takes to bring the famous Habanera to life.

  18. Bach Doesn’t Need a Glow-Up Opinion, January 20

    Concert halls and symphony orchestras try to lure younger listeners by mutilating the music. There’s a better way.

  19. This Charming Raconteur Is Paris Opera’s Next Music Director Arts, January 20

    Semyon Bychkov will soon take up the most prestigious post of his long, varied career. Collaborating with Ralph Fiennes on “Eugene Onegin,” he gives a taste of things to come.

  20. How the Cleveland Orchestra Stays at the Top of Classical Music Arts, January 19

    Our critic tracked one concert, from its first rehearsals to its first performance. Practice is only part of what makes this ensemble excellent.

  21. Rhoda Levine, Pathbreaking Opera Director, Dies at 93 Arts, January 17

    Starting out in the 1970s as a rare woman in a field dominated by men, she directed the premieres of a pair of politically charged modern classics.

  22. As Kennedy Center Rebrands, It’s Mired in Black Tape Arts, January 17

    After the institution’s board declared it the Trump Kennedy Center, a lot of signage around the building is in the midst of a makeover.

  23. Viva the Absurd: ‘What to Wear’ and a Wave of Opera Surrealism Arts, January 16

    Michael Gordon and Richard Foreman’s “What to Wear” at BAM is a visually rich, textually odd work — and a hot commodity.

  24. Can the American Oboe Sing Again? Arts, January 14

    Building the instrument is hard enough. Turning a profit is a killer. But Jim Phelan is bent on reviving one of the great names in classical music.

  25. Boston Symphony Can’t Make the Case for Barber’s ‘Vanessa’ Arts, January 13

    Performing “Vanessa” is just what the Boston Symphony should be doing. But its concert staging came off as drab and ineffective.

  26. A Fairy Tale Opera Trades the Moral for the Mysterious Arts, January 9

    Matthias Pintscher’s first opera in 20 years invites audiences to find their own meaning in a macabre 19th-century tale.

  27. 5 Classical Music Albums You Can Listen to Right Now Arts, January 8

    Recent works by Gabriela Ortiz, choral music by David Lang and unreleased recordings by Radu Lupu are among our selections.

  28. Paris Opera Takes On a Noted Conductor, Aiming to Expand Its Symphonic Offerings Arts, January 6

    Semyon Bychkov will be the musical director for a period when the opera’s performance spaces are under renovation. It’s a chance to add symphonic seasons like at La Scala.

  29. Modern American Opera Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Her Arts, January 6

    Beth Morrison has shepherded dozens of new works into existence over the past 20 years. And her footprint continues to grow.

  30. The Opera Star With Heavy-Metal (and Philosophy) Chops Arts, January 4

    The busy mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti has made a career out of versatility: “I think generally people should not do only one thing in their lives.”

  31. 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.

  32. 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.

  33. 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.

  34. 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.

  35. 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.

  36. 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.

  37. 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.

  38. 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.

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

    The benefits of group (music) therapy.

  40. 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.

  41. 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.

  42. 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.

  43. 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.

  44. 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.

  45. 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.

  46. 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.

  47. 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.