Performing Arts

NEW YORK—Jonas Kaufmann is generally accompanied by a pianist at his concerts, and the program concentrates on Schubert songs or other classics of German lieder. By contrast, in his latest appearance at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 5, he was accompanied by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Jochen Rieder, and performed German songs from […]

Music is meant to be a living thing, according to pianist Inna Faliks. It is the musician’s role to breathe life into the notes on the page, and every time the music is given life, it is a different being. “No two notes can ever be alike, just as no two words are the same […]

BARCELONA—Montserrat Caballe, who put opera onto the pop charts by singing the song “Barcelona” with Freddie Mercury three decades ago, died Oct. 6 at the age of 85. The Spanish soprano, who was born in the Catalan capital, had been in poor health for a number of years and was hospitalized in mid-September, a hospital […]

NEW YORK—The Saint Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue is a destination for visitors from around the world, as well as a musical stop for anyone with a particular interest in church music. It’s now even more so with the completion of the Miller-Scott Organ that is taking center stage this music season. Pipe organs, once called […]

NEW YORK—In 2010, The Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Bizet’s “Carmen” starring Elina Garanca and Roberto Alagna, and the pair created a sensation as the tempestuous couple. For the first production of the 2018–2019 season, they are reunited in “Samson et Dalila,” another French opera about a lovelorn military man falling for a […]

The delightful new release “Vivaldi: Concerti da Camera” from the French label Calliope presents us with a disc of chamber music by Antonio Vivaldi: seven of his concerti da camera played by the French ensemble Il Delirio Fantastico, directed by Vincent Bernhardt. Vivaldi didn’t call these pieces “concerti da camera” (chamber music); he simply referred to them as concertos, […]

NEW YORK—When the artists gets on stage, the first thing they’re asked is: “You could perform anywhere in the world. Why are you here? What are you getting out of this?” That’s because the musicians invited by soprano Allison Charney to her PREformances series are world-class artists at the top of their games, like NY […]

The Danish String Quartet has been garnering awards and thrilling audiences since it made its debut in 2002 at the Copenhagen Festival. The quartet is known for its thoughtful albums and live appearances, where the members perform both contemporary works and earlier composers who influenced them. They have also highlighted compositions by Scandinavian composers. The […]

Just recently, 27-year-old violinist Richard Lin took home one of the largest classical music prizes when he won gold medalist at the 10th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI). It’s not his first win—Lin has already netted top prizes at Sendai, Wieniawski, Singapore, Shanghai, and other competitions. Former IVCI top prize winners include Leonidas Kavakos, […]

NEW YORK—The dazzling performer and playwright Mikel Murfi portrays an extraordinary assortment of people (and animals) in “I Hear You and Rejoice,” the companion piece for his earlier work “The Man in the Woman’s Shoes.” Both plays, which stand alone as single efforts, are being presented in rotating repertory at the Irish Arts Center in […]

Ricky Ian Gordon (b. 1956 in Oceanside, NY) has long been recognized as one of America’s leading composers of art songs and operas. His opera of “Grapes of Wrath” was a triumph when it was performed in a concert version at Carnegie Hall in 2010. Among his exciting works in progress is the opera “Intimate […]

The 8th International Classical Chinese Dance Competition, hosted by New Tang Dynasty (NTD), attracted over 190 dancers from more than ten different countries and regions to participate in this year’s competition. After going through screening in the North American Division and the Asia Pacific Division, approximately 60 dancers stood out and came to Manhattan, New […]

Just over 500 years ago, Martin Luther triggered what would become the Protestant Reformation with a document protesting corruption in the Catholic Church. At its heart, his Reformation was a movement about the nature of sin and the means of salvation, about the power of the church versus the authority of scripture. But it also […]

What do Wagner’s “Imperial March,” Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy,” and the erhu folk tunes of Northeast China have in common? Not much, at first glance. But Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra’s ability to move from one perfect stylistic rendition to the next in mere minutes is an exercise in proving that, truly, music is a universal language. […]

In her 25 years of producing concerts, Marna Seltzer has heard every perceived barrier to classical music, and at Princeton, she's been experimenting with how to do away with them.

Dasha Koltunyuk noticed something happening at the end of every guided meditation session and thought it was something she could bring into concerts.

Something odd happened to him recently: He sat in front of a symphony orchestra, and all that familiar tension bunched up in his neck and back and shoulders just melted away.

Gordon Getty (b. 1933) is a distinguished composer of songs and operas inspired by poetry. “Beauty Come Dancing” is a new release on the Pentatone label of Getty’s choral works performed by The Netherlands Radio Choir led by chorus master Klaas Stok, and The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by James Gaffigan. This is the […]

This album is the fifth in Deutsche Grammophon‘s project to record the major Mozart operas with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, live in concert at Baden Baden, and all with Rolando Villazón singing the leading tenor role. A strong cast surrounds Villazón’s distinctive yet problematic account of the title role of Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito.” The cast includes Marina […]

NEW YORK—The Pond Theatre Company, an American home for emerging British and Irish playwrights, is presenting the world premiere of “The Naturalists,” by Jaki McCarrick, at Walkerspace on Walker Street in Manhattan’s Tribeca area. The play is an earthy depiction of a small group of individuals living on the edge of society. Set in 2010 […]