Boston Symphony Orchestra 2023-24 Review: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Photo: Winslow Townson The first time my partner watched Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,” he couldn’t believe that the composer ever thought a Stalinist regime would be pleased with the opera. The “in-your-face” power of the work made him—a (handsome) man whose political convictions ponder between socialism and cowboyism—find endearing that ‘Shosta’ could not see his censoring coming. Even today, {…}

Boston Symphony Orchestra Celebrates Ligeti’s Centennial with the Ligeti 100 festival

In November, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s 2023–24 season will be marked by the Ligeti 100 festival from Nov. 12 to 19, celebrating the 100th anniversary of György Ligeti’s birth. Ligeti, a pivotal 20th-century composer, faced significant challenges, from wartime hardships to Soviet-era censorship. He gained widespread recognition, particularly for his music featured in the film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” On {…}

Kristine Opolais, J’Nai Bridges, Georgia Jarman, Karen Cargill, Lawrence Brownlee Headline Boston Symphony Orchestra’s 2023-24 Season

(Credit: Tatyana Vlasova) The Boston Symphony Orchestra has unveiled its 2023-24 season. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be solely on vocal performances. Kristine Opolais headlines concert performances of “Lady Macbeth of Mstensk.” Andris Nelsons conducts a cast also starring Pavel Cernoch, Sergei Skorokhodov, and Günther Groissböck. Performance Dates: Jan 25 & 27, 2024 (Jan. 23 rehearsal {…}

Nicole Wendl Appointed to Executive Director of Boston University Tanglewood Institute

Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) has announced the appointment of Nicole Wendl as BU Tanglewood Institute’s (BUTI) new executive director. Wendl, a professional violinist and administrator, will helm the prestigious summer training program for young musicians ages 14-20. The program takes place on a 64-acre campus in western Massachusetts’ Berkshire mountains, close to Tanglewood. For the past three {…}