Long before the curtain rises on “The Song of Sakuntala,” a new opera set to premiere at INSERIES, the sitar has already been telling stories. For thousands of years, its shimmering, many-stringed voice has carried the weight of Indian classical music: its ragas, its spiritual longing, its intricate rhythmic cycles. Now that ancient voice will be at the center of {…}
(Photo Credit: Hanna Becker) Alexander Steinbeis assumed the artistic directorship of the Kissinger Sommer festival, succeeding Kari Kahl-Wolfsjäger and Tilman Schlömp, in April 2021. Previously, he served for 13 years as managing director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. In this role, he was responsible for the overall artistic planning, the introduction of numerous innovative concert formats, and worked closely with {…}
Robin Norton-Hale is a multi-award-winning freelance writer and director for theatre, opera and film, currently based between London and Sheffield. She is the Artistic Director and CEO of English Touring Opera and an executive coach. She was the founding Artistic Director and Chief Executive of OperaUpClose, an award-winning opera company with a focus on inventive new English-language productions of {…}
Winner of the first prize “Carlo Bergonzi” and the special prize “Renata Tebaldi” for the best female voice at the 58th Voci Verdiane International Singing Competition in Busseto in 2022, Italian soprano Sara Cortolezzis’ star is on the rise. Since taking that top prize, her career has expanded rapidly, with high-profile role debuts as Leonora in “Il Trovatore” at the {…}
(Photo: Theo Williams) In July, Paxton House will host the 2026 edition of its festival dedicated to chamber music in all its forms, including solo recitals and small ensembles of instrumental and vocal music from the classical repertoire spanning across the centuries. Yet it is far more than a specialist classical music festival; there are also many cross-over events, including {…}
When Baptiste Charroing assumed the helm of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in September 2025, he brought with him something rare in the world of major opera houses: he already knew the place intimately. A trained viola player turned producer and arts administrator, Charroing had spent years working across some of France’s most distinguished musical institutions: from the Palazzetto Bru Zane, {…}
Palazzetto Bru Zane has been on the forefront of the rediscovery and international promotion of the French musical heritage of the long nineteenth century. Its interests range from chamber music to the orchestral, sacred and operatic repertories, not forgetting the lighter genres characteristic of the ‘esprit français’ of the nineteenth century. Beginning in 2009, it has performed concerts and staged {…}
(Photo Credit: Shevaun Williams) Few voices in contemporary opera carry the weight of history quite like Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. A citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and one of the foremost Native American classical composers working today, Tate has spent decades building a singular artistic mission: to bring Indigenous culture, language, and storytelling to the world’s great stages. His catalog spans {…}
(Credit: Spencer Smith) How can we connect people, transforming separateness into unity? How can we create cohesion within our communities? How can a united community create a more harmonious society? David Morales, founder and artistic director of Cantare Con Vivo, believes that all this can happen through music: through the sounds of our hearts and our best intentions. When Morales {…}