(Credit: Jiyang-Chen) Uniarts Helsinki has appointed Susanna Mälkki as a part-time Professor of Orchestral Conducting at the Sibelius Academy. She begins in her new position on August 1, 2025. The position is regarded as one of the most prestigious and influential conducting chairs in the classical music world. In a statement, the conductor said, “I am greatly inspired by the {…}
Susanna Mälkki has joined Intermusica for worldwide general management. Mälkki is a sought-after conductor who regularly conducts the Helsinki Philharmonic, where she is Chief Conductor Emeritus and was Chief Conductor from 2016 until 2023. She was Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 2017 until 2022, and has conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago {…}
(Photo: Guergana Damianova) There is a question that has tormented opera fanatics for at least a century: how can opera go on? What sound represents the future of opera? While many, especially in the mid-20th century, leaned toward musicality that was either dramatically disruptive or staunchly conservative, Stravinsky forged a career where he managed to be both. In a world {…}
(Photo credit: Jean-Louis Fernandez) Eight years ago, Katie Mitchell’s staging of “Pelléas et Mélisande” was opera-lovers’ favorite summer topic. Echoes of its greatness could be heard in the wintery Brazilian July, and in the fall, when I was in Scotland, people still commented how great—or heterodox—it was. Its return to Aix’s stage reminds us of its scenic beauty and proves {…}
(Photo: Jean-Louis Fernandez) Postponed from last year, owing to COVID restrictions, Kaija Saariaho’s new opera “Innocence” finally received its world premiere at this year’s Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and it did not disappoint. The libretto, written by Sofi Oksanen, interweaves two narratives which relate to a school shooting. One focuses on the students and their teacher who were present at the time {…}
This article relates to the performance of “L’Amour de Loin” at the Metropolitan Opera on Dec. 14, 2016. There was a light show on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House on Wednesday evening in the company’s performance of Kaija Saariaho’s “L’Amour De Loin,” though a sudden moment of darkness threatened to be the most impactful moment of the entire {…}
Audiences worldwide will get a chance to witness Kaija Saariaho’s “L’Amour de Loin” on Saturday as part of the Metropolitan Opera’s hugely popular Live in HD series. The performance is the third in this season’s series. The famed company kicked off its series with Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” and followed it up with Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” “L’Amour de Loin” is {…}