(Credit: Evan Zimmerman / Met Opera) On April 28, 2025, the Metropolitan Opera opened a new production of Strauss’ “Salome.” At the center of the highly anticipated performance was the debut of internationally-renowned director Claus Guth, who has built a name of edgy reimaginings of classic works. It was also the first new production of “Salome” at the Met since {…}
The Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal has announced its 2025-26 season. Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Joyce DiDonato open the season with a Mahler and Sonny-Ray Day Rider. Performance Date: Sept. 23, 2025 Léa Moisan-Perrier conducts the Chœur Métropolitain and pianists Julie Lamontagne and Rousso. Performance Dates: Dec. 13 & 14, 2025 Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Bach’s Oratorio de Noël with soloists Anna-Sophie Neher, Julie Boulianne, Frédéric Antoun, and Geoffroy {…}
The Grammy Awards announced its 2025 winners on Feb. 2, 2025. Here is a look at the classical music winners. The Best Opera Recording went to “Saariaho: Adriana Mater.” The award was shared by Kaija Saariaho, Amin Maalouf, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Fleur Barron, Nicholas Phan, Christopher Purves, Axelle Fanyo, San Francisco Symphony Chorus & Orchestra. Best Classical Vocal Album went to Karen {…}
The Philadephia Orchestra has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the vocal highlights of the season. Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conducts Handel’s Messiah with the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir. Performance Dates: Dec. 12-14, 2025 Dalia Stasevska conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with Joélle Harvey. The concert also includes violinist Augustin Hadelich and such pieces as Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast {…}
(Credit: © Paola Kudacki / Met Opera) Yannick Nézet-Séguin is set to conduct the 2026 Wiener Philharmoniker New Year’s concert. The conductor will lead the orchestra in waltzes and polkas on Jan. 1, 2026, marking the first time Nézet-Séguin leads the legendary concert. The chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic, Daniel Froschauer said, “The Vienna Philharmonic has enjoyed a close and fruitful {…}
(Photo: Ken Howard / Met Opera) The curtain rose on Egyptian tombs. In the center, a rope came down and with it an archeologist. As he reached the bottom to get off the rope, he fell to the ground, the sound of his body crashing over the delicate violins that opened the prelude to Verdi’s Aida.” That was not supposed {…}
For the first time in 11 years, the Metropolitan Opera has revived what I consider to be one of its greatest productions in my lifetime. Herbert Wernicke’s production of “Die Frau ohne Schatten” is simply one of the most sublime marriages of stage direction and opera in recent Met history. First off, it’s a challenging piece, not only musically, but {…}
(Photo credit: Curtis Perry) Baritone Joshua Hopkins and Yannick Nézet-Séguin give the U.S. orchestral premiere of Jake Heggie and Margaret Atwood’s “Songs for Murdered Sisters.” Hopkins’ sister, Nathalie Warmerdam, was one of the victims in one of Canada’s worst cases of domestic violence. Since Warmerdam’s murder in 2015, Hopkins has since set out on a journey to use his voice {…}
Metropolitan Opera Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin is the latest musician to voice support for Presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The conductor took to social media with a Kamala t-shirt and said, “The world is watching—make your voices heard and VOTE! Love, Your friendly Canadian.” He also used the hashtags Kamala2024 and Vote2024. Nézet-Séguin’s support of Vice President Harris comes after AGMA {…}
Yannick Nézet-Séguin has been awarded the Laurent-McCutcheon Award from Fondation Émergence. The conductor and Metropolitan Opera Music Director took to social media and said, “What an honor to receive the Laurent-McCutcheon Award from Fondation Émergence! This award is given each year to a person who has contributed to the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights or to the fight against phobias related {…}
The Festspielhaus Baden-Baden has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Camilla Nylund, Andreas Schager, and Pietari Inkinen perform an evening of Wagner, Strauss, Kálmán, Lehar, Performance Dates: Jan. 12, 2025 Zum Rahmenprogramm des Festivals Gianandrea Noseda, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, and Philharmonia Zürich lead an all-Strauss program. Performance Dates: Feb. 22, 2025 Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler’s {…}