classical music

The death has been communicated of Walfrid Kujala, author of The Flutist’s Progress and teacher of many of America’s top players. Kujala joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Fritz Reiner in 1954 as second flute […]

Alexandra Pakhmutova, composer of ‘Nadezhda’ and other Soviet schlaggers, turned 95 last week. Her biggest fan, Vladimir Putin, sent a message. The Bolshoi was packed with acolytes. Yuri Bashmet conducted, just about. Ildar Abdarazakov, Hibla […]

Critic Jennifer Wood attended Riccardo Muti’s festival rollout of Osvaldo Golijov’s long-delayed new work. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra returned this weekend to Symphony Center where Music Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti presented a commissioned […]

The Christmas market opened this weekend outside Schönbrunn Palace and festive liquors were flowing. Only one thing was missing – a good sing-song of Tannenbaum. The palace management had posted this advisory to professional singers […]

Rejkjavik – Hampstead Theatre  The first half of Rejkjavik doesn’t happen in Rejkjavik at all but in Hull. This is playwright Richard Bean’s home town and he is deeply committed to its history as the home port of […]

Barcelona – Duke of York’s theatre I’ve been in two very different cities this week – Barcelona and Rejkjavik.  In neither case did I see anything of the town itself. In Barcelona I saw the […]

message received: The Hannover University of Music, Theater and Media has appointed Dr. Maria Behrendt as the new head of the research center for Music and Gender (fmg). Effective October 2024 she has also taken […]

The jazz expert and festival director Richard Williams is one of the most perceptive and humane observers of the great  musicians of our times. If you don’t know his writings, start right here. Richard has […]