Symphonies and opera houses need to innovate as funding crunch bites
From philanthropy to the public purse, classical music institutions are in search of new sources of money
Classical music
Taylor Swift fans come together in Vienna after concerts cancelled due to terrorist plot
Tears, hugs and spontaneous sing-alongs as thousands turn disappointment into celebration on streets of Austrian cityTaylor Swift fans have reached out to each other in emotional gatherings across Vienna after the singerโs three-night run of concerts i…
When Putin invaded my country, I couldnโt take up arms โ I raised my conductorโs baton instead | Keri-Lynn Wilson
We created a new kind of orchestra to fight for Ukraine all over the worldKeri-Lynn Wilson is a Canadian-Ukrainian conductor and founder of the Ukrainian Freedom OrchestraWhat is the role of the arts in times of suffering? If we know that a symphony ca…
French court to rule on whether Bolero was Ravelโs work alone
Decision in favour of claimants, backed by Ravelโs estate, would put Bolero back under copyright until 2039A French court is due to rule on whether or not Bolero, one of the best-known classical music pieces in the world, was written by Maurice Ravel a…
Peter Eรถtvรถs obituary
Hungarian conductor of modernist music who went on to compose operas with texts ranging from Three Sisters to Angels in AmericaThe Hungarian composer and conductor Peter Eรถtvรถs, who has died aged 80, is now best known for the 12 operas that he wrote du…
Sterben (Dying) review โ the biggest conductor meltdown since Cate Blanchettโs Tรกr
Lars Eidinger plays the man embarking on a major orchestral project, but whose professional status is threatened by family turmoil behind the scenesMatthias Glasnerโs epic is a black comedy of Franzenesque family dysfunction; maybe not profound exactly…
Ewa Podleล obituary
Polish contralto who displayed a great range and athleticism particularly in works by Handel and RossiniThe preternatural quality of the voice of the Polish contralto Ewa Podleล, who has died aged 71, inevitably divided opinion, but the relative infreq…
Visionary composer, polymath and โtrue cosmopolitanโ: Greece finally pays tribute to Iannis Xenakis
National museum in Athens mounts major retrospective for pioneer of avant-garde music and apprentice to Le Corbusier who was sentenced to death by the militaryHe was the high priest of 20th-century modernity, a founding father of electronic music, a pi…
The corruption trap: How Europeโs establishment made the far right great again
Sleaze and politics have always coexisted, but the topic has new-found relevance as scandals rock once-dominant centrist parties.
โOur music cannot be destroyedโ: the duo reviving a macabre Ukrainian masterpiece
Russia has fought a long war against Ukraineโs composers. Now Kyiv-born conductor Dalia Stasevska and US violinist Joshua Bell are resurrecting a war-scarred concerto โ with an orchestra whose horn-player is missing in actionIn the National Philharmoni…
Putin loyalist Valery Gergiev installed as director of Bolshoi theatre
Star conductor becomes latest Kremlin supporter to lead a major Russian cultural institutionRussia-Ukraine war โ latest news updatesValery Gergiev, the star Russian conductor and prominent supporter of Vladimir Putin, has been installed as general dire…
Bread and Salt review โ clarity and rigour as a talented Polish pianist returns to his hometown
Real-life pianist Tymoteusz Bies and his younger brother Jacek star in Damian Kocurโs extraordinary and intriguing debutThereโs an icy, unforgiving clarity and compositional rigour to this arresting feature debut from Polish film-maker Damian Kocur, ma…
A chastened Israel fights for its life and its soul
As the country combats an unrelenting Hamas, the tussle between defense and integrity grows sharper and more poignant.
โThe tuba player is now a machine gunnerโ: classical music on the Ukrainian frontline
The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine defies the Russian invasion with a Kyiv premiere, before embarking on a first tour of the UK for 22 yearsThe sound of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine is filling โ even overfilling โ the smaller of t…
Uzeyir Hajibeyli Music Festival: Baku’s four-day celebration of classical music
The 15th edition of the festival celebrated Hajibeyliโs contribution to Azerbaijani culture and welcomed classical musicians from around the world.
Joana Mallwitz is the first woman to lead a Berlin orchestra. And, no, she hasnโt seen Tรกr
Comparisons to Cate Blanchettโs fictional conductor abound. But for Mallwitz that is irrelevant โ her work is the thingFor months Joana Mallwitzโs image has been plastered on billboards throughout Berlin, heralding her arrival as the new chief conducto…
Christian Thielemann picks up baton as director of Berlin State Opera from old rival
The German conductor will take over from Daniel Barenboim who announced his resignation in JanuaryThe German conductor Christian Thielemann is to pick up the baton from the world renowned maestro and pianist Daniel Barenboim as general music director o…
Runners and riders for the EUโs bank job
The EIB needs a new boss. Here are the contenders. (Although to be honest, some of them are just making up the numbers.)
Brexiters rage after crowd waves EU flags at Royal Albert Hall
Thousands of blue-and-yellow EU flags were aflutter in the audience during a rendition of ‘Rule, Britannia!’ during Last Night at the Proms.
โThe rockets didnโt stop usโ: Odesa violinist gears up for symbolic concert
Kyrylo Markiv, whose instrument was nearly destroyed in Russian attack, to perform in Berlin to mark Independence DayRussia-Ukraine war โ latest news updatesWhen news of a Russian missile attack on Odesaโs Transfiguration Cathedral reached Kyrylo Marki…
30 years of the Verbier Festival: Celebrating classical music in the Swiss Alps
Each summer for the last three decades, the Swiss ski resort of Verbier has transformed into a hub of classical music. It’s also a chance for young, budding musicians to hone their skills on the big stage.
On Ukraineโs musical frontline: how pop and classical stars have taken up arms
From nights at the opera to the nationโs best-loved bands, music is playing a vital role in resistance to the Russian invasion. And not only in terms of morale โ many musicians have actually gone to the frontlineMen arrive on crutches, two in wheelchai…