Prominent Finnish Composer Kaija Saariaho Has Died, Aged 70

Saariaho’s compositions melded live performance and electronics, winning recognition and securing commissions from numerous leading organizations.

Elgin Symphony Orchestra Names New Music Director

The orchestra’s 2022-2023 season saw seven finalists for its music director position presiding over once concert each.

Chicago Opera Theater Names New General Director

Lawrence Edelson founded American Lyric Theater in 2005, building a model organization for presenting and fostering new opera.

Grace Bumbry, 1st Black singer at Bayreuth, dies at 86

Bumbry was among the winners of the 1958 Met National Council Auditions. She had a recital debut in Paris that same year and made her Paris Opéra debut in 1960.

Folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84

“I simply write the songs about where I am and where I’m from,” Lightfoot once said. “I take situations and write poems about them.”

‘Some Like It Hot’ leads Tony Award nominations with 13 nods

The message of self-acceptance and respect for all was echoed across Broadway, from the new musical take on Some Like It Hot to a Black actor-led Death of a Salesman to the new play Ain’t No Mo.

Harry Belafonte, activist and entertainer, dies at 96

Belafonte stands as the model and the epitome of the celebrity activist. Few kept up with his time and commitment and none his stature as a meeting point among Hollywood, Washington and the civil rights movement.

Solti Foundation US Announces 2023 Conducting Award Recipient

The $30k grant is reserved for rising conductors and is given to further the recipient’s career and artistic development.

50 Years of COT: Anniversary Season Boasts Shostakovich, Heggie, Premieres, and More

Three mainstage operas, three additional special events, and all six titles are Chicago premieres.

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ closes on Broadway after 35 years

It was show No. 13,981 at the Majestic Theatre and it ended with a reprise of “The Music of the Night” performed by the current cast, previous actors in the show.

Mario, Mariah, Madonna added to National Recording Registry

The Library of Congress selects the titles for preservation for their cultural and historic importance to the American soundscape.

Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto dies at 71

Sakamoto was a pioneer in electronics music of the late 1970s.

Nicholas Lloyd Webber, son of famed composer, dies at 43

The Grammy-nominated composer, record producer and eldest son of Andrew Lloyd Webber, died Saturday in England after a protracted battle with gastric cancer and pneumonia.

Pioneer of gospel music rediscovered in Pittsburgh archives

Charles Henry Pace was one of the first African American gospel music composers in the US and owned of one of the first independent, Black gospel music publishing companies.

Ravinia Announces 2023 Season

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 2023 Ravinia residency features conductor Marin Alsop and a lineup of other leading conductors.

Lyric Opera 2023-2024 Season: Dutchman, Aida, Cinderella, Audra

Next year’s lineup of six mainstage operas offers choices for traditional and contemporary opera fans alike.

Chaim Topol, Israeli actor known for Fiddler’s Tevye, dies

The role of his life arrived in the long-running musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” in which he played Tevye.

Wayne Shorter, jazz saxophone pioneer, dies at 89

Earlier in 2023, Shorter won a Grammy for best improvised jazz solo for “Endangered Species” with Leo Genovese.

Joni Mitchell honored with Gershwin Prize at tribute concert

Says James Taylor, an attendee of the event (and a former partner): “Joni is a national treasure.”

Heaven and Earth: Music of the Baroque Announces 2023-24 Season

Boasting banner works like the Mozart Requiem and Bach’s St. John Passion, the season will feature eight programs performed at venues in and around Chicago.

Met Opera marks 1st year of Ukraine war with concert

“We demonstrate the free world’s ongoing cultural resolve to defend Ukraine’s liberty in the face of brutal oppression,” said Met general manager Peter Gelb during intermission.

Seattle Opera puts story of Afghan women center stage

An opera based on the popular novel “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” which is set in Afghanistan, is making its world debut in Seattle.

Anthem for Charles III’s coronation written by Lloyd Webber

The work by Lloyd Webber is one of a dozen new pieces Charles commissioned for the grand occasion taking place May 6 at Westminster Abbey.

CSO 2023-24 Season Announced: Myriad Guest Conductors as Muti Era Closes

The season will be the first following the departure of Riccardo Muti as music director. But the maestro will be close at hand as he continues his association with the CSO.

Barenboim takes it day-by-day, balancing music with illness

Despite illness, Barenboim is determined to inhabit the conductor’s podium as much as possible.

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