“In his memoirs, he described himself in his 60s as ‘past hopes, past illusions, past high thoughts and lofty conceptions.’ His extraordinary but unusual music was unloved and unplayed.” - The New York Times
"Costanzo is a rare blend of artistic star power and equally starry connections, entrepreneurial intuition, and business savvy. He’s just the sort of triple threat who could bring opera in Philadelphia out of what’s been looking like a death spiral." - Philadelphia Magazine
Over the next six years, Nézet-Séguin will conduct four or five operas each season, including new works — such as Mason Bates's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Missy Mazzoli's Lincoln in the Bardo, and Huang Ruo's The Wedding Banquet — and standard repertoire such as Mozart, Puccini, and Wagner's Ring cycle. - OperaWire
“Martines began her remarkable career at just 16. At 38, she became the first female composer programmed by the Society of Musicians, whose elite concert series also gave Beethoven his Viennese performance debut. But after her death, in 1812, Martines’s music mostly fell silent.” - The New York Times
Sharon’s Tristan und Isolde opens March 9, 2026 with Lise Davidsen as Isolde. The Ring begins with Das Rheingold in spring 2028, continues with Die Walküre and Siegfried in 2028-29, and culminates with Gotterdämmerung in 2029-30. Davidsen will sing Brünnhilde, and there will be complete cycles in the spring of 2030. - AP
“Jenkins captivated her listeners because she presented music not as lessons but as play. A charismatic performer whose accompaniment often consisted of only a baritone ukulele and some percussion, she encouraged her young audiences not to sit still but to get up and move.” - The New York Times
"The history of horror scores is a long, winding path (that leads to an old abandoned shed stocked with rusty hatchets), with legends of the form and shadowy figures that lurk around the edges of the frame." Michael Andor Brodeur selects "the most killer composers in film history." - The Washington Post (MSN)
The ensemble operates out of cramped offices in St. Petersburg and has no fixed rehearsal space; now the CEO has proposed a new building to solve that problem, and he says he has private funding lined up. (The orchestra will continue to perform in St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Clearwater.) - St. Pete Catalyst
“People living in regional Australia recognise the positive impact of the arts on wellbeing, social cohesion and the economic opportunities created through tourism. However, artists based in regional and remote areas are still adversely impacted by their location.” - ArtsHub
The CSO says that "the new agreement provides salary increases of 23% over the life of the contract, more flexible scheduling,” and “industry-leading audition and tenure practices” that will be clearly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. - CityBeat
The original version, about a Black baby girl found drifting in a basket along a river, premiered off-Broadway in 2006 and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Though she herself is a singer-songwriter and actor, Davis "had no designs on making an opera" — until composer Nathaniel Stookey approached her. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
John Mangum, 49, has no professional experience in opera, but he has spent a career in artistic administration at the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony. He became CEO of the Houston Symphony in 2018. - Chicago Sun-Times
Hannah Kendall knew, when she read Schumann’s letters about his struggles with depression, that her next piece would be a response to him, and help listeners hear not only her own sound but his Second Symphony in a new way. - The New York Times
"I was very dehydrated. … I didn’t strike him too hard. I did nonetheless cuff or biff a young singer. … There is no excuse. Provocation yes, but not an excuse. … There has to be a degree of forgiveness and tolerance." Not entirely convinced? Neither is the interviewer. - Financial Times
