CLASSICAL MUSIC THEATER REVIEWS

Musical gems buried in a mind-numbing story...

What did our critic think of SAN DIEGO OPERA PRESENTS LA BOHÈME at San Diego Civic Center? San Diego Opera celebrated the opening of its 60th season with Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème, the same opera the company staged to open its first season. Its magnificent melodies, a touchingly tragic love s...

The music that people enjoy the most, whether they are fans of classical or hip hop, is music that evokes emotion. The San Diego Symphony under guest conductor Antonio Méndez took note of that with a concert of proven favorites, Mendelssohn’s Ruy Blas Overture, Bruch’s first violin concerto, an...

The Washington National Opera’s production of Beethoven’s Fidelio is a triumph of elegant, efficient style and directorial finesse. Director Francesca Zambello re-invigorates the somewhat uninspired libretto by Joesph Von Sonnleithner with a vigor and intelligence that envelops this tale of valo...

The Philadelphia Orchestra’s performance of Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 3 aCarnegie Hall on October 15th was an unforgettable evening of rich musical storytelling. Under the dynamic direction of Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the orchestra captured the emotional breadth and technical deman...

With the size of theatrical orchestras being drastically cut, one of the few places left to hear a full string section is at a symphonic concert. What better symphony is there than YOUR National Symphony Orchestra (NSO)?...

What did our critic think of SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY PERFORM WORKS BY MAHLER AND LARCHER at the Jacobs Music Center? There were only two pieces on the San Diego Symphony’s program for the second weekend of the new season, the first after the renovation of the Jacobs Music Center. But one of them was M...

A brilliant comedy hit that fuses music, physical theatre, and that type of really-clever-yet-really-dumb humour that works for most audiences, it’s a show that keeps the audience laughing at every turn....

What did our critic think of SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY SHINES AT NEW JACOBS MUSIC CENTER OPENING! Shortly after the waterfront’s Rady Shell opened in 2021, I was standing in a short line behind San Diego Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer and complimented her on the Rady’s awesome state-of-the-art sound syste...

The performance was, in a word, superb...

What did our critic think of LUCIA DE LAMMERMOOR at Opera In The Heights?...

Pappano is top of his game as he once again proves he is a pristine fit as Chief Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. His leadership ties the entire evening together so seamlessly that it’s hardly surprising he earns a standing ovation....

The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) began their classical season this past Saturday evening in a very satisfying manner. The program was entitled Echoes of America and was conducted by the Artistic Director of The Washington Chorus Eugene Rogers....

The Bold Tendencies Communion season came to an end last night, and it didn't go quietly. With 119 musicians of the Philharmonia Orchestra, 100 members of the Philharmonia Chorus and two soloists sopranos, conductor Nefeli Chadouli led the vast troupe in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No 2 'Resurrection�...

Another helping of Shakespeare, in this otherwise rather Eastern European-themed Prom. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales was guided through the evening’s events by Principal Guest Conductor Jaime Martín, who seemed to relish every moment of his appearance on the Royal Albert Hall stage, and br...

The climax to the Proms' Choral Day could only be George Frideric Handel's majestic Messiah. This 1789 arrangement by Mozart was performed by The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, joined by an incredible six (yes six) choirs, conducted by an ebullient John Butt....

There were no phone screens, no sotto voce conversations, no fidgeting, as a packed Hall watched the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in rapt appreciation. Each instrument had its moment. The dual harps added a cool clarity, the double basses a morose touch, the trombones a sweet elegance. This wa...

With soloists Leonidas Kavakos, Emmanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma on violin, piano and cello respectively coming together to form a mighty trio of classical musicians, audiences are in for a treat, regardless of what is being played. Indeed, I found myself thinking that the musicians could have just performe...

If anyone were to worry about the future of classical music, Prom 46 would surely reassure them that we are in good hands. Students from the Royal College of Music Chamber Choir, Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra and the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra came together for an incredibly pow...

The term has become familiar and beloved to opera lovers since the late 19th century. Seattle Opera offered Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, one of the most performed works of this genre, as its opening production of the 2024-25 season....

It was a one-two punch to fans of David Bowie in early 2016 when the rock star was suddenly pronounced dead and two days later, on what would have been his 69th birthday, released his final album, “Blackstar,” a preordained farewell addressing his demise....

This is my very first time at the Polish National Opera and as we all know, first times can be overrated. This is certainly not the case here....

This restaging of LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR is a fitting tribute to Cape Town Opera's 25 years of artistic excellence. Under Gobbato's direction, the production not only honours the company’s past but also looks forward to its future, showcasing the enduring power of opera to move and inspire. ...

About halfway into her two-hour plus recital with tenor Joshua Guerrero, soprano Andrea Carroll gave a well-earned compliment to their accompanist Stephen Hopkins for his technique and versatility. Both were challenged during the unusually varied program the two singers had fashioned....

When a legendary diva, one of the great voices of the 20th century, announces her return to the New York stage after an absence of two decades, fans are generally overjoyed – at first – then curious – then trepidatious – finally, hopeful that the return will be a success. ...