CLASSICAL MUSIC THEATER REVIEWS

This programme of music seems to thrive on themes of togetherness, resilience, and support that may have also influenced the Russian composer at the mid-point of his life, the Hungarian maestro nearing the end of his, and even the bright young man setting out to shake us the music scene in Europe to...

It's 20 years since Anoushka Shankar made her Proms debut, along with her father Ravi Shakar. Since then she has eclipsed even his enduring reputation as a world-renowned sitarist. Now a multi-Grammy-nominated artist, a sitar virtuoso and prolific composer, Shankar makes a triumphant return to the ...

Bringing Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra back to the BBC Proms, last night’s concert offered a programme of Beethoven’s 'Symphony No. 7 in A major' alongside Bartok’s dark one-act opera Duke Bluebeard’s Castle.  ...

This is a great opportunity to hear the breadth of Beethoven’s work performed in a novel way, and the drama does have its flashes of brilliance. In order to preserve these fleeting moments of conviction, though, Beethoven: I Shall Hear in Heaven needs to move away from tired biographical tropes an...

A program featuring one of the world's most beloved symphonies, a stunning piano concerto allowing pianist Alexandre Kantorow to show off his prowess, and a fascinating contemporary piece by Scottish composer Jay Capperauld, the 10th BBC Prom 2025 marks a triumph for conductor Maxim Emelyanychev and...

From the moment the first note rang out, this was no ordinary Proms night. Four wildly different pieces, one restless thread: mischief. Mendelssohn is the marquee name here but really this was a foray into the world of fairytale birds, lyrical longing, mythological monkeys and death-defying prankste...

Once Proms season comes around, there aren’t many better places to be on a Sunday morning than at the Royal Albert Hall. It was a return to more traditional Proms fare this time, with a trip to the 17th and 18th centuries for a selection of mostly Vivaldi and Bach pieces - although the programme a...

As classical performance continues to wrestle with relevance, accessibility and representation, the Proms are under pressure to lead this change. This opening night offered progress in places, but also showed how much further there is to go....

What did BroadwayWorld's critic think of THE MAINLY MOZART ALL-STA FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA at Epstein Family Amphitheater? Read the review here and learn more! ...

It’s become the custom in recent years to present memorial concerts which pay tribute to musicians after they leave this mortal plane....

On the evening of Saturday, April 26, 2025, the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra (GNSO) presented a breathtaking rendition of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Resurrection, at Aquinas Hall at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY....

Ending the season with a memorable production of one of opera’s most tour de force masterpieces is sure to motivate audiences to return for Seattle Opera’s next season...

An evening of the myriad modes of music that constitute the American Experience was celebrated at the Kennedy Center’s production of American Rhapsody. The evening was a rich treasure trove of the glory that is American music from opera, spirituals, modern composers, classic songwriters, and Broad...

Yunchan Lim’s performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations at Carnegie Hall was a masterclass in both technique and emotional depth, showcasing his extraordinary maturity and artistry for such a young performer. From the moment he began, it was clear that Lim was not just playing the piece; he was ...

On April 15, 2025, The Philadelphia Orchestra, under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, presented Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony at Carnegie Hall in a performance defined by its precision, structural rigor, and interpretive restraint. Rather than indulging in the sweeping romanticism that of...

A splendid evening of Schubert, Haydn, Satie, de Grignol, and Montgomery...

Dominated by a new James MacMillan work, and a lively couple of pieces by Shostakovich reflecting on the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia, this concert from the LSO, with their Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda and violinist Nicola Benedetti, offered a lively evening of music. Full-blo...

Imagine you are living with your family at your mother-in-law’s house. Imagine you don’t really “work” for a living because you are a composer. But you are very bored.  You mother-in-law takes in boarders, and one day you distinctly hear the sound of two violins playing a duet! ...

This will be talked about for a long time to come....

What did our critic think of THE LA JOLLA MUSIC SOCIETY PRESENTS THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA at San Diego Jacobs Music Center? Standing Ovations showed the audience's appreciation of pianist Yunchan Lim in Rachmaninov's second piano concerto and the orchestra's excellence under conductor Sir Anto...

In an unprecedented collaboration, the Columbus Symphony, BalletMet, Opera Columbus, and the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) have all joined forces to present West Side Story, the classic forbidden love story and rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks in a mesmerizing fusion of ...

An evening of expressive and emotional music from three great modernist composers is hard to fault as the LSO perform pieces by Walker, Bernstein, and Walton in a powerful Anglo-American programme....

What did our critic think of SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY INTRODUCES A WORLD PREMIERE at Jacobs Music Center? Alexander Malofeev was 13 when he won the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians under 18. His technical prowess was exceptional, but his musicality at such a young age ...

The COC’s 2025 production of this masterpiece seamlessly blends performance practice tradition with a contemporary perspective on the story’s timeless themes....

Ending on a a fervent note, spurring the audience to go forth and enjoy their holidays in the best way possible: with music in their hearts and minds...