Rice University

The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University has appointed violists Ori Kam and Stephen Wyrczynski to its faculty, with both artists set to join the school in fall 2027.

Legendary conductor Marin Alsop, in partnership with the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship (TACF), will lead #PurpleBaton, a global social media movement advancing the careers of women conductors in classical music.

The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts has appointed Joel Luks as its new Marketing and Communications Director. Luks joins the Hobby Center with more than two decades of experience in arts leadership.

Acclaimed soprano Nola Richardson will return to Houston for a special Valentine's Day performance with Ars Lyrica, featuring a program of French Baroque music.

Luna Composition Lab will celebrate its 10th anniversary by commissioning nearly 75 new works for 50 alumni, to be performed by top ensembles in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.

Primo Artists has announced Exclusive Worldwide Management of conductor Cristian Măcelaru, effective immediately. The agency will become his General Management and will continue to oversee his Publicity and Social Media worldwide.

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will open Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, a timeless adaptation of the Brothers Grimm tale. Produced in association with the London's Royal Ballet and Opera and San Francisco Opera.

Lyric Opera of Chicago will present Mozart’s beloved masterpiece Così fan tutte. This glamorous rom-com returns to Lyric in a sun-soaked 1930s-era seaside country club setting.

This week’s roundup highlights major leadership changes, funding shifts, and renewed investment in the performing arts. OPERA America has named Michael J. Bobbitt as its next President & CEO, while Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS announced $1.5 million in emergency food grants nationwide. In New York, The Joyce Theater Foundation received a landmark $15 million gift, and Broadway productions prepare to take the stage at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Regionally, Chicago’s cultural department faces a proposed budget reduction, Theatre Washington released a new industry impact report, and Houston Grand Opera appointed James Gaffigan as its next Music Director. Meanwhile, in the UK, opera and arts education take center stage with efforts to broaden access and strengthen creative learning.

Houston Grand Opera has announced the appointment of American conductor James Gaffigan as the fifth Music Director in the company's 70-year history.

Musiqa’s 2025 Emerging Composer Commission winner is Justin Weiss, a composer and conductor whose work has been recognized. Learn more about the recipients here!

​The Philadelphia Orchestra has added two musicians to the brass section, Victoria Knudtson, assistant principal/utility horn, and Samuel Huss, 4th/utility trumpet, in the 2025–26 season. Learn more!

Ucross Foundation will host its 2025 Gala & Benefit on November 6 at POST Houston, honoring Corbin Robertson, Jr. with the Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership.

And I realized that this is a subject that I feel like we've stopped talking about, even though it's still a really big deal. The big national organization, Exodus, had been dissolved. And that's a really interesting story, actually, about how that ended. And they had so much more presence in the media when there was this big national group over it. They fragmented into all these different pieces.

The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University will continue its multiyear 50th-anniversary celebration in the upcoming 2025-26 season. Learn more and see how to attend!