News
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra to allow filming of its classical concerts
Aiming to appeal to a younger audience not interested in the 'old rules', the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is to allow audiences to take pictures and film during breaks in its classical concerts
Zarqa Al Yamama: Sarah Connolly stars as Saudi Arabia stages its very first opera
English mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly stars in Saudi Arabia's first homegrown opera, which draws on an ancient Arabic tale of warring tribes. Jeremy Pound investigates
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason signs for Sony Classical
The talented young pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, sister of Sheku, Isata and Braimah, will record a debut featuring Chopin, Debussy and more
2024 BBC Proms lineup announced
90 Proms feature over 3,000 musicians over eight weeks, including star soloists Yo-Yo Ma, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Yunchan Lim, Víkingur Ólafsson, Sheku, Braimah and Isata Kanneh-Mason, and weekend festivals in Bristol, Nottingham and Gateshead
Conductor Sir Andrew Davis (1944-2024)
The conductor Sir Andrew Davis was perhaps best known for his recordings of English composers Elgar and Vaughan Williams - but there was also one very memorable Proms performance
Klaus Mäkelä named Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director
The Finnish conductor will begin as the orchestra’s music director designate with immediate effect before beginning a five-year contract as music director in September 2027
Wigmore Hall announces plans to become entirely privately funded
In its new season announcement, Wigmore Hall director John Gilhooly revealed that its Director's Fund aims to reach a target of £10 million by 2027, which will allow the venue to continue without the need for public funding
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New research shows surge in mental health concerns among musicians and performing artists since Covid-19
The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine has revealed that its mental health consultations have quadrupled since 2019
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra announces new chief and principal guest conductors
Mark Wigglesworth and Chloé van Soeterstède have been appointed as Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's new chief conductor and principal guest conductor respectively
Composer James MacMillan receives Ivors Academy Fellowship
MacMillan joins a list of 25 Fellows, including John Rutter, John Adams, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Judith Weir CBE and Sting
RPS Awards celebrate headline-grabbing BBC Singers, the late composer Kaija Saariaho and the first sitarist winner
The RPS Awards – held in Manchester for the first time – celebrate an opera looking at the impact of nuclear power on our world, an opera by the late Kaija Saariaho and an ensemble who nearly faced disbandment last year
Dramatic new changes afoot in the new Radio 3 schedule
Radio 3 has announced a raft of new changes which see some programmes axed, others extended and some moving across from other BBC radio stations
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra to lose all funding from Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council will be cutting funds to the cultural sector and the CBSO by 60% this year and 100% in 2025
Amadeus TV adaptation headed to Sky Original, starring White Lotus actor
40 years after the release of the 1984 film Amadeus, a new TV series based on the story of sparring Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri is coming to Sky
The BBC reveals future of the BBC Singers
The BBC has announced that it has secured the future of the vocal ensemble, drawing on support from a third party, The VOCES8 Foundation
Manchester City player Nathan Aké to donate pianos to deprived schools
Six schools in Manchester will receive digital pianos thanks to the efforts of Premier League footballer Nathan Aké and the Playing for Change initiative
Simon Rattle named as Czech Philharmonic's principal guest conductor
The British conductor will take on the role alongside his existing position as chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich
London Chamber Orchestra musicians stage a walkout after several months without pay
The orchestra's management has blamed the delayed payments on disruptions with its bank, an issue which has affected many other organisations, charities and venues recently
Conductor Seiji Ozawa (1935-2024)
The Japanese conductor was best known his role music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for 29 years
Northern Ballet to replace live orchestra with recorded music in upcoming productions
Due to rising inflation and production costs, Northern Ballet has announced that the Northern Ballet Sinfonia will be replaced by recorded music in several of its upcoming touring productions
BBC Radio 3 to launch new digital music station on DAB+ and BBC Sounds
The BBC has announced that it will be launching four new digital music stations with 'extensions' for Radio 1, 2 and 3 combining new and existing material, simultcasts and live content
Iconic Japanese electronic musical instrument to be revived for the first time since the 90s
The Omnichord was a fan favourite back in the 80s and 90s, but this is the first time since 1996 a new model has been released
A piece by John Cage has been played continuously for 23 years – and it's changing chord for the first time in two years
Some have booked their tickets years in advance for the historic moment in which a new note will be added to the six-note chord in this performance that is due to last for 639 years