The Classical Review

Light, warmth and mastery from Andsnes at Carnegie Hall

Tuesday night was frigid but there was ample warmth in Carnegie Hall, emanating from the stage where pianist Leif Ove Andsnes was playing. The crowd was unusually thin, likely due to the weather, but ...
The Classical Review

Santa Fe Opera returns with courageous yet musically flawed premiere of “M. Butterfly”

Kangmin Justin Kim as Song Liling and Mark Stone as René Gallimard in the world premiere of Huang Ruo’s M. Butterfly at Santa Fe Opera. Photo: Curtis Brown The Santa Fe Opera is back. After 2020, the ...
The Classical Review

Noseda, NSO and strong cast deliver the grandeur and intimate drama of “Otello”

Erika Grimaldi as Desdemona and Arsen Soghomonyan in the title role of Verdi’s Otello, in a concert performance by the National Symphony Orchestra Friday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Scott ...
The Classical Review

Compelling Garrop premiere anchors Chicago Philharmonic’s Ear Taxi concert

Marta Aznavoorian was the the piano soloist in the world premiere of Stacy Garrop’s Invictus with the Chicago Philharmonic Saturday night at the Harris Theater. Photo: Kyle Dunleavy Among the 210 ...
The Classical Review

Nelsons, cast and BSO give heartfelt and idiomatic advocacy to Barber’s “Vanessa”

Jennifer Holloway (left) in the title role and Samantha Hankey as Erika in Samuel Barber’s Vanessa, performed by Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra Thursday night. Photo: Winslow Townson ...
The Classical Review

Outstanding new opera, “Loving v. Virginia,” makes a moving debut

Flora Hawk and Jonathan Michie star in the world premiere of Damien Geter’s Loving v. Virginia at Virginia Opera. Photo: Dave Pearson Virginia Opera is marking its golden anniversary season in the ...
The Classical Review

Sierra and Villazón shine brightly in Met’s new “Sonnambula”

Nadine Sierra stars as Amina in Bellini’s La Sonnambula at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera For such a famous opera, a vehicle for some of the great modern divas, La Sonnambula ...
The Classical Review

Rust Belt bel canto: Met provides a dark, mostly compelling update to “Lucia”

Nadine Sierra in the title role of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo: Marty Sohl Cheers greeted Simon Stone and his creative team Saturday night as they walked onstage ...
The Classical Review

No slowing down for Gerard Schwarz, South Florida’s busiest conductor

Gerard Schwarz conducting the Palm Beach Symphony at a 2024 concert. Photo: IndieHouse Films When Gerard Schwarz was a teenage trumpet student, he dreamed of being a member of the New York ...
The Classical Review

Dubious “Dutchman” and trenchant “Tosca” refract two classics through modern lenses at Santa Fe Opera

Nicholas Brownlee and Elza van den Heever in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman at Santa Fe Opera. Photo: Curtis Brown/SFO General director Robert Meya has given Wagner fans cause to rejoice: Santa Fe Opera ...
The Classical Review

Mäkelä, CSO wrap year with bracing contemporary works, Beethoven and Schumann

The final Chicago Symphony Orchestra program of 2025 offered much to attract concertgoers: warhorses by Beethoven and Schumann as well as the subscription debut of pianist and Van Cliburn gold medal ...
The Classical Review

Santa Fe Opera rounds out comeback season with brilliant Verdi and Wagner

Quinn Kelsey stars in the title role of Verdi’s Falstaff at Santa Fe Opera. Photo: Curtis Brown The most complex works on the stage this summer at Santa Fe Opera came at the end of the first full week ...