Sugarplum Silly: Musicians Muse On Diet Of Yuletide ‘Nutcrackers’
SAN FRANCISCO – Most people, if they see The Nutcracker, do it once a season. But playing every performance is just the job description for the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, which will play – no, embrace – the enduring hit 35 times in December.
Out, Out, Viol Spots: Bach’s Luster Dulled In Antique Transcriptions
MONTREAL – The modern piano is a common vehicle for Bach performance, and Stokowski's arrangements still hang on. But the antiquarian effect on sundry pieces by a consort of viols was a walrussy sameness, the tempo usually moderato.
Autumn Fest Celebrates Artistic Innovation With Zeal Of A Rite Of Spring
PARIS – Every September through December since 1972, Paris has opened its doors to Festival d’Automne, a nomadic, multidisciplinary event dedicated to the new and harnessing the French audience’s voracious appetite for discovery.
Chamber Series, Rocked By Pandemic, Reaffirms Promise Of New Vitality
GLENDALE, Calif. – The longstanding Dilijan Chamber Music Concert Series, quieted by Covid only to be revived in 2024 under new auspices, confirmed its resiliency and upheld its traditional link to Armenian music in November programs.
Shadowed Masterpiece Revealed In Full Light With A Stirring ‘Jenůfa’
MONTREAL – The Opéra de Montréal production of Janáček's towering drama, directed by Atom Egoyan and conducted by Nicole Paiement with Marie-Adeline Henry in the title role, reflected great credit on the company and its artists.
Young Artists’ Concert An Embracing View Of ‘Democracy in Music’
NEW YORK – Contemporary Americana was the dominant theme of a performance by members of the Curtis New Music Ensemble, who offered mostly works by living composers representing an extensive range of backgrounds, races, and styles.
Music For Saxophone Evokes Emotional Swirl Summoned By The Wind
SEATTLE – Steven Mackey's concerto Anemology, embracing the way a saxophonist’s manipulation of air and breath can generate whole musical structures, was given its premiere by soloist Timothy McAllister and the Seattle Symphony.
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CVNA MARKS 12TH ANNIVERSARY!
Classical Voice North America has won praise for the quality of its informative reviews, articles, commentary, and occasional podcasts at a time when many newspapers have cut back or eliminated coverage. We explore the richness of the classical music scene: opera productions, leading and regional orchestras, new works and upcoming artists, plus calendar listings. But access is free, so we need your support!
IN THE NEWS: MCANA MEMBERS' PICKS
- In Defense of the Traditional Review – by Richard Brody at The New Yorker
- NY Times Advertises for Classical Music Critic - by Norman Lebrecht at SlippeDisc
- From Slurpees to Shostakovich, an abandoned 7-Eleven becomes a home for classical music - by Graham Meyer for WBEZ
- 5 Questions to Composer Corie Rose Soumah - by Sonna Lee Davidson at I Care if You Listen
- Steve Reich picks his top discs - by Steve Reich at Nonesuch
- Santa Fe's New 'Figaro': Perfect Timing - by Thomas May at Musical America
- Ryan Speedo Green triumphs in first outing as Wagner’s god in 'Die Walküre' - by Mike Silverman at Associated Press
- Santa Fe Opera 2025 Season Review: The Fresh in the Familiar - by Heidi Waleson at Wall Street Journal
- To thrive in 2025, Opera Baltimore is willing to try it all — even AI – by Wesley Case at Baltimore Banner
- Innovative, immersive theatre bringing classical music to younger audiences – by Samiar Nefzi at WPLG
- 4 surprising ways to enjoy classical music in Birmingham, including a new performance at the zoo – by Patience Itson at Bham Now
- Oregon’s community, classical music radio stations brace for CPB funding cuts – by Zac Ziegler at KLCC
- Why Bard College’s orchestra performed Mendelssohn at the site of Hitler’s Nuremberg rallies – by Shira Li Bartov at Jewish Telegraphic Agency
- Why Iceland leads the way in reinventing classical music – by Andrew Mellor at Financial Times
- Opera Philadelphia will take over Macy’s and the Wanamaker organ this fall – by Peter Crimmins at WHYY
- A folk opera born from the courtroom: ‘Orange on the Blue Ridge’ returns to Barns of Rose Hill – by C. Max Bachmann at The Winchester Star
- Appalachian Chamber Music Festival returns for fifth season – by Karen Graham at Loudoun Times-Mirror
- In defense of the traditional review – by Richard Brody at The New Yorker
- William Billings: America’s first composer – by Mark Gresham at EarRelevant
- Bach’s Colossus: Pygmalion’s visceral rendition of the B-Minor Mass - by Alex Ross at The New Yorker
- Elegance meets eloquence: getting to the heart of the music of Anastasiya Bazhenova - by Dave Franklin at The Big Takeover
- [Opinion] Through the opera glass: Peter Gelb's mismanagement of the Metropolitan Opera - by Jeffrey Arlo Brown at The Baffler
- Jennifer Higdon won't apologize for writing accessible music - by Tom Huizenga at Colorado Public Radio
- Making sense of the BSO's 'Decoding Shostakovich' - by Aaron Keebaugh at The Arts Fuse
- Meet Rakhi Singh, the time-travelling violinist bringing together baroque and techno - by Josh Spero at Financial Times
- This 27-disc Steve Reich box set is not the work of a minimalist - by Michael Andor Brodeur at Washington Post
- A major new opera the Met has ignored - album review - by Ralph P. Locke at Arts Fuse
Around the US
Chinese Epic Character Brings Its Charm, Antics, Attitude To Opera Stage
SAN FRANCISCO – An enthusiastic capacitry audience heard the San Francisco Opera's premiere of The Monkey King, a spectacular adaptation of the 500-year-old tale with music by Huang Ruo and libretto by David Henry Hwang.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Welcome to Classical Voice North America, the online magazine of the Music Critics Association of North America. Since 2013, CVNA has been a vibrant outlet for music criticism, providing expert coverage by members and occasional guest contributors. If you are a writer with experience in classical music, please consider joining MCANA. Together, we will keep music criticism alive and well.
AROUND CANADA
INTERNATIONAL
DISC AND STREAM
Two Albums Celebrate Iconoclastic Erik Satie With Stylish Adaptations
DIGITAL REVIEW – The French miniaturist is getting a burst of attention in 2025, the 100th anniversary of his death. New recordings include guitarist Xuefei Yang's Chapeau Satie and jazz vocalist Tessa Souter's Shadows and Silence.
GAIL WEIN FOR CLASSICAL GAS
ISSUES IN THE ARTS
As S. Korea’s Birth Rate Drops, Classical Music Needs A Creative Refit
PERSPECTIVE – With births historically scant in a nation of just over 50 million, the implications are not good for beginner pools, youth orchestras, even instrument makers. The task is to re-engineer a musical ecosystem tailored to reality.
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