100 Years Ago, Electric Recording Injected New Spark In Music’s Legacy
PERSPECTIVE – In 1926, the classical recordings industry became possible. Replacing a primitive, temperamental recording horn with microphones revealed new depth of sound, allowing us to widen our perspective on the art of making music.
Composers Coach Talks Art Of Nurturing Youth On New ‘Classical Gas’
PERSPECTIVE – Augusta Read Thomas is the noted mentor for the DeGaetano Composition Institute, a program for young composers founded by the Orchestra of St Luke’s. She explores the ambitious project in a conversation with host Gail Wein.
Mahler ‘Resurrection’ Gets Personal Spin By Singer Turned Maestro
ATLANTA – Nathalie Stutzmann, who made her name as a contralto and recorded the pivotal alto solo in Mahler's Second Symphony with Seiji Ozawa, capped four years as Atlanta Symphony music director with a reading of fierce intensity.
‘Parsifal’ Semi-Staged, Sort Of Costumed, But Musically The Holy Grail
BUDAPEST – Conductor Ádám Fischer, who founded "Budapest Wagner Days" 20 years ago to recreate the Bayreuth Festival spirit in concert presentations of Wagner operas, led a masterful account of Parsifal at Béla Bartók Concert Hall.
Long ‘Twilight’ Journey Into Wagner As Atlanta Tops Off ‘Ring’ Operas
ATLANTA – In a city that has become a destination for Wagnerians, Atlanta Opera completed a four-year traversal of the epic Ring cycle with a production of Götterdämmerung that captured the tragic interactions of flawed human beings.
Such Sweet Sorrow: Parting Party Rolls On For Dudamel, LA Phil
LOS ANGELES – Principals of the orchestra took the spotlight as the Never-Ending Gustavo Dudamel Farewell Tour reached a crescendo with concerts that were supposed to be his “farewell” to Walt Disney Hall as the Phil's music director.
A Percussion Virtuoso Turns Sprinter, Chasing Instruments In Concerto
PORTLAND, Ore. – Scottish percussionist Colin Currie joined forces with the Oregon Symphony and music director David Danzmayr for a dazzling account of Danny Elfman's complex, high-speed, and physically sprawling Percussion Concerto.
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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
- Los Angeles Philharmonic announces Daniel Harding as next music director - by Imogen Tilden at The Guardian
- Harmonium of Texas, Kahane's new start for San Antonio – by Jack Morgan at Texas Public Radio
- Leif Ove Andsnes on Geirr Tveitt, Norway’s Lost Genius – by Qobuz at YouTube
- Six podcasts about classical music – by Emma Dibdin at NY Times
- Encore! Encore! Maybe only one. Kissin’s fans were dazzled; he was dazed by da bum’s rush - by Lawrence B. Johnson at Chicago On the Aisle
- Elim Chan named SF Symphony's next music director - by Janos Gereben at SF Classical Voice
- The Wayward, new on CD at Bridge Records, is vivid reminder how vivid Harry Partch's music can be - by Ralph P. Locke at The Arts Fuse
- Musicians of the Old Post Road take on Graupner, Telemann, and others - by Ralph P. Locke at Boston Musical Intelligencer
- Gustavo Dudamel receives $1 million award from musician Herb Alpert: ‘We can change the world, but it starts with educating young people’ - by María Porcel at El Pais
- ‘Time to Act’ Review: Pittsburgh Opera’s Didactic Trauma Drama - by Heidi Waleson at WSJ
- After ‘Priceless’ Violin Flies on Lap, Lufthansa Changes Carry-On Rules - by Christine Hauser at NY Times
- More than 40% of musicians may suffer from tinnitus - and it’s not just rockers, according to new research - by Hazel Davis at Classic FM
- Remembering Helmuth Rilling, Who Brought Bach to a Wider Audience - by Tim Page at WSJ
- Klaus at Chicago's Art Institute - by Hannah Edgar at Chicago Sun-Times
- Is Lise Davidsen the soprano of the century? - by Fiona Maddocks at The Observer
- From Kythera to Boston: The Greek pianist setting fire to classical music - by Anna Cominos at Greek Herald
- 2025 in classical music: A year of small triumphs, against all odds - by Michael Andor Brodeur at Washington Post
- Vancouver Symphony offers sophisticated delights with launch of Modum - by David Gordon Duke at Vancouver Sun
- Philip Glass pulls world premiere from Kennedy Center - by Michael Andor Brodeur at Washington Post
- 2026: Gabriela Lena Frank, Composer of the Year - at 2026 Musical America Awards
- The Cliburn, Known for Piano Competitions, Will Hold One for Conductors - by Derrick Bryson Taylor at NY Times
- Yo-Yo Ma plays for the whales - at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- A new ‘Petrushka’ is bringing shape-shifting human puppets to Philadelphia - by David Patrick Stearns at Philadelphia Inquirer
- New Man for the Paris Opera - by Ronald Blum via Musical America
- Met Opera season broadcast dates - at MetOpera.org
Around the US
Early Menotti Comedy Accents Stage Offering At Diverse Spoleto Fest
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The festival is celebrating America's 250th anniversary with 17 days of events including Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and the Scottish Ballet’s Mary, Queen of Scots (pictured at right).
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.
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INTERNATIONAL
DISC AND STREAM
Sinking Petals, Ozone, Nature’s Quiet Sorrow: Songs Of The Earth
DIGITAL REVIEW – On a new recording, tenor Nicholas Phan, with pianist Myra Huang and the Jasper Quartet, offers a compendium of works contemplating the world around us by modern composers and the likes of Schubert and Ives.
GAIL WEIN FOR CLASSICAL GAS
ISSUES IN THE ARTS
Sarah Kirkland Snider’s ‘Hildegard’ Wins Critics’ Nod As Best New Opera
BREAKING NEWS – Snider doubled as composer and librettist for her work based on the life of the 12th-century German abbess Hildegard von Bingen. The annual award is conferred by the Music Critics Association of North America.
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