From Music’s Castoffs, Festival Puts Together Concert Of Discovery
LA JOLLA, Calif. – An obscure Bach chaconne played on accordion was among "Lost and Found" pieces performed at La Jolla Summerfest. If the program didn't always follow the premise, it was still a good listen with some rewarding surprises.
Wine-And-Music Fest Raises Glass In Honor Of America’s Birthday
WILLAMETTE VALLEY, Ore. – Sipping Oregon wines while listening to live chamber music in barrel rooms, wine cellars, and tasting rooms is the art and soul of the Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival, which spotlights Americana this summer.
With Ghostly Clarity, Elusive Britten Opera Wafts Into Substance
OAKLAND, Calif. – West Edge Opera's production of The Turn of the Screw, multilayered and insightful under director Mark Streshinsky and buoyed by an excellent cast, tapped the meaning of Henry James' tale by embracing its ambiguity.
On ‘Alpine’ Peak, Fiery New Bird Spreads His Wings With Chicago SO
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. – The Chicago Symphony's annual residency at the Ravinia Festival has bubbled with exuberance this summer. Klaus Mäkelä, the CSO music director-designate, made a stunning Ravinia debut in Strauss and Stravinsky.
Spiced Seasonings: Spring Music, Dash Of Pepper At Summer Fest
NEW YORK – Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center's new-music dominated program expanded from spring works of Delius and Schumann to Hannah Ishizaki’s anti-pastoral Change Thy Course and a Billy Childs anti-concerto for flute and clarinet.
A Chorale In The Desert Displays Style, Finesse Across Diverse Concerts
SANTA FE, N.M. – The Santa Fe Desert Chorale celebrated its 44th year with compelling performances at its annual summer festival. The 24 voices led by Joshua Habermann excel in works extending from the Renaissance to the present.
Exploring New Music, Tanglewood Ensembles Serve Up Bountiful Mix
LENOX, Mass. – The Tanglewood Music Center Fellows executed a weekend’s worth of marvels in concerts curated by Esa-Pekka Salonen, who fashioned five programs combing his own works with inviting glimpses into the music of others.
Suddenly This Summer: Tennessee Williams On Opera Bill With Strauss
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Ambitious even by its own standards, Bard SummerScape’s 2026 season paired Richard Strauss' rarely heard The Egyptian Helen with composer Courtney Bryan's deft setting of Williams' Suddenly Last Summer.
Modernist Staging Taps Brilliance, Wit, Fun Of Offbeat Rossini Opera
SAN DIEGO - Since Maria Callas helped to revive Il turco in Italia in the 1950s, its reputation and productions have steadily increased. Opera NEO, San Diego's ambitious hometown troupe, infused Il turco with the company's familiar creative flair.
Set In Nature’s Realm, Fueled By Imagination, Music Festival Thrives
BOULDER – The Colorado Music Festival, celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer, offers an engaging mix of orchestral concerts led by Peter Oundjian, with visiting artists like pianist Yuja Wang, and a menu of smaller-scale events.
Italian Opera’s Historic First Flowering In NY, Recaptured With Flair
NEW YORK – Italian opera in New York began in earnest 200 years ago with a visit by the great Spanish tenor-composer Manuel García's troupe. The training program Teatro Nuovo offered stylish recreations of Don Giovanni and Il turco in Italia.
By Any Name, Bach Fest Keeps Currency Of J.S. In Blend Of Other Voices
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. – As this summer's event attested, the Carmel Bach Festival honors its brand not by clinging to its namesake but by putting him in juxtaposed play with new or neglected composers, an off-the-pedestal collage.
With Summer Triumphs, Iowa Opera Showcases Quality And Versatility
INDIANOLA, Iowa – Under the creative leadership of Michael Egel, Des Moines Metro Opera has earned a placed alongside Glimmerglass and Santa Fe. Productions of King Roger, Tosca, and Of Mice and Men find the company in peak form.
Sound For Sore Ears: Ravinia Festival Pavilion Gets A Major Makeover
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. – The $70 million renovation encompasses the renamed Hunter Pavilion stage and acoustic shell, seating, backstage facilities, utilities, lighting, and production technology. Ravinia is the Chicago Symphony's summer home.
Bach Festival’s Original American Salute: Music Of Indigenous Peoples
EUGENE, Ore. – With two programs of classical music in choral and symphonic form inspired by indigenous folk cultures, the Oregon Bach Festival illustrated how music of the Americas continues to pull from roots that extend wide and deep,
Glass’ Lincoln Tribute Reflects A Great Leader In His Own Quiet Words
LENOX, Mass. – The premiere of Philip Glass' 15th Symphony (Lincoln), once meant for the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, was given by the Boston Symphony led by Karen Kamensek with baritone Zachary James in Lincoln's voice.
New And Diverse Works Tell World Of Stories At Chamber Music Festival
NEW YORK – Playing on the democratic expression "every vote counts," this year's Chelsea Music Festival acknowledged America's 250th birthday under the theme "Every Story Counts," as five composers shared new pieces.
An Early-Music Veteran Keeps Edge On The Old At Vibrant Baroque Fest
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock, artistic director of the Baroque Music Festival of Corona del Mar, brings an aura of authenticity and intimacy to her period-style concerts.
She also sees a bright Baroque future.
Bountiful Chamber Fest Buffs Stellar Tradition With Grand New Piano
ROCKPORT, Mass. – Pianist Jon Kimura Parker opened the 45th Rockport Chamber Music Festival with three gentle Brahms intermezzos played on a brand-new Hamburg Steinway, and then a plethora of ensemble works filled the air.
Ojai Festival Observes Milestones, Transition As It Marks 80th Year
OJAI, Calif. – Among peak moments of this year's four-day festival was a stellar performance of Ligeti's Violin Concerto by Leila Josefowicz with the Colburn Orchestra under Esa-Pekka Salonen, who served as the event's music director for 2026.
