#composer-commissions

#composer-commissions

The No Kings Day concert will feature elite section leads of the Golden Gate Symphony Chorus, including sopranos, tenors, and baritones, performing in support of the Professional Singers Fund.

All but one of the song titles on Body Sound, the debut album from experimental string trio Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl, and Macie Stewart, line up nicely-a few words, usually two, usually nouns, separated by a vertical line. The straight line in the middle means different things in different disciplines. In computing, it's called a 'pipe' and serves as a conduit. In poetry, it denotes a pause or break. In music, it marks the beginning and end of measures.

Fast forward a few decades and John Wilson is still hand-picking musicians and still serving up performances so polished they leave critics scrabbling for superlatives. These days Wilson's main outfit is the Sinfonia of London, and he is as likely to be conducting the symphonic mainstream as showtunes.

Built in 2000, the two-story house on a corner lot has plenty of curb appeal. A black-hued gable roof creates visual contrast against crisp white siding and shutters. A white picket fence wraps around the front of the property.

Bomsori Kim is a 36-year-old, South Korean, classical violinist who plays from the soul. In Bomsori's hands, she takes people on a journey to the music of another century.

PLC announces the retirement of its Artistic Director, Mary McCarty, following 11 years of inspired leadership and artistic excellence.

People all saw that there is something new is being attempted here that you've just got to see. I think that is its own reward. In an era where New York's storied Met Opera has faced layoffs, pay cuts, postponed productions, and a controversial financial agreement with Saudi Arabia, forward-thinking artistic direction becomes essential for survival.

It's impossible to imagine New York City without art, or contemporary art without New York City. This is where you come to see the best of the best, or to take part in making it. This country's international standing is down in the gutter, thanks to Trump, but this city is still a living, rolling dream. Right now, we're waiting to see who's going to be Mayor Mamdani's pick for cultural affairs commissioner. It's an important role that determines where the city's budget priorities will lie and who'll get a seat at the table. Gonzalo Casals, who served as culture commissioner under Mayor de Blasio, and Mauricio Delfín, who co-directs the Culture & Arts Policy Institute with Casals, have some urgent thoughts on the matter. It's a must-read not just for Zohran (send him a link if you're on texting terms), but for everyone who cares about art in this city.

Glass joined a growing list of performers and artists who have canceled shows and cut ties with the arts center since President Trump replaced its board with people who share his aversion to woke programming, and affixed his name to the facade without congressional or Kennedy family approval. The new board also named Trump as chairman, and, in an unprecedented move, the president hosted this year's Kennedy Center Honors, which garnered its lowest ratings ever when broadcast on CBS. Ticket sales have also tanked.

I'm a harmonica and accordion player and one half of folk-classical duo Stevens & Pound. As a multi-instrumentalist I am rooted in a folk tradition that is oral, aural and communal. Music and song are passed down by ear, either through recordings or more fun traditional music sessions. Here, players and singers get together to share, swap and play tunes, drawing from a repertoire that is always evolving.

Formed at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the group blends technical precision with expressive range, moving comfortably between classical staples and contemporary compositions. Their programs often highlight contrast, pairing the clarity and balance of Haydn with modern textures that stretch tone and color.

Angels exist, I swear! If you were at the sold out Austra show on Monday, you would have witnessed Portland-born, Berlin-based multidisciplinary artist Colin Self descending from the heavens to bless us mere mortals with their angelic vocals and cherub-like presence. If you're looking for something to believe in, believe in music-it's one of the very few things with ability to unite complete strangers in dialog, movement, and tears.

Any composer's relationship to music is intense, but Sarah Kirkland Snider, whose debut opera, Hildegard, receives its world premiere at the LA Opera this week, ratchets that intensity up to a higher, more metaphysical level. When Snider hears music, she says, she sometimes wants to eat it that's how deep the desire goes. She's not traditionally religious, but she has come to see music as a mysterious, divine force within her.

Andre de Ridder is either brave or stupid. He has accepted the role as the music director of English National Opera its chief conductor and keeper of its musical flame. He will take up the role formally in 2027. The post has been empty for several anguished years, sparked by Arts Council England's 2022 announcement that the company would lose all its funding unless it moved out of London.