JANUARY 14, 2026
Deborah Warner appointed artistic director of Park Avenue Armory
Deborah Warner has been appointed Anita K. Hersh Artistic Director of the Park Avenue Armory, beginning her role in January 2026.
Located in Manhattan, Park Avenue Armory is a former military building that has, since 2006, become one of New York’s most distinctive cultural venues, known for large-scale, site-specific, and interdisciplinary projects that cannot be accommodated in traditional theatres or concert halls.
Warner is widely recognised for her work across theatre and opera, including productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and major international opera houses, and for her long-standing interest in reimagining classical works within unconventional spaces.
She succeeds Pierre Audi, who died in 2025, and will oversee artistic planning through the 2028 season.
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JANUARY 14, 2026
Gianandrea Noseda issues statement amid ongoing Kennedy Center turmoil
Gianandrea Noseda, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, has released a brief public statement reaffirming the orchestra’s connection to its audience and its role within the Washington, D.C. community, as he returns for four weeks of subscription concerts.
In the message, Noseda describes the NSO as “your orchestra” and stresses music’s capacity to offer continuity, comfort, and dialogue, emphasising the ensemble’s commitment to remaining close to its listeners and to “making music” as its primary mission.
The statement comes amid a period of heightened institutional tension at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, following recent leadership changes and the announcement earlier this month that Washington National Opera will end its long-standing affiliation with the Center.
While Noseda’s message does not directly address these developments, it appears against a backdrop of growing unease among artists associated with the Kennedy Center. In recent weeks, some members of the National Symphony Orchestra have voiced veiled criticisms on social media regarding the Center’s evolving governance and public identity, though largely without official attribution.
No formal response from the orchestra as an institution has been issued beyond Noseda’s statement.
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JANUARY 10, 2026
Berlin Philharmonic appoints new principal clarinet, Freiburg professor wins audition
The Berlin Philharmonic has announced the appointment of Kilian Herold as its new principal clarinettist, following a successful audition.
Herold has been Professor of Clarinet at the University of Music Freiburg since 2016, where he succeeded Jörg Widmann. He began his orchestral career as principal clarinettist of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen in 2004 and later held the same position with the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg from 2011 to 2016.
Alongside his orchestral work, Herold is active as a chamber musician and soloist, and has appeared as guest principal clarinettist with leading ensembles including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has been artistically associated with the Berlin Philharmonic since 2013 through regular guest engagements.
Kilian Herold I PH: Kaupo Kikkas
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JANUARY 9, 2026
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra appoints Randall Goosby as community artist-in-residence
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has appointed violinist Randall Goosby as its inaugural community artist-in-residence, a three-year role focused on creative collaboration and public engagement across Greater Cincinnati.
Beginning this season, Goosby will work closely with the orchestra’s community engagement and learning departments, with activities spanning classrooms, neighbourhood venues, and local organisations. The appointment builds on his ongoing relationship with the CSO: Cincinnati audiences first encountered him in 2023, and during the 2024–25 season he served as the orchestra’s MAC Music Innovator, a designation supporting musicians committed to education and community involvement.
At 30, Goosby has already appeared with major US orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
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JANUARY 9, 2026
Orchestra of the Basque Country appoints Benjamin Levy as music director
Orchestra of the Basque Country (Iparraldeko Orkestra) has appointed Benjamin Levy as its next music director. He will take up the post in September 2026 and will be responsible for the orchestra’s artistic direction from the 2026–27 season.
Levy is a familiar figure to the orchestra, having served as its principal guest conductor from 2013 to 2016 and returning regularly in recent seasons. He conducted the opening symphonic concert of the current season in October and is currently leading the orchestra’s New Year concerts in Bayonne. According to the orchestra, his appointment was the result of a unanimous, collective decision by the musicians.
The 52-year-old conductor has been music director of the Orchestre national de Cannes for the past decade.
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JANUARY 9, 2026
Quick update: Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia mourns former cellist Jodie Bevers
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia has announced the death of Jodie Bevers, who was a member of the Orchestra of the Accademia from 1974 to 2005.
In a statement, the institution paid tribute to Bevers as a musician of great sensitivity, highlighting her more than three decades of artistic contribution and the lasting mark she left through her professionalism and commitment. The Accademia expressed its condolences to her family and loved ones on behalf of the entire Santa Cecilia community.
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