MARCH 21, 2025
Semperoper Dresden announces 2025/2026 season under Daniele Gatti
The Semperoper Dresden has unveiled its 2025/2026 season, marking the inaugural year with Daniele Gatti as the new Kapellmeister of the Staatskapelle Dresden. The season features a blend of new productions and revivals, showcasing a diverse repertoire.
New Productions:
- Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi: Opening the season in October, this production is directed by Damiano Michieletto, with Nicola Alaimo in the title role. Daniele Gatti conducts.
- Parsifal by Richard Wagner: A new staging by Floris Visser, featuring Eric Cutler and Georg Zeppenfeld. Gatti leads the orchestra.
- The Snow Queen by Hans Abrahamsen: Directed by Immo Karaman, with Titus Engel conducting. Cast includes Christa Mayer, Georg Zeppenfeld, and Vera-Lotte Boecker.
- Dialogues des Carmélites by Francis Poulenc: This marks the opera’s first staging in Dresden, directed by Jetske Mijnssen and conducted by Marie Jacquot, featuring Evelyn Herlitzius, Marjukka Tepponen, and Rosalía Cid.
- Carmen by Georges Bizet: Directed by Nadja Loschky, with Lorenzo Passerini on the podium and Ève-Maud Hubeaux as Carmen.
- Il cappello di paglia di Firenze by Nino Rota: A new production directed by Bernd Mottl and conducted by Daniele Squeo.
- As One by Laura Kaminsky: A contemporary addition to the season’s lineup.
Revivals:
The season also includes revivals of classic operas, with notable performances by Marina Monzó as Gilda in Rigoletto and Rosalía Cid as Musetta in La bohème.
MARCH 21, 2025
San Francisco Symphony announces 2025–26 season amid leadership transition
The San Francisco Symphony has revealed its 2025–26 season, which will mark the orchestra’s first full season without a music director since Esa-Pekka Salonen announced he would step down at the end of his contract in June 2025, concluding a five-year tenure that began in 2020.
Spanning from September 4, 2025, to June 28, 2026, the season features 23 guest conductors, including six making their debut with the orchestra. Jaap van Zweden, a returning guest conductor, will open the season with a gala concert featuring Yuja Wang in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, alongside works by John Adams and Respighi. He also launches a three-year Beethoven symphony cycle, beginning with Symphonies Nos. 2 and 7.
The program includes world and U.S. premieres by Timothy Higgins, Tyler Taylor, Outi Tarkiainen, and Jimmy López, along with works by Mahler, Bruckner, Shostakovich, Dvořák, and Mozart. The San Francisco Symphony Chorus, led by Jenny Wong, will take part in several major performances, including Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and Bach’s Easter Oratorio.
The season unfolds as the orchestra continues its search for a new music director, with no successor to Salonen yet announced.
MARCH 20, 2025
Gianandrea Noseda extends contract with Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra through 2031
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), the resident orchestra of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., has announced a four-year contract extension for music director Gianandrea Noseda, ensuring his tenure continues through the orchestra’s centennial season in 2031. Noseda, who has led the NSO since 2017, will remain in his role for a total of 14 seasons.
In response to the announcement, Noseda acknowledged the orchestra’s history and its former music directors, including Mstislav Rostropovich, Leonard Slatkin, and Antal Doráti. He described the extension as an opportunity to continue shaping the orchestra’s sound while honoring its legacy.
Founded in 1931, the NSO is approaching its 100th anniversary, with upcoming seasons expected to highlight its history and ongoing artistic direction under Noseda.
MARCH 19, 2025
Finalists announced for 2025 Lotte Lenya Competition
The Kurt Weill Foundation has announced the eleven finalists for the 2025 Lotte Lenya Competition, an international contest recognizing singers who excel in both vocal and dramatic performance. The final round will take place on May 3 at Kilbourn Hall in Rochester, New York, with contestants competing for top prizes of $25,000, $20,000, and $15,000.
Established in 1998 to honor Lotte Lenya (1898–1981), a renowned singing actress and interpreter of Kurt Weill’s music, the competition is unique in its focus on both acting and vocal ability. Open to singers aged 19 to 32, it requires contestants to perform a diverse repertoire spanning opera, operetta, and musical theater. Over the years, it has expanded internationally, with about 25% of applicants now coming from outside the U.S. and more than $1.6 million in prizes awarded to date.
d Alison Moritz, with the event available for live streaming.
This year’s finalists, selected from a pool of 260 applicants, represent seven countries across four continents:
- Tamara Bounazou (Paris, France)
- Crystal Glenn (Yonkers, NY, USA)
- Jonathan Heller (New York, NY, USA)
- Queen Hezumuryango (Bujumbura, Burundi)
- Elenora Hu (Delft, Netherlands)
- Olivia LaPointe (Fredericton, NB, Canada)
- Rebecca Madeira (Howell, NJ, USA)
- Gemma Nha (Sydney, Australia)
- George Robarts (Great Hormead, UK)
- Schyler Vargas (Denver, CO, USA)
- Ian Williams (Indianapolis, IN, USA)
For the first time, the competition will introduce an Audience Choice Award, allowing both in-person and online viewers to vote for their favorite performer. The final round will be judged by Rob Berman, Catherine Malfitano, and Alison Moritz, with the event available for live streaming.
MARCH 19, 2025
Dutch National Opera announces 2025/26 season
The Dutch National Opera has unveiled its 2025/26 season, featuring a mix of new productions and revivals under the artistic direction of Sophie de Lint. The season opens in September with Puccini’s Tosca, conducted by Nathalie Stutzmann, in a staging by Barrie Kosky. The title role will be performed by Elena Stikhina and Natalya Romaniw, alongside Joshua Guerrero as Cavaradossi and Gevorg Hakobyan as Scarpia.
The lineup includes a new production of Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans, directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov and featuring Elena Stikhina as Joan of Arc. The opera is a co-production with the Metropolitan Opera. Other new stagings include Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, led by Antonino Fogliani, and Handel’s Semele, conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm.
The season also features revivals, including Pierre Audi’s production of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, conducted by Tarmo Peltokoski, and Tobias Kratzer’s staging of Weinberg’s The Passenger, which comes from Munich. Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, in a production from the Komische Oper Berlin, will be conducted by Francesco Corti.
Closing the season in June 2026 is a new production of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, directed by Jetske Mijnssen and conducted by Fabio Luisi, featuring George Petean, Georg Zeppenfeld, Federica Lombardi, and Joshua Guerrero.
The program also includes the return of the Opera Forward Festival, continuing the company’s commitment to innovation in opera.
MARCH 18, 2025
Violinist Himari signs with Decca Classics
Japanese violinist Himari has signed an exclusive contract with Decca Classics, becoming the youngest-ever female artist to join the label at just 13 years old. Her debut EP is set for release on May 23, 2025, preceded by two singles: Waxman’s Carmen Fantasy and Beach’s Romance.
Himari has gained a significant following online, with millions of views on her performances and over 100,000 YouTube subscribers. She was recently named a Classic FM Rising Star for 2025 and will make her European debut with the Berlin Philharmonic on March 20, performing Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 1.
A student at the Curtis Institute of Music under Ida Kavafian, Himari has won first prizes at the Lipinski-Wieniawski and Arthur Grumiaux competitions. She recently performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and will reunite with Marin Alsop for a concert with the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival.
MARCH 18, 2025
Barbara Hannigan awarded 2025 Polar Music Prize
Canadian soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan has been named a recipient of the 2025 Polar Music Prize, alongside Queen and Herbie Hancock. The award recognizes her contributions to contemporary classical music as both a performer and conductor.
Hannigan, known for her work with composers such as Pierre Boulez, György Ligeti, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, has built a career spanning avant-garde vocal performances and orchestral conducting. She has gained recognition for programming and performing a mix of contemporary and traditional repertoire.
Reacting to the announcement, Hannigan said, “I am deeply moved and humbled to receive this year’s Polar Music Prize. Thank you so much for including me among this incredible and inspiring group of Laureates.”
The Polar Music Prize, awarded annually in Sweden, honors individuals and groups who have significantly contributed to the world of music.
MARCH 18, 2025
Five singers win at the Met’s Laffont Grand Finals Concert
The Metropolitan Opera’s Eric and Dominique Laffont Grand Finals Concert took place on March 16, featuring nine finalists performing with the Met Orchestra under Karen Kamensek. Hosted by Jamie Barton, the event concluded with the selection of five winners, each receiving a $20,000 prize.
The winners are:
- Sadie Cheslak, mezzo-soprano (Duluth, Minnesota)
- Alissa Goretsky, soprano (Los Angeles, California)
- Emma Marhefka, soprano (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
- Michelle Mariposa, mezzo-soprano (Quezon City, Philippines)
- Luke Sutliff, baritone (Denver, Colorado)
The four other finalists—Angel Raii Gomez, Samuel Kidd, Abigail Raiford, and Lauren Randolph—each received $10,000. The competition, formerly known as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, is one of the most prestigious for young opera singers. Past winners include Renée Fleming, Eric Owens, and Nadine Sierra.
MARCH 17, 2025
Zubin Mehta cancels Berlin Philharmonic concerts, Sebastian Weigle to step in
Zubin Mehta has withdrawn from his upcoming concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic (March 20–22) due to health reasons. Sebastian Weigle will take over as conductor, making his debut with the orchestra.
The program remains unchanged, featuring Himari as the violin soloist in Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 1, alongside Weber’s Oberon Overture and Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 “Great”. These performances mark the debuts of both Weigle and Himari with the Berlin Philharmonic.
MARCH 17, 2025
Noah Bendix-Balgley joins Curtis Institute as visiting faculty
The Curtis Institute of Music has appointed Noah Bendix-Balgley, first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, as a visiting violin faculty member starting in fall 2025. In this role, he will conduct one residency each semester, mentoring Curtis’s violin students.
Bendix-Balgley expressed enthusiasm about deepening his relationship with Curtis, noting his connection through the Rosamunde String Quartet, whose members are Curtis alumni and are represented by Curtis Artists Managment.
As concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2014, Bendix-Balgley has performed as a soloist at venues like Carnegie Hall and with orchestras including the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Dresden Philharmonic. He is also a passionate chamber musician and klezmer performer.
MARCH, FRIDAY 14
Alex Prior named music director of the Eugene Symphony
British conductor and composer Alex Prior has been appointed music director-designate of the Eugene Symphony, with his tenure set to begin in fall 2025. Prior, who made his professional conducting debut at 14, was previously chief conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, where he led new commissions and the orchestra’s first recordings in over 30 years.
A graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Prior has conducted major orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as opera productions in Germany, Denmark, and Canada. Known for his advocacy of contemporary composers, he has championed works by Missy Mazzoli, Gabriella Smith, and Tanya Tagaq, among others.
Prior plans to relocate to Eugene when his tenure begins.
MARCH, FRIDAY 14
Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson named principal flautist of the Berlin Philharmonic
Icelandic flautist Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson has been appointed principal flautist of the Berlin Philharmonic following a successful audition. Höskuldsson has served as principal flautist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 2015 and previously held the same position at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York.
He studied at the Reykjavík School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Alongside his orchestral career, he performs as a soloist and chamber musician internationally and teaches at DePaul University and the Pacific Music Festival.
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