MAY 9, 2025
Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España unveils 2025–26 season
The Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España (OCNE) has revealed its 2025–26 season, which includes 117 concerts across Spain and a tour of Germany and Austria. With thematic strands such as “El mundo de ayer”, “Tras el telón de acero”, and “Lugares e historias”, the season also marks the 150th anniversary of Manuel de Falla’s birth.
The season opens on October 3, 2025, with Alban Berg’s Wozzeck in concert version. Chief conductor David Afkham, in his final season, will lead eight symphonic programs. Other conductors include Jaume Santonja, Roberto González-Monjas, Gemma New, Tan Dun, and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, among others. Notable soloists featured include Frank Peter Zimmermann, Gautier Capuçon, Leif Ove Andsnes, Bertrand Chamayou, María Toledo, and Vida Miknevičiūtė.
The season will premiere commissioned works by Carme Fernández Vidal, Óscar Colomina, Eduardo Soutullo, and Marisa Manchado, among others. Additional highlights include the Focus Festival titled “Pioneras y exiliadas: diálogos creativos con Latinoamérica” and collaborations with ensembles such as the Orquestra de València and JONDE.
For more information, visit ocne.mcu.es
*****
MAY 9, 2025
Boston Lyric Opera announces 2025–26 season
The Boston Lyric Opera has announced its 49th season, featuring a blend of classic titles, contemporary stagings, and expanded community programming. The mainstage productions include Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth, Samuel Barber’s Vanessa (in collaboration with the Boston Symphony Orchestra), Gustav Mahler’s Song of the Earth in a new installation directed by Anne Bogart, and Gaetano Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment, reimagined during the American Revolution. A one-night opera revue, Ride of the Valkyries!, will bring together Christine Goerke, Morris Robinson, and members of the BLO Orchestra in a playful exploration of iconic repertoire.
The season opens in October 2025 with Macbeth, conducted by David Angus and directed by Steven Maler, starring Norman Garrett and Alexandra LoBianco. Later in the season, Vanessa will be performed in concert at Symphony Hall under the baton of Andris Nelsons, with Jennifer Holloway in the title role and Anne Sofie von Otter, Samantha Hankey, and Thomas Hampson among the cast. In spring 2026, Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde) will be staged as an immersive installation in BLO’s renovated studios, featuring Raehann Bryce-Davis and Brandon Jovanovich. Daughter of the Regiment, with new English dialogue by Kirsten Greenidge, will close the season at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, with Brenda Rae as Marie.
For more information, visit blo.org/season
*****
MAY 8, 2025
Bernard Foccroulle named advisor for 2025 Aix-en-Provence Festival
Following the sudden death of Pierre Audi earlier this month, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence has appointed Bernard Foccroulle as artistic and management advisor for its 2025 edition. The decision was made by festival president Paul Hermelin, in consultation with regional authorities.
Foccroulle, born in Liège in 1953, previously led the Festival from 2007 to 2018, and earlier served as general director of La Monnaie in Brussels (1992–2007). Also an organist and composer, he brings decades of artistic and administrative experience to the role.
The 2025 edition of the Aix Festival is scheduled to open on 4 July with a new production of Don Giovanni, and will also include Louise, La Calisto, The Pearl Fishers, and La forza del destino.
Bernard Foccroulle
*****
MAY 8, 2025
Participants announced for the 2025 Chopin Competition
The 19th International Chopin Piano Competition will feature 85 pianists from 20 countries, selected following a preliminary round that concluded on 4 May in Warsaw. Chaired by Piotr Paleczny, the jury admitted 66 participants from the live preliminaries, while 19 others qualified automatically as prizewinners of major international competitions.
The most represented countries are China, Japan, and Poland. The competition will open on 2 October 2025, with performances running through 20 October. The winner will receive €60,000 and a gold medal, followed by an international concert tour organized by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute.Full list of participants
*****
MAY 6, 2025
Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla becomes first woman to lead subscription concert at the Vienna Philharmonic
Lithuanian conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla made history on May 3, 2025, becoming the first woman to conduct a subscription concert of the Vienna Philharmonic (Wiener Philharmoniker) in its 185-year history. While other women have conducted the orchestra in opera productions or at external venues, this marks the first time a woman has taken the podium in the prestigious Musikverein Saturday/Sunday subscription series.
The concert featured works by Raminta Šerkšnytė, Tchaikovsky (with Yuja Wang as soloist), and Sibelius — a program that reflected Gražinytė-Tyla’s deep musical voice and connection with Nordic and Baltic repertoire. The performance was met with an enthusiastic reception from the audience.
Gražinytė-Tyla, former music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, has long-standing ties to Austria, including her studies in Graz and numerous guest appearances with leading orchestras in Vienna.
*****
MAY 6, 2025
Susie Ibarra wins 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Music
American composer and percussionist Susie Ibarra, of Filipino heritage, has been awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her work Sky Islands. Commissioned by the Asia Society and premiered in July 2024 in New York, the piece draws inspiration from the biodiversity of the Luzon rainforests in the Philippines and weaves together Philippine traditional music with contemporary techniques. The jury praised the work for “challenging the notion of the compositional voice” and using improvisation as a creative tool.
Sky Islands features bamboo and gong traditions reimagined for a contemporary ensemble that included flutist Claire Chase, pianist Alex Peh, percussionist Levy Lorenzo, Ibarra herself, and the Bergamot Quartet.
Known for bridging indigenous music and avant-garde jazz, Ibarra has spent decades exploring cultural preservation through her compositions, recordings, and ecological activism.
Susie Ibarra/PH: Diana Pfammatter
*****
MAY 4, 2025
Michelle Di Russo appointed music director of the Delaware Symphony
The Delaware Symphony Orchestra has named Michelle Di Russo as its next Music Director, following an international search that concluded during the 2024–25 season. Her appointment begins in October 2025, coinciding with the orchestra’s 120th anniversary. Di Russo stood out among four finalists, earning praise from musicians, audiences, and community members alike.
“It is with great joy and deep gratitude that I accept this role,” she said. “From the first time I conducted this orchestra, I knew there was a special connection between us. I am inspired not only by the extraordinary talent of the musicians, but also the passion and dedication of the entire DSO team.”
Born in Argentina to Italian parents, Di Russo is currently Associate Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony. She has held fellowships with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Sinfonietta, and The Dallas Opera, and previously served as interim orchestra director at Cornell University. A co-founder of Girls Who Conduct, she is an advocate for inclusion and mentorship in the field.
*****
MAY 4, 2025
Barenboim and Argerich among jurors of 2026 Rubinstein Competition
The Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition has announced the jury for its 18th edition, to be held in Tel Aviv from 28 April to 15 May 2026. Among the most striking names are Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim, longtime collaborators and legendary figures of pianism. Barenboim’s inclusion is particularly notable, as the Argentine-Israeli pianist and conductor has recently cancelled several engagements due to health issues.
The jury will be chaired by Arie Vardi, and also includes Akiko Ebi, Taiseer Elias, Ian Fountain, Pavel Gililov, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Ella Milch-Sheriff, Piotr Paleczny, and Soo Jung Shin.
Founded in 1974 and named after Arthur Rubinstein, one of the great pianists of the 20th century, the competition is widely regarded as a launchpad for major careers, with past winners including Emanuel Ax, Kirill Gerstein, and Daniil Trifonov.
*****
Subscribe to our newsletter