The Work What a Production! Over seven hours of music, twenty singers, dozens of roles, and a bewildering succession of scenes: Antonio Cesti’s 1660s festa teatrale, Il pomo d’oro, was unambiguously the most fitting birthday present imaginable for the 50th

For four decades, the Bavarian spa town of Bad Kissingen has transformed every summer into a sanctuary for the world’s finest classical musicians. Founded against a backdrop of geopolitical tension and evolving into a UNESCO World Heritage cultural capital, the

We recently had a chance to catch up with composer Michael Zev Gordon, composer-in-residence at Presteigne Festival from August 27-31. Presteigne nestles at the heart of the Welsh Marches on the border between Wales and England, surrounded by beautiful, pristine

Do you feel like you’ve encountered too many classical music programs that seem like the “greatest hits?” Or those that comprise the “same ole same ole” trendy works with a dose of contemporary commissions without regard for how the works

Coastal History and the Festival’s Origins Long before flourishing as a favorite summer retreat for the Russian imperial court, Haapsalu carried its coastal geography in its very name—derived from the Estonian haab (“aspen”) and the archaic salu (“forested island”). For

The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, founded in 1927 and held every five years in Warsaw, is widely considered the most prestigious and important piano competition in the world. Every stage is uniquely devoted exclusively to the works of Frédéric

In homage to director and designer Nikos S. Petropoulos, Greek National Opera did a revival of his 2001 La Traviata, first given at the Olympic Theatre. The design was Over The Top in the best possible way, with the first

Part V: The Sightseeing in Halle & Surroundings — Beyond the Festival Stage Given that Halle sits squarely within the tectonic core of German humanism, the rhythmic pulse of the Händel-Festspiele is beautifully synchronised with the slow, reflective pacing of