Tom Huizenga

On Sunday, U.S. Downton Abbey fans were served a double dose of divas — one from the present and one from the distant past. Viewers may have recognized Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, the creamy-voiced soprano whose radiant beauty graced the world's top opera houses from the 1970s through ...

Back in the 1970s, Marilyn Horne holed up in a Milan hotel room until a famous conductor allowed her to sing Rossini at La Scala the way she felt the composer intended. That kind of gutsy determination is typical for the opera star throughout her professional career that ...

Van-Anh Vanessa Vo is a veteran when it comes to taking risks, and it pays off in her compelling music. As a young girl in Vietnam, she knew she wanted to be a traditional musician, even though it was a world dominated by men. It was risky, then, when she ...

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That could be the annual mantra for the classical music world. It has been predicted to crumble for decades, just as optimists continue to point to positive trends. This year is no different. Despite two ugly black eyes ...

The year may have suffered a couple of black eyes in the form of shuttered opera companies and orchestras in labor disputes, but as far as recordings go, don't let anyone tell you classical music is dying — the music and musicians are thriving.

2013 revealed a rich trove of ...

This wound up being a spectacular year for elaborate, lavishly packaged reissues. Given all the fabulous classical box sets that appeared this year, you'd think we were in some kind of boom era for music served up on compact discs. (2013? More like 1993.)

Why? Well, there's always the mercenary ...

On Guarding of the Heart, an evocative 20-minute piece for chamber orchestra by Serbian-born composer Djuro Zivkovic has been named the winner of the 2014 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition. The prize, which includes $100,000, was announced this evening by the University of Louisville, which sponsors the prestigious award. Former ...

Classical violinists can't complain when it comes to choosing encores. Hundreds of vintage pieces are up for grabs, written by legendary violinist-composers such as Fritz Kreisler and Pablo de Sarasate, or by great violinist-arrangers like Jascha Heifetz.

But Hilary Hahn, one of the most ...

Johann Sebastian Bach has been a central figure in the life of British conductor John Eliot Gardiner since he was a youngster. On his way to bed, he couldn't help glancing up at the famous 18th-century portrait of Bach that hung in the first floor landing ...

People ask why I thrive on classical music, and I tell them it's all about discovery. The possibilities for finding incredible music, both old and new, are endless as the oceans. And on this visit to All Things Considered, host Jacki Lyden and I explore new music from ...

Although many New Yorkers may not know it, today is Richard Tucker Day. Last year was the first time Mayor Bloomberg set aside Aug. 28 to celebrate the late tenor who blossomed from young synagogue singer to silver-voiced star of the Metropolitan Opera.

But today's celebrations are extra special as ...

When Daniel Hope was a boy, the only thing he loved as much as his violin was his telescope. Gazing into the night sky, he pondered the vastness of space. Now a grown man, Hope still has a penchant for wonder and discovery — especially when it comes ...

This summer we've been chasing the idea of the Great American Symphony. Is there one? Who is still writing symphonies? And does anyone care about the state of symphonic music in this country? David Robertson cares deeply. He's the music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and ...

At the opening of Anna Netrebko's new album, Verdi, we find her in the role of Lady Macbeth, reading a letter confirming the fulfillment of a prophecy made by Shakespeare's (and Verdi's) infamous witches.

It may be a portentous way for the celebrated soprano to begin ...

The American mezzo-soprano Regina Resnik, known for her powerful voice and versatility on and off the opera stage, died peacefully in a New York hospital Thursday night, according to Amy Sperling, a longtime colleague and personal friend. Resnik was 90.

Born in the Bronx in 1922, Resnik debuted as

With an interview show named HARDtalk I suppose the host might be expected to come out swinging. And recently the BBC's Sarah Montague did not disappoint.

She wastes no time (in the video on this page) trying to pummel her opponent in regulation Chris Matthews style. But her ...

It's not quite the quest for the Holy Grail, but we're in pursuit this summer of the "Great American Symphony." And in many respects, our journey is just as important as our destination.

In conductor JoAnn Falletta's essay, which introduced our search, she pointed out that ...

Pigeonholing the classically trained string trio Time for Three isn't easy, but that's also a blessing. The musicians — violinists Zachary De Pue and Nick Kendall with double bassist Ranaan Meyer — say they love a kaleidoscopic spectrum of music. "If we like it, we play it" is their ...

Throughout the summer we're searching for the "Great American Symphony." It's not exactly a popularity contest. Instead, we're pondering American symphonic music from both the past and the present. Some composers like the young Kevin Puts and the veteran Martin Boykan, are labeling their pieces as symphonies. Others, ...

It's not every day a great opera diva makes it to the century mark. So let's take a moment to cheer for Licia Albanese, the beloved Metropolitan Opera star, who celebrates her 100th today and who most likely would not care to be called a "diva."

"Only God makes a ...