ENO's first ever production of Britten's Albert Herring reviewed by Guy Rickards for the Critics' Circle. A very limited run in London and Salford - catch it while you can. criticscircle.org.uk/modesty-mora...

What does English National Opera's Albert Herring tell us about the company's future, its challenges and ambitions? Some thoughts on this cracking show for the I Paper: inews.co.uk/culture/arts...

A very fine house debut from Marie Jacquot in this excellent Royal Opera Magic Flute revival My @thetimes.com review is now online: www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

Bizet's Carmen at ENO reviewed by Guy Rickards: criticscircle.org.uk/carmen-is-ba...

The Royal Opera's new production of Handel's Giustino reviewed by Claudia Pritchard: criticscircle.org.uk/royal-operas...

Sakari Oramo guided the BBCSO through a life-affirming Mahler 9 at the Barbican on Saturday - my ★★★★ review for Bachtrack here: bachtrack.com/22/296/view/...

Coming up on Friday: Lara Melda and I tell the story of Myra Hess in the National Gallery, in, what else, a lunchtime concert. We will be in the same space she used, Room 36! Admission freeeeee. Please join us! www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/myra-...

The Cuore Chamber Orchestra, based in Yorksire, was founded in May by conductor William Dutton. Fiona Hook reviews their most recent concert for the Critics' Circle: criticscircle.org.uk/cuore-orches...

Tenderness and intimacy from @etopera.bsky.social new Rape of Lucretia: www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/the-...

My review of an intense Rape of Lucretia for English Touring Opera @etopera.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

English National Opera's new production of Rossini's Cinderella reviewed by Guy Rickards for the Critics' Circle: criticscircle.org.uk/a-cinderella...

"A fascinating experiment" - review of Bushra El-Turk's Oum: A Son's Quest for his Mother @thestage.co.uk www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/oum-...

Patricia Routledge, in 1987, singing Take Care of This House from Leonard Bernstein's and Alan Jay Lerner's musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which she created on Broadway in 1976. There will never be anyone like her. RIP www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BVC...

Ahead of the Barbican's Arvo Part at 90 exhibition, I explored the blanched sonic world of Estonia's greatest living composer: www.thetablet.co.uk/arts/arvo-pa...

Stefan Herheim’s production of Verdi’s The Sicilian Vespers at the Royal Opera House, reviewed by Claudia Pritchard. criticscircle.org.uk/the-royal-op...

Here's Claudia Pritchard's write up of the Critics' Circle Music Awards 2025: criticscircle.org.uk/music-awards...

A thrusting Daphnis et Chloé brings the BBC Proms Ravel celebrations to a climax bachtrack.com/review-wilso...

My profile of composer Elena Firsova in the October issue of Gramophone: www.gramophone.co.uk/features/art...

The Royal Opera's new Tosca delivers just enough shock without scaring the horses: inews.co.uk/culture/arts...

Wounded Angels: Glyndebourne revives Damiano Michieletto's antiseptic, symbolist staging of Kát'a Kabanová. Frankly, it doesn't do it for me as theatre, but it's wonderfully well sung. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/a...

My review for @bachtrack.com of a musically splendid KK at Glyndebourne. Oh, but...

Damiano Michieletto applies the symbolism with a trowel, but fine singing in this Glyndebourne revival of Kat’a Kabanova. My review for The Times: www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

Calling all Myra Hess fans: I'm doing a free lecture about her online tomorrow, Monday 4th, for MILIM Leeds. Starts 8pm UK time. Log on here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Cool cat: Martin Fröst purrs at the BBC Proms bachtrack.com/review-frost...

**** Some seriously classy playing from Kantorow and a Scottish Chamber Orchestra performing like a crack baroque band for Emelyanychev: BBC Proms review @theipaper.com inews.co.uk/culture/arts...

Very much in agreement with Debra Craine's @thetimes.com review of Giselle, the UK debut of the National Ballet of Japan: www.thetimes.com/culture/thea...

My Prom review of Shibe and more. Now published at @bachtrack.com bachtrack.com/22/296/view/...

Many things to like in the meticulously rehearsed return of Richard Jones' Falstaff to Glyndebourne. But... bachtrack.com/review-falst...

Very much enjoyed my first trip to West Green Opera www.gramophone.co.uk/opera-now/re...

My review of OHP's Lucia di Lammermoor is now published by @bachtrack.com

Such a treat to hear and see the strange and wonderful Sancta Civitas again. My ★★★★ review @bachtrack.com of the First Night of the Proms. bachtrack.com/22/296/view/...

Very much enjoyed reviewing this new release for Gramophone. Bloch's wonderful Suite for Viola and Orchestra works very well in the transcription for cello heard here, and the performances by Parry Karp and Kenneth Woods are superb. Great to see the recording picked as an Editor's Choice.

observer.co.uk/music/classi... Fiona Maddocks | The Observer Buxton double bill and an unforgettable LSO Salome

Part 1 of my review from Aix-en-Provence is free to read on Musical America this weekend. A fabulous chamber reworking of Britten's Billy Budd was a high point of the entire festival. www.musicalamerica.com/mnews/newsst...

The Proms are back, looking and sounding terrific. My first night review is in the I Paper: inews.co.uk/culture/arts...

First night of the Proms review – Batiashvili’s magnificent Sibelius opens the festival

Prom Night: so it begins. I have doubts about some of the music, but it's finely done. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...

Gabriel Fauré’s opera Pénélope opens at the Prinzregententheater today. Director Andrea Breth and conductor Susanna Mälkki spoke to me about the work in an article for Opera Now: www.gramophone.co.uk/opera-now/fe...

Plenty of laughs and some cracking orchestral playing in this rewrite of Mozart’s The Impresario at Buxton Festival. Debut review from me @TheStage www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/the-...

"You have a lot to be proud of in England. It doesn’t always have to be about having a bad conscience about various things you’ve done in the past." Love to have my fondness for smut and warm beer indulged by a Norwegian virtuoso violinist. www.thetimes.com/article/3e46...

After his Q♠️ at Garsington, another impressive show from Jack Furness this summer: Hamlet at @buxtonfestival.bsky.social bachtrack.com/review-thoma...

"Great beauty slowly turning monstrous, obscene and rotten with decay." The LSO's Salome, conducted by Antonio Pappano, with Asmik Grigorian in the title role, and one of the greatest performances I've ever heard of the opera that concerted me to opera. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...

Tonight @ the Pavilion Gardens Theatre @buxtonfestival.bsky.social will unveil 4 new operas by 4 different creative teams: Inevitable, Life Gets Stretched, Disorderly House & Tears Are Not Meant to Stay Inside. Reviewing for @thestage.co.uk

Still hot and sweaty after this heady, erotic Salome from a cast lead by Asmik Grigorian with the @londonsymphony.bsky.social bachtrack.com/review-salom...

Longborough beyond Wagner: the festival’s first Pelléas is rich and thoughtful: www.gramophone.co.uk/opera-now/re...

A monumental achievement from British Youth Opera (and can someone please hire Mark Le Brocq to sing Grimes again please?). Reviewed Peter Grimes for @ccmusicuk.bsky.social : criticscircle.org.uk/a-rich-haul-...

Krump meets Rameau and I am here for it www.thetimes.com/article/dddb...

Bentham's panopticon installed at Garsington for a powerful Fidelio revival - goodness this was wonderful story-telling. My ★★★★ review for Bachtrack. bachtrack.com/review-fidel...

Divine comedy: review of Barrie Kosky’s joyous staging of Offenbach’s Les Brigands at the Palais Garnier www.gramophone.co.uk/opera-now/re...