Who else could sell out John Zorn and Messiaen on a Saturday night? Mesmerising ***** concert from Barbara Hannigan and Bertrand Chamayou theguardian.com/music/2025/d... @theguardian.com

Really enjoyed seeing Rimsky-Korsakov's Christmas Eve at the Bayerische Staatsoper... and the second half is vintage Barrie Kosky! Review 👇 www.opera-now.com/content/revi...

Tonight I'm playing #RBO catch-up. While my colleagues are at the opening of Ariodante, I'll be down in the Linbury to watch the second night of Last Days, which I'm reviewing for Opera. Then on Thursday I'll be catching up with Ariodante, one of Handel's finest. Hope I've got that right...

Putting the grim into Grimm: at the Bayerische Staatsoper this weekend, I finally got to see Richard Jones’ Hänsel und Gretel bachtrack.com/review-hanse...

It was a pleasure to review this recording of Hindemith and Shostakovich violin concertos for this month's Gramophone. Alexandra Tirsu's performance of the superb Hindemith concerto is even finer than the recording Oistrakh made with the composer.

Joy to the world! A gorgeous selection of festive fare from Christiane Karg and Gerold Huber at @wigmore-hall.org.uk last night. Review 👇 www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

My top picks for UK classical & opera in December (festive and non) for the I Paper: inews.co.uk/culture/arts...

Gaetano Donizetti, born OTD in 1797, composed around 70 operas. Which ten made my playlist? bachtrack.com/playlist-top...

My review of Dorian Gray, by Elżbieta Sikora and David Pountney, at Teatr Wielki, Poznań ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ www.gramophone.co.uk/opera-now/re...

The I Paper asked me to get opinion-y to mark the anniversary of Les Mis: inews.co.uk/culture/arts...

Korngold was just 15 when he completed his Sinfonietta, an impressive four movement work that was premiered by Weingartner and the Vienna Philharmonic in 1913. Had a lot of pleasure reviewing this new recording by Sascha Goetzel for the November issue of Gramophone.

Operatic farces flop but young singers impress in Donizetti double bill bachtrack.com/review-campa...

Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro given a controversial update in Bergamo bachtrack.com/review-cater...

In case you'd like to hear WAGNER'S WOMEN but couldn't make it to the London Singers' Collective evening at National Opera Studio yesterday, I have a short-notice repeat run tomorrow, >online< at 6.30pm, for the Wagner Society of Scotland. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jessica-du...

Another CD I reviewed for the November issue of Gramophone features trumpet works performed by Tine Thing Helseth, including the fine concerto Penderecki wrote in 2015, one of his last works.

Some thoughts on Katie Mitchell's operatic farewell - the Royal Opera's Makropulos Case: www.oper-magazin.de/kritiken/auf...

Mark-Anthony Turnage’s new opera The Railway Children was recently given a semi-staged performance at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. Here's Claudia Pritchard's review for the Critics' Circle: criticscircle.org.uk/the-railway-...

Looking forward to talking WAGNER on Friday! With music from soprano Valerija Iljin and pianist Daniel Silcock, at the National Opera Studio. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wagners-wo...

Who doesn’t enjoy a French postcard from Spain? Reviewing the @liverpoolphil.bsky.social’s latest on Onyx: www.gramophone.co.uk/review/chabr...

Reviewed Gerd Schaller's recording of Bruckner 8 for the November issue of Gramophone. Releases of the composer have reduced significantly since the bicentenary last year. This is one of the swiftest versions of the symphony on record, but a very impressive interpretation magnificently played.

The November issue of Gramophone, in which I try to convince Hugo Shirley that Bernstein's recording of Der Rosenkavalier is a classic (spoiler: I fail).

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky died on this day in 1893. I've done a few Gramophone Collections on Tchaikovsky works, but this one on Pique Dame (The Queen of Spades) is the most recent: www.gramophone.co.uk/features/art...

ENO gives Jake Heggie's opera Dead Man Walking its first full staging in the UK. Review by Guy Rickards for the Critics' Circle. criticscircle.org.uk/rage-rage-ag...

The glory and the grind: The Royal Opera stages its first Makropulos Case ✍️ Mark Valencia bachtrack.com/review-janac...

My review of The Makropulos Case at the Royal Opera House: www.gramophone.co.uk/opera-now/re...

When I think about what contemporary opera can and should be - and whether "contemporary popular opera" could ever be a thing, I always think of Dead Man Walking: inews.co.uk/culture/arts...

Looking forward enormously to doing a little Wagner evening...I'll be talking about Wagner's musical cauldron and the soprano Valerija Iljin sings extracts from Senta, Elisabeth, Sieglinde and the Wesendonck Lieder. 14 Nov, National Opera Studio www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wagners-wo...

Two Nilssons for the price of one: my report @Bachtrack from the award of the Birgit Nilsson Prize to the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence. 📸Maja Brandt bachtrack.com/review-malkk...

Alexei Ratmansky’s Callirhoe is massive fun at the Wiener Staatsballett Review 👇 bachtrack.com/review-calli...

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...