Articles & Interviews

The master list of news, features and interviews

Colorado Music Festival – 9 July to 9 August 2026

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Colorado Music Festival’s 50th Anniversary Season (July-August 2026)

Music Director Peter Oundjian with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra © Geremy Kornreich

There are few places where you can glimpse the yellow belly of a meadow lark and marvel at the incredible form of a natural stone arch while hiking a trail towards a National Historic Landmark that offers high caliber summer concerts. This is Boulder, Colorado – the setting of the Colorado Music Festival. Against the iconic gray rocky peaks of the Flatirons sits Chautauqua Park with its flower-covered meadows and beautiful 19th-century barn where the Festival presents internationally acclaimed artists, Pulitzer Prize winning composers, classical favorites and world premieres to dedicated audiences and newcomers, year after year.

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Dorset Opera Festival’s Samson et Dalila and L’elisir d’amore at Bryanston, Blandford Forum, this July

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Dorset Opera Festival 21–25 July 2026 This July (21–25), Dorset Opera Festival presents new productions of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Samson et Dalila and Gaetano Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at Bryanston, Blandford Forum. Singers of interest- Making his UK stage debut, Korean tenor Won Whi Choi, fresh from the Met, sings the title role of Samson, whilst in … Read more

Royal Ballet and Opera Cinema Season 2026-2027

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Royal Ballet and Opera announces its 2026/27 Cinema Season 

Cinema Season shares the very best of The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet with audiences around the world
Programme includes new productions of Götterdämmerung from Barrie Kosky and Così fan tutte from Netia Jones
Beloved favourites return, including The Royal Ballet’s Manon and Swan Lake, and The Royal Opera’s Carmen and Tosca
UK audiences can also enjoy Macbeth and La fanciulla del West from The Metropolitan Opera

For more information and tickets click here

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John Quinn talks to Three Choirs Festival CEO David Francis

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A strong tradition and a bright future. David Francis, CEO of the Three Choirs Festival in conversation with John Quinn

David Francis © Joseph Wong/TCF

The Three Choirs Festival is almost certainly the oldest music festival in the world: it can trace its origins back to around 1715. The Festival began as an annual gathering, lasting just a couple of days, of the Musical Societies of the cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester; the respective cathedral choirs were part of these societies and sang services, accompanied by an orchestra, during the gatherings. From the outset, each of the three cities took it in turn to host the annual get-togethers. The gatherings gradually widened in scope and duration. Nowadays, the Festival runs for a week and includes a wide variety of concerts, recitals, talks and social events.

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Elim Chan is the San Francisco Symphony’s new Music Director

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Elim Chan named next Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony

Elim Chan

Chan joins the Orchestra as Music Director Designate effective immediately and officially begins her tenure as Music Director in September 2027

As Music Director Designate, she leads the San Francisco Symphony June 5 & 6 in a program featuring music by Wagner, Berlioz, and Debussy

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UK premiere of Tchaikovsky Child of Glass at Opera Holland Park in August

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Tchaikovsky Child of Glass to make UK premiere at Opera Holland Park this summer 

A theatrical fusion of music, ballet and drama details the life of Tchaikovsky, featuring Téo Dubreuil from the Royal Ballet, celebrated solo pianist Jayson Gillham, and RPS-nominated playwright Tama Matheson

NEW music-drama about the life and loves of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Tchaikovsky Child of Glass will make its UK premiere at Opera Holland Park this summer from 13-15 August.

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King Charles III unveils new Main Stage curtains at the Royal Opera House

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New Main Stage curtains unveiled to King Charles III at the Royal Opera House 

His Majesty was joined on stage by Royal Ballet dancer Marianela Nuñez and soprano Pretty Yende for historic unveiling

His Majesty met artists and backstage technical teams, as well as the Royal School of Needlework – all involved in the creation of the new stage curtains

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Cameron Menzies, Anne Marabini Young and Mary McCabe discuss NIO and Diva Opera’s new La bohème

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Robert Beattie learns about the exciting collaboration between Northern Ireland Opera and Diva Opera 

Cameron Menzies

Northern Ireland Opera and Diva Opera have joined forces and will jointly present a new production of Puccini’s La bohème in Belfast later this month. I spoke to the respective directors of both companies, Cameron Menzies and Anne Marabini Young about this production. I also spoke to soprano Mary McCabe about the vocal and dramatic challenges of singing Mimì in the production.

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