Grace Bumbry 1937-2023 Grace Bumbry 1937-2023

In voice, artistic sensibility and glamour, the singer was every inch a diva.

on May 08, 2023 at 12:12 PM
Teresa Berganza 1933 – 2022 Teresa Berganza 1933 – 2022

The beloved concert and opera singer died earlier today.

on May 13, 2022 at 3:54 PM
A crash course in adult relationships A crash course in adult relationships

The mixture of romance and realism in Sondheim songs, the revelation that while love could be grand and passionate it could also be mundane or inconvenient or mistimed or just plain embarrassing, was such a relief.

on November 29, 2021 at 4:00 PM
Anyone can puzzle Anyone can puzzle

Steve adored puzzles, solving them and creating them, so it makes you wonder that this one continued to fester—was that so few of his songs attained the rank of “standard.”

on November 29, 2021 at 2:00 PM
Stephen Sondheim 1930-2021 Stephen Sondheim 1930-2021

The master of Broadway musical theater died suddenly earlier today at his home in Connecticut.

on November 26, 2021 at 5:12 PM
Listening to Bernard Haitink Listening to Bernard Haitink

In the month and a half leading to Bernard Haitink’s passing on October 21, my AirPods constantly channeled a musical festival of sorts centered on the Dutch giant’s expansive discography. 

on October 25, 2021 at 1:00 PM
Edita Gruberova 1946-2021 Edita Gruberova 1946-2021

The Slovak soprano, whose career spanned more than 50 years, died yesterday in Zurich. She was 74.

on October 19, 2021 at 7:45 AM
Semiramide Semiramide

In tribute to the late Graham Vick, a full-scale production of Rossini’s opera seria from the 2019 Pesaro Festival.

on July 18, 2021 at 9:49 AM
Gianna Rolandi 1952-2021 Gianna Rolandi 1952-2021

American soprano Gianna Rolandi died Sunday morning, according to a number of her friends and colleagues. She was 68.

on June 20, 2021 at 6:26 PM
Ghena Meirson 1957-2021 Ghena Meirson 1957-2021

April is the cruelest month, the song tells us—but this year, it was a week later. Ghenady Meirson, Philadelphia’s master of Russian Opera and coach extraordinaire, died on May 8.

on May 11, 2021 at 11:26 AM
Christa Ludwig 1928 – 2021 Christa Ludwig 1928 – 2021

The renowned interpreter of Wagner, Mozart and Strauss for more than four decades died yesterday.

on April 25, 2021 at 3:46 PM
Lois Kirschenbaum 1933-2021 Lois Kirschenbaum 1933-2021

We all lost a great champion of the arts as news arrived that Lois Kirschenbaum passed away on 27 March at the Beth Israel hospital.

on March 29, 2021 at 6:33 PM
James Levine 1943-2021 James Levine 1943-2021

The conductor and former music director of the Metropolitan Opera died on March 9.

on March 17, 2021 at 10:11 AM
Nooks and crannies Nooks and crannies

Nathan Hull was an operatic Quixote who did not go it alone, but inspired bands of optimists, giving proper employment to the many worthy New Yorkers mad enough to study voice and pleasure rare elsewhere to those of us thrilled to take it in.

on August 16, 2020 at 11:22 AM
Martin Bernheimer 1936-2019 Martin Bernheimer 1936-2019

Critic Martin Bernheimer has died. He was 83.

on September 29, 2019 at 1:57 PM
Things go better without Koch Things go better without Koch

A multibillionaire right-winger—best remembered locally for plastering his name on the once-beloved New York State Theater at Lincoln Center—has died.

on August 23, 2019 at 11:39 AM
Franco Zeffirelli 1923-2019 Franco Zeffirelli 1923-2019

The legendary opera and film director has died. He was 96.

on June 15, 2019 at 9:57 AM
Heather Harper 1930-2019 Heather Harper 1930-2019

The distinguished British soprano died today. She was 88.

on April 22, 2019 at 6:03 PM
Montserrat Caballé 1933-2018 Montserrat Caballé 1933-2018

The prodigiously gifted and widely beloved Catalan soprano has died. She was 85.

on October 06, 2018 at 3:09 AM
Barbara Harris 1935 – 2018 Barbara Harris 1935 – 2018

The actress and teacher died earlier today of lung cancer. She was 83.

on August 21, 2018 at 4:50 PM
Aretha Franklin 1942 – 2018 Aretha Franklin 1942 – 2018

The Queen of Soul has died.

on August 16, 2018 at 11:00 AM
Brian Kellow 1959-2018 Brian Kellow 1959-2018

We have just heard the sad news that author and longtime Opera News editor Brian Kellow died earlier today. He was 59.

on July 22, 2018 at 11:39 AM
Huguette Tourangeau 1938-2018 Huguette Tourangeau 1938-2018

he mezzo-soprano died on April 21. She was 79.

on April 25, 2018 at 10:08 AM
Nanette Fabray 1920-2018 Nanette Fabray 1920-2018

The versatile singer and actress died yesterday at her home in Palos Verdes, Calif. She was 97.

on February 23, 2018 at 5:49 PM