As medici.tv’s Chief Content Officer I spend a lot of time thinking about classical music—and a lot of time on the internet. Here’s my selection of the top five news items you need to see this week if you want to stay in the know.
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The Cliburn branches out with new conducting competition (Gramophone)
The renowned Cliburn piano competition announced a new addition to their roster of events this week: an international conducting competition for conductors aged 21–35, in partnership with the Houston Symphony and Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Marin Alsop—who has long conducted the orchestra who performed alongside candidates in the final concerto round of the Cliburn piano competition—will serve as jury chair for the first edition in June 2028 in Houston.
Audience boos a Royal Opera House production of Turandot without its tenor and without its iconic aria (Classic FM)
During a recent Turandot performance at the Royal Opera House, tenor Roberto Alagna became ill after the second act. No understudy had been planned for this show, so the Royal Opera’s Head of Music Richard Hetherington stepped in to sing the role of Calaf from the wings while choreologist Tatiana Novaes Coelho acted on stage. The final act of Turandot of course includes Calaf’s biggest showpiece, the “Nessun dorma” aria, which was omitted from the performance, prompting some audience members to boo (a phenomenon Guardian correspondent Nadia Khomami laments is becoming increasingly common). The company offered 50% refunds to ticketholders.
Now that you’ve got “Nessun dorma” in your head, watch a legendary performance of it: the inimitable Luciano Pavarotti at the 1991 Hyde Park concert, in front of an audience of 125,000 fans:
Bachtrack’s 2025 Year in Statistics report (Bachtrack)
Every year, Bachtrack releases its “year in statistics” report, which analyzes the tens of thousands of performances listed on its platform. The 2025 survey looks at 31,455 concerts, operas, and dance performances worldwide, breaking down the most performed repertoire, the busiest performers, and more.
Turmoil at the Kennedy Center: Philip Glass withdraws world premiere, and venue set to close for two years
Leading American composer Philip Glass withdrew the world premiere of his Symphony No. 15, “Lincoln,” from the Kennedy Center’s spring calendar this week. Glass said the values of the Trump-dominated centre’s current leadership conflict with the message of his symphony, a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. The decision follows broader turmoil at the institution after a leadership overhaul and controversial changes, including renaming the venue the “Trump-Kennedy Center,” which has led to multiple artist cancellations in protest. Just a few days after Glass’s much-mediatized announcement, President Trump announced the venue is set to close for two years for a complete renovation.
Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic collaborate with iconic New York venues Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall (NYT)
The New York Philharmonic is gearing up to begin a new era under incoming Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, who will begin his tenure this fall. This week, the ensemble announced a new partnership with Carnegie Hall that will see them perform an annual opera-in-concert series for the next five years, starting this November with Puccini’s Tosca. The announcement comes on the heels of the orchestra’s first-ever performance at Radio City Music Hall: a program blending classical hits, show tunes, and film music. Collaborating with new venues and institutions is a priority for Dudamel, who said they are “trying to connect with the cultural life of different neighborhoods.”
Bonus: the 2026 Grammy Awards took place last night and several medici.tv favorites took home a prize: Gustavo Dudamel, Andris Nelsons, Alisa Weilerstein, the LA Phil…. Catch them all in action here.
