Jason Howard and Lauren Flanigan in the 2003 Seattle Opera production of Mourning Becomes Electra. Photo by Rozarii Lynch For sheer emotional extravagance and a vivid representation of the inexorability of fate, nothing quite beats a good Greek tragedy. Eugene O’Neill understood this, which is why in 1931 he offered to the public his massive […]

Tony Boutté at Red House, Benjamin Britten’s home in Aldeburgh, England. Photo by Douglas Atfield The celebrations of the 100th birthday of the British composer Benjamin Britten have been widespread, and have included not just operas on various world mainstages, but chamber works on small programs to be found hither and yon. Tonight, one of […]

Angel Romero. The classical season is off to a fine start, and soon things will be getting even busier as the other major performing institutions open their seasons. Already Festival Miami has featured Joshua Bell and Edgar Meyer in Meyer’s Double Concerto for Violin and Bass, and soprano Hila Plitmann in a song cycle by […]

Jacqueline Quirk as Suor Angelica in the Puccini opera of that name at Miami Lyric Opera. Things are starting to move a little as summer transitions Saturday into fall, with shows from two more regular festivals taking place this weekend and early next week. And Festival Miami is less than two weeks away. Here are […]

Joshua Roman. Photo by Tina Su This weekend marks the beginning of the 33rd season of the Sunday Afternoons of Music series, which will present seven regular concerts and six concerts for children at the University of Miami’s Gusman Hall. For all of the growth of South Florida’s classical music scene, and the impressive number […]

Pianist Claire Huangci, who plays a recital Jan. 12 in Miami Beach for the Chopin Foundation. Earlier this week, the Chopin Foundation of the United States, which is based in Miami, announced that its 2015 national competition for American pianists would offer a top prize of $75,000. That would be the highest award for a […]

The Ehnes String Quartet. The Friends of Chamber Music of Miami series is one of the oldest continually operating such series in the country, not to mention South Florida, where nothing else really compares with its longevity. For the 57th season, organizer Julian Kreeger, an attorney by profession but best known in these parts for […]

“Ave Maria,” Seraphic Fire’s latest album. One of the most striking things about the Seraphic Fire ensemble is its ferocious work ethic when it comes to recordings. I’ve had occasion to mention several of their discs on this blog as they’ve come out, and next week (Aug. 6), the group’s latest record, a collection of […]

Cecile Licad. Photo by Sarah Black The season is a few months away, but it’s during the summer that the various presenting organizations start to tell us what will be on their programs in the winter months. Several major Miami music series announced their seasonal lineups in the past few weeks; here’s a look at […]

Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival founders, left to right: Michael Forte (clarinet), Michael Ellert (bassoon) and Karen Dixon (flute). Although July Fourth usually signals a slowdown in cultural activity as everyone takes a breather to celebrate the holiday, this week actually marks the beginning of one of South Florida’s most durable music festivals. Friday night, […]