This image released by the Los Angeles Philharmonic shows Daniel Harding conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Aug. 19, 2025. (Elizabeth Asher/Los Angeles Philharmonic via AP)
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The Los Angeles Philharmonic has hired British conductor Daniel Harding as its next music director. Harding, who is also an Air France pilot, will begin a six-year contract starting with the 2027-28 season. Known for his work with European orchestras, this marks his first appointment by an American orchestra. Harding will conduct eight weeks in his first season, expanding to 12 weeks annually. He is also the music director of Italy's Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Harding's dual career as a conductor and pilot offers him a unique perspective, which he finds fulfilling and complementary.
Elim Chan has been hired as the first female music director of the San Francisco Symphony. She will start with the 2027–28 season and has been given a six-year term. Chan, 39, was principal conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She will also be an artistic partner of the Vienna Symphony for two seasons starting next fall. Esa-Pekka Salonen, whose term ends with the 2024-25 season, announced his departure after the orchestra's management cut spending.
FILE - Chief Conductor Elim Chan, center top, conducts the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra through a rehearsal at the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp, Belgium, July 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
At the Eurovision Song Contest, performers get just three minutes to impress. This year, Finnish duo Pete Parkkonen and Linda Lampenius are favorites with their song "Liekinheitin," or "Flamethrower." Their act combines pop and classical music with dramatic staging, including jets of flame and a valuable 18th-century violin. Eurovision rules usually require prerecorded instruments, but they secured special permission for Lampenius to play live. The pair has been rehearsing since November, trying to ensure their performance is flawless. Behind the scenes, a team of stagehands known as "ninjas" help manage the complex staging, keeping everything safe and seamless.
Racked by unrelenting pain, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo wrote in her diary shortly before she died: “I joyfully await the exit — and hope neve…
This image released by the Metropolitan Opera shows mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as Frida Kalho, foreground center, and baritone Carlos Álvarez as Diego Rivera in a rehearsal for “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego,” on May 11, 2026, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. (Marty Sohl/MetOpera via AP)
This image released by the Metropolitan Opera shows mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as Frida Kalho, foreground center, and baritone Carlos Álvarez as Diego Rivera in a rehearsal for “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego,” on May 11, 2026, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. (Marty Sohl/MetOpera via AP)
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — As a high school student in the 1970s, Lori Guess looked forward to packing up her oboe for a summer music camp in Sidney…
Amy Grant's new album, “The Me That Remains,” reflects her journey of healing after a serious bicycle accident in 2022. The Grammy-winning musician has often defied labels throughout her career, moving between Christian and secular music. Her latest work explores themes of personal recovery and faith. Grant shares that writing music again felt therapeutic, helping her reconnect with her creative self. She acknowledges ongoing challenges from her accident but feels physically strong. Grant's willingness to explore darker themes in her music connects her to herself, others, and her faith, emphasizing honesty and curiosity in her artistic journey.