NEW YORK — James Levine rolled onto the Carnegie Hall stage in his black motorized wheelchair and into a 6-by-6-foot mechanical podium construct...

Lyon is the city that I have called my second home for the past two years. Being music director with two orchestras requires a very good set of plans and an even better understanding of the airlines. It also means that I must balance my roles in both Detroit and France.

Music definitely saved my life, and I feel privileged to be able to pass on this gift to others around the world.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Vladimir Jurowski, visited Lincoln Center this week with solid success.

WARSAW, Poland — Polish authorities have launched a double homicide investigation after the bodies of a harpist and a security guard were found ...

The next time orchestras are taken to task for being too European, too Caucasian, and too male-dominated, one might reference the new and growing generation of music directors who bring an inclusive sensibility and dimension to artistic leadership.

Yannick Nézet-Séguinmost most appealing trait is the keen aggression he has, tempered by superb restraint. Add to that his youthful enthusiasm and openness, his will to succeed and the friendly and positive mood he inspires in the orchestra members, and you've got a winner.

The First Symphony is probably one of the most often performed works of Mahler since it doesn't take two hours or involve 1000 musicians. But Mariss Jansons and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. There are two words I always say about them: "Oh wow."

Who were these people anyway, who shared my passion for music as well as strong feelings about democracy? What were they thinking when they burst into applause? Then I wondered what Michael's simple two-word theme would mean for the music I was about to hear.

So much great art is dependent on the need for ensemble. The great orchestras and dance companies are great not simply because of the agglomeration of talented artists but also because of the amount of time these artists have worked together to create an aesthetic.

I do hope we can bring together managers, musicians and board members from orchestras large and small and begin a coherent, comprehensive, solution-focused discussion on how we are going to maintain and build this vital sector of the arts ecology

I am hopeful that over the remaining weeks of 2012 a compromise can be reached that advances the cause of national economic stability without inflicting needless pain on our nation's nonprofits and, most importantly, the people that depend on and benefit from our integrated services.

Musicians and orchestras are extraordinary treasures, and to deny them a place in our society is to deprive everyone of one of the most positive and magical experiences in life.

WARSAW, Poland — A Polish opera house has performed Mozart's Requiem – a funeral piece – in front of the Culture Ministry in Warsaw ...

She can no longer sustain it on her own. Her portion of the burden is too large, or maybe she passes away, and the orchestra declares bankruptcy. Sounds too fatalistic? It's happening now. It's been happening for years. If you live near an orchestra, you know. And if you don't -- who cares?

El Sistema, which doesn't translate well, means simply "the system," a system for giving young, usually poor kids, a chance on living. At first glance it's about music. Getting young people to play an instrument, then joining an orchestra. It is that for sure, but so much more.

If Emmanuelle Haim can be signed to a long term pact she could become a conductor of superstar proportions, with a repertoire all her own. The riches reaped would be indescribable, and the advancement of classical music would be exponential.

He may strike some New Yorkers as a one-man band whose occasional off-key comments can strike a discordant note, but that won’t stop Mayor Michael R...