Amanda Angel

Opera Theater of St. Louis premiered Ricky Ian Gordon's opera about Gertrude Stein. Gordon is only the latest composer to find a muse in Stein’s words and world; here are five others.

If Sir Mix-A-Lot's recent appearance with the Seattle Symphony seemed like the ultimate in odd crossover pairings, think again. Here are five essential hip-hop/classical music mashups.

For Strauss's birthday, how about a little dance? We've collected the top five infamous renditions of the lurid routine from Salome.

On June 12, the 2014 World Cup will kick off with an opening ceremony featuring several global pop acts. But no Brazilian classical music has been announced. Here are five suggestions.

As the New York Philharmonic launches its first biennial, in what promises to be an important showcase for new music every two years, here are five established festivals it joins as new music incubators.

This summer, millions of travelers will head to North America's most spectacular destinations, and more than a few will be bringing their instruments. Here are five scenic standouts.

The Colorado Symphony's cannabis concerts raised several issues, among them, the fact that drugs have played a significant role in the creation of some classical compositions. Here are the top five.

Standing room used to contain the cheapest seats, but more and more often it’s the only option for adventuresome opera fans around the world.

Carnegie Hall’s Debs Composer Chair David Lang is overseeing a concert series called Collected Stories. Here are five other composers who made music a storytelling medium.

From "Nymphomaniac" to "Eyes Wide Shut," filmmakers have often mined the classical canon for music to match their erotic subject matter.  Here are our five best examples.

These five works all show their composers at the height of their powers, even though they all would pass on shortly thereafter.

Most classical album covers consist of three things: The artist, the work and the composer. So when something comes out that breaks away from the norm, it creates attention.

For some concertgoers, the concert hall a last bastion of decorum, but for others it’s an anachronism needing to loosen up. Here are five hotly debated subjects of concert etiquette.

The fascination with the interiors of well-known artists' homes is nothing new, and possessions of long-deceased composers still captivate thousands of tourists who visit their former homes each year.

The silver screen has periodically been a source of inspiration for opera composers. Here are five of this year’s Academy Award-nominated films we believe could be sung on the stage.

While several operas weave sincere tales of undying love, an equal number seem to undermine the actual notion of love and make fools of those who profess it.