James DePreist, one of the first African-American conductors to have a major career, despite two significant physical ailments, died Friday in Scottsdale, AZ.

Butch Morris, who died this past Tuesday at 65, was a cornetist and conductor, best known for developing a musical vocabulary that he called “Conduction.”  The term meant conducted improvisation, where Butch would shape the music through a series of gestures, and both audience and ensemble could watch the performance unfold as they listened.  It is not the type of musical experience that radio is good at capturing, unfortunately; it really is one of those “you had to be there” things.   But we did give it a try, once, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

In a 1962 interview, Leopold Stokowski discusses his founding of the American Symphony Orchestra with WNYC's Seymour Siegel, calling for more emphasis on the arts. 

Adaptistration, the blog on the orchestra business, has published its annual charts of salaries for most of the major American orchestras’ music directors and executives.

Last week, the Italian conductor Riccardo Muti threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Watch this slideshow of conductors' first pitches.

The music director of the Orléans Symphony died Jan. 10. He reportedly collapsed while rehearsing the Funeral March of Beethoven’s "Eroica" Symphony.

The rising young British conductor tells us about the primal power of Orff’s Carmina Burana, the youth movement on podiums and why a TV commercial for after-shave turned him on to classical music.

Mitch Miller, perhaps best known for his 1960's series Sing Along With Mitch, died Saturday at the age of 99.

Michael Tilson Thomas leads the San Francisco Symphony, which has been acclaimed for innovative concerts and programming. Tilson Thomas often conducts children’s concerts with the orchestra — and has developed an unusual approach to engaging his young audience.

Earlier this year, conductor Daniel Barenboim surprised Chicago when he announced that he would step down as conductor of the Chicago Symphony in 2006. Barenboim said he could no longer deal with all the non-conducting duties he’d been given — like fundraising. And he said while lots of people complain ...

In the 1950’s and 60’s, Leonard Bernstein introduced thousands of kids to classical music with his innovative and entertaining Young People’s concerts. In the 1970’s, Bernstein passed the Young People’s baton to his protégé, Michael Tilson Thomas. Today, Tilson Thomas leads the San Francisco Symphony, where he often performs children’s ...

This winter conductor Daniel Barenboim surprised Chicago when he announced that he would step down as conductor of the Chicago Symphony in two years. Barenboim said he could no longer deal with all the non-conducting duties he’d been given — like fundraising.  And he said while lots of people compain ...

Itzhak and Toby Perlman are both philanthropists and violinists. They co-founded the Perlman Music Program, which provides year-round lessons and an intensive summer camp on Shelter Island, New York. Itzhak Perlman is widely acknowledged as the foremost living virtuoso of the violin. He recently began conducting, and is today ...

Itzhak and Toby Perlman are both philanthropists and violinists. They co-founded the Perlman Music Program, which provides year-round lessons and an intensive summer camp on Shelter Island, New York. Itzhak Perlman is widely acknowledged as the foremost living virtuoso of the violin. He recently began conducting, and is today ...