Find articles | David Karlin

Oliver Mears' new staging impresses and Jakub Hrůša's first season as Music Director excites interest. But the evening belongs to Anna Netrebko.

Founded in 1945, London’s Philharmonia Orchestra is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year with an ambitious season featuring many returning artists, and an extensive US tour.

The bespoke streaming platform, launched by Opéra national de Paris in 2023, boasts a wealth of fine opera performances – and many standout ballet performances as well.

The German violinist gives us plenty of Czech brio in Dvořák; conductor and orchestra display many good qualities but fail to thrill.

Bachtrack is currently operating under a tsunami of robot traffic. Here’s the story from the inside of what the cyber-criminals are doing and how we’ve been fighting them.

Bancroft and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales provide a Mahler 3 of exceptional clarity and forward momentum, with terrific posthorn solos from Corey Morris and Beth Taylor an outstanding soloist.

Scion of generations of sitar players, Nishat Khan is the perfect person to tell the "greatest love story never told" behind India's most iconic building.

Superb Handelian singing and intense character acting light up Handel’s Semele, staged as a stark, uncompromising indictment of the rich and powerful. 

A fine singing cast gives creditable performances in Johann Stauss II's most famous operetta, but Paul Curran's updating of Act 2 to 1930s Berlin takes the fizz out of the Champagne.

Simon Mayo’s Young Adult novels are turned into an operatic romp which explores the fascination of the elements with excellent music and setting, albeit riddled with plot lacunae.

Simon Higlett’s exquisite sets and costumes give a backdrop to Donizetti’s frothiest of rom-coms.

Bachtrack’s 25,000th review marks 15 years of global classical music and dance coverage. Discover in-depth, professionally edited reviews in multiple languages from 37 countries – and tip your hat to our wonderful editors and reviewers.

Stripped of its original superstar casting, Gounod’s grand opera provides entertainment but fails to cohere. 

Annabel Arden’s production provides joyous comedy, with vocal and orchestral performances of the very finest.

The Uzbek conductor shows that he's a force to be reckoned with, revealing unimaginable amounts of detail in Stravinsky's score. Jan Lisiecki gives a carefully weighted account of Mozart.

From Henry Purcell to George Benjamin, a set of ten operas to demonstrate that English is not just a language for prose and poetry, but also a vibrant language for opera.

The new chief executive of the Stockholm concert hall talks about her own distinctive approach to shepherding a major classical music venue in the 21st century.

Although Karine Deshayes role change from Adalgisa to Norma is a work in progress, Luciano Ganci and Roberto Scandiuzzi shine in a staging charged with mythic symbolism.

Creator Johan Idema talks about the “subtitles for symphonies” app, why Wolfgang was created and how it’s used.

Massenet’s take on Goethe’s blockbuster novella of unrequited love and suicide is handled with great subtlety by Christof Loy and Marc Leroy-Calatayud. Benjamin Bernheim and Marina Viotti lead a starry vocal cast.

Berg's concerto “To the Memory of an Angel” is played with heart-melting beauty; David Afkham and the Orchestre national de Lyon offer pleasant, but unmemorable, Beethoven and Brahms. 

Eloise Lally shifts the Romeo and Juliet love story into New York mafia families. Jessica Cale and Samantha Price provide blissful bel canto as the star-crossed lovers.

Mark-Anthony Turnage's operatic adaptation of Thomas Vinterberg's tale of abuse provides rich entertainment even as it shocks.

Excellent vocal acting and total commitment to the text make for a riveting piece of operatic storytelling, driven by James Schouten's powerful Loge.

Iestyn Davies shows how to make every word count in a fairly standard sampler of Baroque arias; Ticciati is a fireball on the podium with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Giovanni Antonini leads Il Giardino Armonico through a sampler of Vivaldi's L'estro armonico, with a stellar Isabelle Faust leading the soloists.

Watching Ma inspire younger musicians is an extraordinary experience. Renaud Capuçon conducts an entertaining if imperfect Eroica.

Strong performances by chorus, orchestra and the father-daughter pairing of Amartuvshin Enkhbat and Anna Pirozzi make this Covent Garden revival well worth the visit.

For La Scala’s prima, outstanding vocal performances light up a busy but interesting staging of Verdi’s revenge opera by Leo Muscato.

Entering his second season in post, the young American Chief Conductor of the RSPO talks about how he got the job, Bruckner, Mozart, MacMillan and more.

After an indifferent start, the Philharmonia finally come to life in the last movement of Sibelius’ First Symphony. Lawrence Power shows his viola class.

With gloriously inventive sets and costumes, Alex Esposito’s splendid Four Villains drive a wonderfully entertaining new production.

The long standing duo sound give impeccable sound and balance in a recital full of charm, whose musicianship and energy belies this being their farewell tour.

Janáček’s drama of infanticide is delivered at full power by Nina Stemme and Agneta Eichenholz in Annilese Miskimmon’s well-crafted production. The orchestra, however, are just too loud.

The RSPO's Chief Conductor leads an impressive Bruckner 4. With Augustin Hagelich, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto is lighter fare, but trips merrily.

In their home concert hall under their Chief Conductor, the Oslo Philharmonic produce a high quality performance of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony.

The eclectic London venue’s new artistic director discusses her plans for the future, finding new audiences and rooting music in a sense of place.

The superstar countertenor revisit the site of one of their early successes, with hits from Monteverdi and the court of Louis XIII. It makes for an extraordinary evening.

Young countertenor Figuier gives an accomplished vocal performance, sometimes overpowered by the energy of Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques. Oboist Gilles Vanssons steals the show.

The Lyon orchestra show their rapport with their former Music Director with an exuberant Copland symphony and an introspective Shostakovich concerto

The Royal Opera's season opener is a welcome return for Tchaikovsky's opera after nine years, and a house debut for American director Ted Huffman.

The Scottish composer's newest composition is en exuberant romp, providing a perfect showcase for the orchestra's qualities.

The Finnish soprano doesn’t like the word evil. Her approach to singing villain roles is to find the humanity in the character – which is always there. 

Some good singing performances can't overcome a dated feeling of Gilbert's humour: the evening improves as the storm clouds gather.

A new report, The State of the Arts, highlights the challenges faced by policymakers. We address three key questions that should underpin their response.

An outstanding choral performance by nearly 300 singers of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and the Crouch End Festival Chorus lights up Verdi’s hybrid of opera and devotional music.

Christopher Alden, Chris Hopkins and an excellent cast send us a comic roller coaster ride with Verdi’s ultra-rarely performed second opera.

A memorable performance, with Stephen Barlow conducting Janáček’s remarkable score with vividness and clarity, while David Alden's staging is a masterpiece of "less is more". 

Singing performances are excellent, the staging is well crafted and Stravinsky's eclectic score entertains from start to finish. But it's an evening's opera that doesn't touch the soul.