Dropping the mask: are we jeopardising the arts’ recovery?

The masked Salzburg Festival audience greet Evgeny Kissin

By Mark Pullinger, 24 September 2021

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“Am I missing something? Covid hasn’t suddenly gone away”

Kurt Gottschalk, 21st March

The violinist talks about her pandemic commissioning project as well the work she does that extends beyond performing concerts as Arco Collaborative’s artistic director and its primary performing artist.

Getting back to the theater, as safely as possible

Cameron Kelsall, 4th October

As a theater critic, I’m prioritizing coverage of events that require Covid vaccination for all.

We need mask mandates and a health pass. Now.

David Karlin, 28th September

The terror that keeps the performing arts awake at night is that audiences won’t return because they are not confident of attending an event without risking Covid-19 infection.

The Siam Sinfonietta uses lockdown to film a homage to B horror movies

Laura Volpi, 9th July

We spoke to Thai-American composer and Siam Sinfonietta's founder Somtow Sucharitkul and Thailand-based British film director Paul Spurrier about this unique project born from lockdown restrictions.

“I’ve felt very lucky to be a composer”: Missy Mazzoli

Cameron Kelsall, 21st May

The composer-in-residence at Bergen International Festival has been more productive than ever during the pandemic. She tells us how.

COVID-19 news feed: cancellations, new seasons, virtual events

Bachtrack, 29th April

Keep checking here to find out what news is reaching us about classical music events around the world.

Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.