Michel Plasson has led some of the world's greatest orchestras, from Berlin to Paris to London, but he has come east to take on a new challenge as the first foreign principal conductor in China. Many international maestros have made guest appearances with the nation's top ensembles, but Plasson, 76, is now the leader of the China National ...

American conductor Lorin Maazel celebrates his 80th birthday this weekend conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in the Austrian capital. Topping the programme of Saturday's performance at the Musikverein concert hall will be the world premiere of a suite taken from Maazel's opera "1984", based on the novel of the same name by George Orwell. Maazel will also conduct Claude ...

Conductor Riccardo Muti won't take over as 10th music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra until Sept. 19, but he proved Thursday that he already can lead the city's critics and musical public into laughter and thoughtful speculation. Muti and CSO Association president Deborah F. Rutter ...