Jason Victor Serinus

For over 25 years, Shirley Verrett reigned as a leading diva of the international operatic stage. On the occasion of Black History Month, SFCV publishes major portions of the interview with Verrett, who died last year.  

Violinist Hilary Hahn catapulted into the international spotlight as a teenager, when the uncommon maturity of her debut recording shot it to the top of the charts. Now all grown up at 31, she returns to Herbst Theatre on Feb. 19.

Lyric tenor and composer Roland Hayes (1887-1977) may be the most important “Aframerican” (his term) classical singer of the 20th century that you don’t know about.

Music, history, and vision meet in a Gold Coast Chamber Players concert with bass-baritone Lawrence Beamen that inaugurates Lafayette’s Black History Month.

Just as Pianist Simone Dinnerstein’s second all-Bach recording, Bach: A Strange Beauty, becomes available worldwide, Dinnerstein is setting out to explore new territory. She and singer-songwriter Tift Merritt will appear at Yoshi’s S.F. in an unusual musical collaboration titled "Night." SFCV caught up with Dinnerstein by phone.

More than a few operatic and other vocal diversions may beckon you in the coming spring. Here are just a few of the surprises.

The most prestigious classical music competition in the U.S. isn’t the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, it’s the Naumburg Foundation Competition. As S.F. Performances prepares to host this year’s piano winner, Soyeon Lee, here’s what musicians think of the organization’s enviable track record.

Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic deliver a reading of Tchaikovsky's beloved score that is — wonder of wonders — fresh and deeply felt.

A powerful and inspirational performance by the American Bach Soloists brought Handel’s Messiah to life, in a lovely evening showcasing the voice of baritone James Maddalena.

Hard to believe, but for 50 years Gounod’s Faust reigned as the world’s most popular opera. These days, it has fallen to No. 29 in popularity. If Faust and the devil have a any chance of resurrection, it will take productions such as this. Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.