Our critics have scrutinised 50 outstanding discs released in the past 12 months for the annual Limelight Recording of the Year.

The latest arts appointments and departures.

The editors of Limelight share their selection of the most exciting classical music, opera and theatre events coming soon.

A round-up of our recent news reports.

The British musical theatre star explains how he learned to sing and why the songs of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg are in his DNA.

The former oboist and Artistic Director of Garsington Opera discusses conducting Beethoven’s nine symphonies in two weeks for Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

Male soprano Samuel Mariño discusses increasing gender fluidity in opera and the roles he’d love to play, including Violetta in La Traviata.

Venues like intervals as they make money from the bar sales, but should performers be forced into having one if it interrupts the natural flow of the show?

It’s hard enough for an opera company to survive without government funding, but staging Wagner’s Ring Cycle is something else. We trace the history of Melbourne Opera, which is presenting Australia’s first regional Ring Cycle in Bendigo.

This month’s concert highlights from ABC Classic, independent radio and streaming.

Michael Pisani, Principal Cor Anglais at Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, didn’t even own the instrument when he was first offered the chance to play it. Now he is about to perform a new work by Anne Cawrse.

Vaughan Williams’ 150th tops and tails this month’s new classical albums, plus the latest from the Danish String Quartet, a classic Bryn Terfel recital and a heartfelt new Traviata.