5 Books To Ignite An Opera Obsession

"If you're dying to learn about opera, the best thing to do is go on a blind date with it— get tickets and go to one. Opera-going is quite self-explanatory: show your ticket at the door, sit down, and an arresting drama unfolds in front of our eyes. You don't have to do anything. They even tell you what's happening in the supertitle translations."

For the full story, please see npr.org.

Rights Grab at The Royal Opera House

"So it has come as a shock to the entire theatrical design community to find that the Royal Opera House appears to have drawn up a new contract for any new commission which will attack this core principle, which is the basis of English and European copyright law. The ROH is demanding that its entire stable of creative talent – directors, set and costume designers, lighting and special effects designers, even composers, choreographers and librettists - sign over to the Royal Opera House all their copyright in their work there - in perpetuity."

For the full story, please see The Arts Desk.

5 Operas That Are Truly Bloodier Than 'True Blood'

"Hundreds of thousands — maybe gazillions — of fans of True Blood might be feeling a little anemic right about now, what with season three of the wildly popular HBO show having wrapped up last Sunday."

For the full story, please see npr.org.

First 'Authentic' Klingon Opera By Terrans (That's You, Earthlings) Premieres

"Opera devotees and sci-fi fans are a match made in Valhalla: opinionated lovers of spectacle and fantasy whose temperaments can be as overblown as some of their favorite characters. If they ever hooked up (is there a profile trait on eHarmony for geekdom?), the perfect night out might involve tickets to see a Klingon opera."

For the full story, please see NPR.org.

Lincoln Center, Cuba Get Jazzy

"The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will take its first trip to Cuba next month as part of a cultural exchange with the Cuban Institute of Music, the company will announce Thursday.

The visit comes at the invitation of the Havana-based institute and was facilitated by the Cuban pianist and bandleader Chucho Valdés."

For the full story, please see the Wall Street Journal.

Twitter power: how social networking is revolutionising the music business

"But with the number of independent record stores in terminal decline and the boundaries of the internet limitless, online music social networks have sprung up to meet the demands of gregarious music lovers who want to share ideas and loves."

For the full story, please see The Guardian.

Musician Nick Franglen creates bridge symphony

"Nick Franglen is using London Bridge and its human traffic to create a 24-hour piece of music - armed only with a theremin and an espresso machine."

For the full story, please see BBC News.