logo
He Reinvigorated the Met Opera's Chorus. Next Stop, Chicago.

He Reinvigorated the Met Opera's Chorus. Next Stop, Chicago.

New York Times03-06-2025
When Donald Palumbo departed his post as chorus master of the Metropolitan Opera last year after nearly two decades, he could have easily taken a break.
But Palumbo, 76, wasn't finished. 'I knew it was not a retirement situation for me,' he said.
Now Palumbo has lined up his next position: the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced on Tuesday that he would serve as its next chorus director — only the third in the choir's 67-year history — beginning an initial three-year term in July.
'I love this chorus,' Palumbo said in a telephone interview from Chicago, where he was rehearsing the chorus. 'I love this city.'
Palumbo was a fixture at the Met from 2007 to 2024, helping turn the chorus into one of the most revered in the field. He could often be seen during performances racing around backstage, working with singers to refine bits of the score.
He was chorus master at Lyric Opera of Chicago from 1991 to 2007. At the Chicago Symphony, he said, he hoped to work with the singers on 'creating an identity as a chorus from the way we sing, and the way we devote ourselves to the music.'
Jeff Alexander, the Chicago Symphony's president, said that Palumbo had built a close relationship with the chorus during guest appearances over the years, creating 'an atmosphere of collaboration that yielded exceptional artistry.'
'We knew this would be the ideal choice to build on the legacy of this award-winning ensemble,' Alexander said in a statement.
Palumbo, who lives in Santa Fe and will commute to Chicago, is already at work with the Chicago singers. He will serve as guest chorus director this month for Verdi's Requiem, working with Riccardo Muti, the Chicago Symphony's former music director. In July, he will begin his tenure as chorus director with a performance of Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony at the Ravinia Festival, led by the festival's chief conductor, Marin Alsop.
While Palumbo has forged a close relationship with Muti, he said, he was still getting to know Klaus Mäkelä, the Chicago Symphony's incoming music director, who begins in 2027. (Palumbo said he has been watching videos of Mäkelä on YouTube: 'Everything he does musically is exciting,' he said.)
Palumbo said he hoped to stay in Chicago beyond the end of his initial term in 2028.
'I certainly am not planning on having a cutoff point,' he said. 'I intend to keep working.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Woman Films YouTube Video, Unprepared for What She Captures in Background
Woman Films YouTube Video, Unprepared for What She Captures in Background

Newsweek

time17 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Woman Films YouTube Video, Unprepared for What She Captures in Background

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A woman trying to record a YouTube video stopped in her tracks after capturing the moment her cat took a daring leap. TikTok user @ sat in front of the camera, preparing to film for a YouTube video she was creating. However, her July 15 post of the throwback clip, which reached over 5.8 million views on TikTok, showed her turning around with a confused look on her face as she heard a noise behind her. The first part of the video shows a black blob falling from the loft in the background, followed by a giant thud on the ground. It turned out to be her cat, Rex. The owner immediately gasped and called Rex's name once she realized what had happened. The incident happened in the blink of an eye, which is why she slowed down the moment and added to it the post. Viewers could see more clearly that Rex made the unexpected and horrifying leap from the second floor. The cat's tail moved around in circles like a helicopter. She assured viewers that the now 6-year-old cat is 100 percent safe and sound. This incident happened several years ago when Rex was a kitten. Newsweek reached out to @ via TikTok for additional information. 'Invaluable Lesson' People started to worry about Rex's condition after seeing his paws curled down when she held him. However, she shared in a follow-up video that his paws have always been this way. When she adopted him in 2019, both front legs were broken and reformed in a manner that makes him "army crawl." While Rex, luckily, walked away unscathed, not every cat gets that chance. Any time a cat falls from a height, they are at risk of injuring themselves, including broken jaws, teeth and limbs, a vet-approved article from Hepper stated. A cat's reflexes can help twist and align its body during a fall, ensuring it experiences as little injury as possible. They also have a vestibular apparatus, a balancing system in their inner ears, helping them determine which direction they face in the air. Their light bones and thick fur can help slow their fall. "I bet an invaluable lesson was learned on this day," wrote one viewer, which the owner confirmed he has never done since. "Not him trying to soften the blow with his helicopter tail," pointed out another. A third user said: "The way the helicopter tail has me WHEEZING." Screen from a July 15 TikTok video of a woman accidentally capturing the moment her cat fell from the second-floor loft. Screen from a July 15 TikTok video of a woman accidentally capturing the moment her cat fell from the second-floor loft. @ Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

Watch photographer fall into Lake Erie during Cleveland Browns' helmet reveal
Watch photographer fall into Lake Erie during Cleveland Browns' helmet reveal

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

Watch photographer fall into Lake Erie during Cleveland Browns' helmet reveal

A photographer fell into the water while trying to take photos during the unveiling of the Cleveland Browns' new alternate helmet in Ohio. Video footage from the incident shows the person tumbling and falling into the waters of Lake Erie on Wednesday, July 23 as they attempted to take photos of the giant inflatable helmet featuring the new design and colors on a barge. Storyful, citing the Browns, reported the 20-foot barge was located about 300 feet offshore from Huntington Bank Field, the team's home stadium in Cleveland. While the Cleveland Browns did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for more information on Thursday, July 24, the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported the person did not remain in the water long and was assisted by an officer on a jet ski. Was the fall staged? The NFL team has not commented on whether the incident was staged; however, the Akron Beacon Journal reported that the individual who fell into the water was influencer Ross Smith, who has nearly 25 million followers on TikTok, almost four million on Instagram and more than five million subscribers on YouTube. Smith shared the video of his tumble in a July 23 Instagram post that had Dude Wipes as a collaborator. The disposable wipes product brand sponsored the helmets. What does the Cleveland Browns' new helmet look like? The Browns revealed a new helmet on July 23 that will be worn occasionally during the 2025 season. The helmet is matte brown and features orange stripes down the centerline, but does not sport a logo. The Browns are the only team in the NFL that does not have a logo on its helmets. The team, one of four to never reach the Super Bowl, is calling the new crown its "Alpha Dawg." The "Alpha Dawg" helmets are the first brown helmets the team has used since being founded in 1946. They will be worn three times during the 2025 season in a monochromatic presentation, along with the club's brown jerseys and pants. "'Alpha Dawg' embodies what we set out to be as the Cleveland Browns, the leaders of the pack," the team's Executive Vice President, James Wood "JW" Johnson III, said in a statement. "We're excited about this new alternate helmet and the ode it pays to the rich history of the color brown as part of our organization, switching it up from our iconic orange helmets." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Cleveland Browns' new helmets sponsored by Dude Wipes Dude Wipes has sponsored the helmets, much to the delight of the internet, as previously reported by USA TODAY. In a statement, Dude Wipes co-founder Ryan Meegan said the company is "the kings of keeping things clean," and is "here to back the Browns as they embrace a bold new look this season − with the launch of their all-brown alternate helmets." "We're pumped to team up with the Browns for one of the most iconic helmet reveals the league has ever seen," Meegan added. The Browns originally wore white helmets when they were dominating the All-America Football Conference in the 1940s and during their first two years in the NFL (1950-51). The team switched to what's become its signature orange helmets in 1952. Contributing: Nate Davis, USA TODAY & Dan Kadar/ Akron Beacon Journal Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This 90s parenting trend is back — and NY moms and dads are divided
This 90s parenting trend is back — and NY moms and dads are divided

New York Post

timean hour ago

  • New York Post

This 90s parenting trend is back — and NY moms and dads are divided

Low-rise jeans and Abercrombie & Fitch aren't the only divisive 90s trends making a comeback. Nostalgic moms and dads are eschewing back-to-back day camps and enrichment programs for their kids— typical seasonal survival tactics for many city families — in favor of 'feral child summers' reminiscent of the Clinton administration. Some parents want their children to enjoy laidback days Rollerblading around the neighborhood and hours-long couch potato sessions before screen time was a matter of constant concern. Others see the freewheeling 90s summer as utterly unrealistic at a time when streets are more dangerous, digital distractions are less innocent and more addictive and many families have two working parents. 5 Westchester mom Caitlin Murray is a fan of the feral child summer. Michael McWeeney Eric Katzman, a 46-year-old public relations professional from Brooklyn, is trying to recapture some of the 90s spirit with his — within reason. 'We roamed, went to the candy store, the fro-yo place, but we always knew to come home,' he said fondly of the summers he enjoyed as a kid. This year is the first where he will allow his 12- and 9-year-old children to walk and bike around at will, to 'roam some, within reason.' 5 This years, she's letting her kids enjoy unstructured days in the neighborhood, instead of scheduling camps galore. Michael McWeeney In a recent episode of her popular podcast 'Not Gonna Lie,' Kylie Kelce raved about the feral child summer. 'I love the idea,' the mother-of-four enthused. 'I currently will unleash my children into the backyard. If one of them ends up digging out a rock, have at it.' Caitlin Murray, a 43-year-old Westchester mom and popular content creator, is also a fan. She didn't sign her two children, ages 9 and 11, up for camps and instead allows them to come and go as they please, just as she did growing up on Cape Cod. It helps that there's limited tech in the home — no video games or tablets — and she doesn't allow YouTube. Kylie Kelce is a fan of the feral child summer. 'They could watch [regular] TV, theoretically,' Murray said, but the appeal of traditional television is limited. Not everyone is on board with the no-plan plan. Jessica Dowshen and her husband started mapping out the summer programming for their 12- and 15-year-old kids last fall. It includes a month-long photography workshop, a science school, farm camp, and an STEM tutorial working with glass. 'If my kids were left to their own devices to freewheel and do whatever they wanted all summer long, they would sit in their rooms and be on their computer or phone or iPad playing games,' Dowshen, who works for the Department of Education and lives with her family in Flatbush, Brooklyn, said. 'It's so hard because the phone's glow just calls to them.' 5 Jessica Dowshen and husband Felipe Flores started signing their kids up for summer activities last fall. Michael McWeeney Upper West Side parents Rebecca and Steven, who have a 5- and a 7-year-old, said that the feral summer just isn't realistic living in Manhattan. 'It's kind of hard to just let your kids run around outside,' Rebecca said. She added that the increasingly warm summers aren't helping. 'It gets so hot that the kids just end up watching TV or watching their tablet, not doing the '90s thing, staying out until it gets dark,' she said. The family, who declined to share their last name for privacy reasons, are spending a month this summer in Europe where the kids will attend an international language school with structured days. 5 Without scheduled activities, Dowshen fears her kids will be glued to their phones. Michael McWeeney 'It's more of a suburb-like experience where they can just be outdoors,' Stephen said of the camp, noting that it's actually 'not that expensive to go abroad for a month.' Dr. Anna Levy-Warren, a Brooklyn-based psychologist who works with families, understands some parents' desire to give their kids the kind of tech-free, fun-loving summers they had but advocates for balance — a mix of structured activities and time to play freely. Levy-Warren said it's 'crucially important' to give kids an opportunity to 'be creative, socialize across age groups, be bored, and play games that come from their imagination and not from a screen.' But she acknowledges, 'We live in a very different world than the one of the '90s summer,' one in which modern-day parents are more fearful or anxious about teaching kids' independence, in large part because of the way social media has shown every bad and scary thing that could happen. 5 Miles, age 12, is doing summer school and various other activities. Michael McWeeney Kids don't need their phone at the playground, pointed out Levy-Warren, but parents have become so accustomed to being able to reach their kids at all times that it's a hard habit to break. Murray has high hopes for her kids' unstructured time. She said, 'This is the summer they start to figure things out.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store