This week, Deborah Jones immerses herself in Cathy Marston's memorable ballet The Cellist about Jacqueline du Pré, and recommends New York City Ballet in Balanchine's Dream and Akram Khan in Xenos.

For week two, Clive Paget travels from his living room to New York, London, Berlin and back to Oz.

The Kronos Quartet will perform a “live documentary” at next month’s Melbourne International Arts Festival. But what is it? A concert, a film or a lecture? Ben Wilkie explores the project, which defies easy categorisation.

English actor Maxine Peake is known for portraying tough, complex women. She talks to Justine Nguyen about making her Australian stage debut in a play about a woman undergoing IVF, and the toll it takes on her, before presenting an immersive performance piece about the Velvet Underground’s Nico.

Over 100 of today’s finest Australian and international singers have cast their votes to determine the most influential voices across the ages. Now, 30 singers tell us what makes our top 30 truly great.

The famous opera house in Milan is also home to a world-renowned ballet company. Jo Litson discovers what’s afoot when the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company visits Brisbane next month for its first ever Australian tour.

Four years after filling in last-minute for Jaap van Zweden, the American conductor tells us about an early career that’s seen her gravitate from playing under Bernard Haitink to taking over his dressing room.

As the Festival AD finds himself falling in love again, ticket sales are on track to break previous records.

Silkroad Ensemble and Mark Morris Dance Group perform Azerbaijani dance-opera at the Melbourne Festival.

Orlando di Lasso’s final work, written days before the composer’s death, captures the look Jesus gave Saint Peter at his betrayal. Director Peter Sellars and conductor Jenny Wong tell us about a bold staging for the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

The Chinese composer talks about Bach and the Buddha ahead of the Australian premiere of his new large-scale choral work, Buddha Passion.

The British composer has a choral work at Melbourne Festival, while the Australian Ballet is dancing to his music in Alice.