Top Journalists in Performing Arts
Arifa Akbar The Guardian
Chief theatre critic at The Guardian since 2019; a widely read voice on UK stages and author of the 2025 book Wolf Moon. Specialties: Theatre criticism (UK), new writing, West End/regional stages
John Allison Opera (magazine)
Editor of Opera magazine (since 2000) and long-time UK newspaper critic; co-founder/chair of the International Opera Awards jury. Specialties: Opera criticism and editing; international festival coverage
Joshua Barone The New York Times
Senior staff editor on The New York Times Culture desk and a contributing classical music critic with bylines on opera, orchestras and new music. Specialties: Classical music and opera; culture desk editing
Michael Andor Brodeur The Washington Post
Classical music critic at The Washington Post (appointed in 2020), covering orchestras, opera and contemporary music after prior work at the Boston Globe. Specialties: Classical music, opera; national arts trends
Andrew Clements The Guardian
Veteran Guardian critic whose weekly reviews and festival reporting make him one of the UK’s most consistent authorities on classical music. Specialties: Classical music and opera reviews; recordings and Proms coverage
Gordon Cox Variety
Contributing Theater Editor at Variety and host of the Stagecraft podcast, covering Broadway news, dealmaking and Tony-season storylines. Specialties: Broadway and the business of theatre; industry interviews and podcasts
Sarah Hemming Financial Times
Longstanding theatre critic for the Financial Times, offering agenda‑setting reviews and features across London and UK stages. Specialties: Theatre criticism (UK), new plays, West End and regional
Jesse Green The New York Times
Led The New York Times’s theater criticism from 2017–2025 and continues as a senior culture voice at the paper; co‑author of Mary Rodgers’s memoir Shy. Specialties: Broadway and American theatre criticism; books on theatre
Charles Isherwood The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal’s theater critic since 2022; previously at The New York Times and Variety. Specialties: Theatre criticism (Broadway/Off‑Broadway), features
Lily Janiak San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle theater critic since 2016 and a 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Drama juror; a leading voice on Bay Area stages and arts ecosystems. Specialties: Theatre criticism (West Coast), arts policy and equity coverage
Mark Kennedy Associated Press
Associated Press theater and pop‑culture writer with national features and breaking news coverage on Broadway and touring productions. Specialties: Theatre and pop‑culture reporting; Tony Awards and Broadway features
Gia Kourlas The New York Times
Dance critic at The New York Times since 2019 and creator of the paper’s #SpeakingInDance series, with wide‑ranging coverage from ballet to downtown work. Specialties: Dance criticism (ballet and contemporary), culture reporting
Charles McNulty Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times theater critic and past chair of the Pulitzer drama jury, noted for influential reviews and essays on West Coast and national stages. Specialties: Theatre criticism (national and Los Angeles), essays on dramatic literature
Alex Ross The New Yorker
Music critic at The New Yorker since 1996 and author of The Rest Is Noise, Listen to This, and Wagnerism—key texts for understanding modern music and opera. Specialties: Classical music and opera criticism; cultural essays and books
Helen Shaw The New Yorker
The New Yorker’s theatre critic since 2022 (previously at Vulture), recipient of the 2025 Grace Dudley Prize for Arts Writing. Specialties: Theatre criticism (Broadway/Off‑Broadway), downtown performance
Mark Swed Los Angeles Times
Chief classical music critic at the Los Angeles Times since 1996; a two‑time Pulitzer finalist known for championing contemporary work. Specialties: Classical music; contemporary music and LA Phil ecosystem
Anastasia Tsioulcas NPR
NPR Arts Desk reporter covering classical, opera and global music stories, from #MeToo investigations to international artist access and visas. Specialties: Music and arts at the intersections of culture, policy and identity; global performing arts
Neda Ulaby NPR
NPR arts correspondent known for national reporting on arts and culture, with a deep beat spanning performing arts institutions and cultural trends. Specialties: Arts and culture reporting across performing arts, policy and trends
Heidi Waleson The Wall Street Journal
Opera critic for The Wall Street Journal and author of Mad Scenes and Exit Arias on New York City Opera and the future of opera in America. Specialties: Opera criticism; US opera ecosystems and institutions
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