The Metropolitan Opera's premiere production of John Adams's Nixon in China, conducted by the composer and staged by director Peter Sellars in their Met debuts, airs on PBS tonight at 9 PM ET, as part of THIRTEEN's Great Performances at the Met series. To coincide with the Met premiere of Nixon in China, Nonesuch Records reissued the Grammy-winning original cast recording in a newly redesigned three-CD set, available now.

John Adams's new album, featuring his Son of Chamber Symphony and String Quartet, is out today. The first piece, deemed "dangerously exhilarating" by the Financial Times, is performed on the album by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), led by the composer. The second, which the Philadelphia Inquirer calls "a knockout," is performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Audiophile Audition gives the album a perfect five stars: "This is a magnificent addition to the Adams’ discography that will win him new fans. The performance and recording are exemplary, a real feast for the ears and your stereo system."

John Adams's new album, featuring his Son of Chamber Symphony performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), led by Adams, and his String Quartet, performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet, is out next Tuesday, May 31. All this week, NPR's Lara Pellegrinelli is following ICE's executive director, flautist Claire Chase, as she goes about her exhausting daily schedule, reporting via Twitter and preparing a piece to air at a later date on NPR.

John Adams received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Juilliard School at the conservatory's 106th Commencement Ceremony and delivered the commencement address at the ceremony, held at Alice Tully Hally in New York City on Friday, May 20, 2011. Also receiving honorary doctoral degrees from Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi were pianist and producer Herbie Hancock, actor Derek Jacobi, and choreographer Twyla Tharp. The full text of Adams's commencement address is posted here.

John Adams's 1990 opera The Death of Klinghoffer will receive its London premiere in the 2011/12 season of the English National Opera. Director Tom Morris (War Horse) leads the London stage premiere of this retelling of the 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking. The ENO says the season aims to show "the unique way in which opera can explore the politically and socially charged issues of our day." The Opera Theatre of Saint Louis performs the work month. Adams will receive an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Juilliard this Friday and will deliver the school's commencement address.

The Metropolitan Opera's premiere production of John Adams's Nixon in China, conducted by the composer and staged by director Peter Sellars in their Met debuts, will air on PBS on Wednesday, June 1, at 9 PM ET, as part of THIRTEEN's Great Performances at the Met series. Watch a preview here. To coincide with the Met premiere of Nixon in China, Nonesuch Records reissued the Grammy-winning original cast recording in a newly redesigned three-CD set, available now.

John Adams will receive an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Juilliard School at the conservatory's 106th Commencement Ceremony on May 20. Adams will also deliver this year's commencement address. Also receiving honorary doctoral degrees are Herbie Hancock, Derek Jacobi, and Twyla Tharp. Adams’s latest Nonesuch album, Son of Chamber Symphony / String Quartet, is due out on May 31 and is now available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store.

Nonesuch releases John Adams’s Son of Chamber Symphony / String Quartet on May 31, 2011. Son of Chamber Symphony (2007) is performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), led by the composer, and Adams’s String Quartet (2008) is performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the ensemble for which the piece was written. This is the first recording of both works. The album is now available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store.

John Adams's music will be front and center at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's New Creations Festival, which kicks off tonight with a performance of his Harmonielehre and Short Ride in a Fast Machine. The composer makes his TSO debut when he conducts the orchestra in the Canadian premiere of his City Noir on Saturday. Today at noon, Adams hosts a free concert featuring selections from his operas. On Thursday, he gives a free lecture at the University of Toronto.

The Metropolitan Opera's premiere production of John Adams's opera Nixon in China continues on Saturday afternoon, with the composer at the podium. Audiences both in and far outside of New York City will be able to watch the performance live in high-definition at their local movie theaters as part of the Met's Live in HD series, beginning at 1 PM ET. The newly reissued, Grammy-winning original cast recording of Nixon in China is available now from Nonesuch.

John Adams, whose 1987 opera Nixon in China continues to delight in the Metropolitan Opera premiere production, will unveil a new work with the world premiere of his oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary by the LA Phil in May 2012. The LA Phil's 2011-12 season will include performances of other works by Adams, Steve Reich, and Louis Andriessen, plus a concert by Kronos Quartet and Bill Frisell. Adams will remain as Creative Chair into 2014.

The Metropolitan Opera production of John Adams's Nixon in China continues this weekend, following this week's Met premiere. "When John Adams's opera Nixon in China had its world premiere in 1987, it was provocative, edgy, audacious," says the Washington Post. "Twenty-four years later, it's come to the Metropolitan Opera and, along the way, become a Modern Masterpiece." The Huffington Post calls it "a thrill."