Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra maestro Manfred Honeck will not extend his contract as general music director of the Stuttgart Opera, the company announced yesterday. He will depart after the 2010-11 season before the new head director, Jossi Wieler, arrives. Current head Albrecht Puhlmann, who has been at Stuttgart the entire time Honeck has, will leave at the same time. Honeck is scheduled to conduct three more operas in Stuttgart, including Wagner's "Parsifal" this spring and several orchestra concerts.

Critics Andrew Druckenbrod and Scott Mervis talk about music on "The Beat," available exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.