Photo: RibaltaLuce Studio The Turin-born conductor Francesco Cilluffo sees himself at home in both the Italian and English-speaking worlds. Having graduated from the city’s Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire and then the University of Turin, where he completed a thesis on Benjamin Britten, he moved to London, where he studied at the Guildhall School of Music before going on to King’s College, {…}
Photo: Fay Fox Brian Jagde spent his early voice coaching years under his teachers’ misguided notion that he was a baritone. Born in Long Island, New York, and raised just outside New York City, he eventually obtained both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in voice. Under the guidance of New York voice coach Michael Paul, he switched to tenor and went {…}
It has not been the easiest time for soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams. Her debut at Paris Opera has been, to say the least, controversial. On the one hand, she is pushing for redefinitions of what art is and how we should face the standard operatic repertoire. On the other hand, the audience’s reaction has been, in her own words, “passionate.” {…}
(Photo Credit: Rebecca Fay) Soprano Katrina Galka, who will portray the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” with Arizona Opera this April, spoke with OperaWire to discuss her upcoming role. The theme of good and evil throughout the opera really propelled the conversation. We discussed the Queen herself and the outdated gender roles and portrayal of women {…}
On March 3, Indiana University is set to present the world premiere of “Anne Frank” by an all-Jewish team comprising composer Shulamit Ran, librettist Charles Kondek, and conductor Arthur Fagen. Fagen is a professor of music and chair of the Jacobs School of Music Department of Orchestral Conducting and the son of Holocaust survivors. His mother, Rena, was a prisoner in Auschwitz {…}
To talk with the rising stars of Opera San Jose’s upcoming production of “Falstaff” was more than a treat: it was a privilege. The perspectives of soprano Chanáe Curtis and baritone Darren Drone promise rich and vibrant contributions to their future musical careers. Each of the young singers showed a genuine commitment to opera and their contributions to it. In {…}
Gregory Kunde is an immensely accomplished tenor on the international stage. Highly acclaimed as being at the forefront of the French and Italian Bel Canto repertoire, he has now established himself as a leading exponent in more dramatic roles, including Verdi. He has performed at pretty much every theatre in the world under all the great conductors, singing alongside some {…}
Listeners can refer to her however they wish, but Stephanie Blythe has always resisted categorizing herself as a mezzo-soprano, an alto, a contralto, or any other voice type. In her mind, she is a “vocalist.” Considering her upcoming appearances at San Diego Opera, her second foray into a role outside her gender, any attempt to categorize her voice will be {…}
On Jan. 28, Ukrainian-Canadian dramatic soprano Antonina Ermolenko will perform music by Mussorgsky in Ottawa. The soprano was originally hesitant to perform the works due to Russian’s ongoing assault on Ukraine and the her subsequent repulsion at the idea of performing Russian music. However, after discussions with her family, she realized that the power of music is that it speaks {…}
Swiss soprano Marie Lys has had a busy past few months. Among other numerous engagements, she stood in at the last moment for the indisposed Cecilia Bartoli in the role of Alcina at Florence’s Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, receiving widespread acclaim for her performance from both audiences and critics. Having just finished a run of successful performances in houses across northern {…}
Back in 2019, Tom Volf, the director of the famed “Marias by Callas” set out to put on a play that, in a similar vein to his famed documentary, allowed the iconic soprano to tell her story through a trove of letters and memoirs she had written. His choice to bring the famed diva to life? Iconic film star Monica Bellucci. {…}