Diana Damrau, Jonas Kaufmann, Sarah Connolly & Juan Diego Flórez Lead Palau de la Música Catalana’s 2024-25 Season

The Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Spain has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Palau 100 Sarah Connolly jons Anima Aeterna Brugge and Pablo Heras-Casado for Mahler’s “Rückert Lieder.” The program also includes music by Bruckner. Performance Date: Oct. 24, 2024 Philippe Herreweghe leads a program that includes pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout, Collegium {…}

Feb 23, 2024

Anna Prohaska, Karen Cargill & Frédéric Antoun Lead Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-25 Season

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances which include Anna Prohaska as the 2024/25 TSO Spotlight Artist. Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducts Mozart’s Requiem with Siobhan Stagg, Karen Cargill, Frédéric Antoun, and Dashon Burton. The concert also features Brahms’ Symphony No. 3. Performance Dates: Oct. 9-12, 2024 John Adams and Anna Prohaska perform works by {…}

Jan 11, 2024

Lucerne Festival Announces 2024 Season

The Lucerne Festival has announced its 2024 season. Here are the vocal performances. Kent Nagano conducts Wagner’s “Die Walküre” with a cast that includes Simon Bailey, Maximilian Schmitt, Sarah Wegener, Åsa Jäger, and Dimitry Ivashchenko. Performance Date: August 21, 2024 The Klangforum Wien, Cantando Admont, and Beat Furrer perform Beat Furrer’s “Begehren.” Performance Date: Sept. 1, 2024 The Jupiter Ensemble, Thomas {…}

Dec 11, 2023

Jakub Josef Orlinski, Anna Prohaska, Sandrine Piau Headline Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival 2024

Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival has announced its 2024 slate. First up is Porpora’s “Ifigenia in Aulide.” The new production by Max Emanuel Cencic will be conducted by Christophe Rousset and stars Jasmin Delfs, Lena Belkina, Max Emanuel Cencic, Dennis Orellana, Vince Yi, and Daniel Giuliani. Performance Dates: Sept. 5 – 15, 2024 Jakub Jósef Orlinski appears in performance with Il Pomo {…}

Jul 18, 2023

Festival d’Aix En Provence 2023 Review: Picture a Day Like This

(Photo Credit: Jean-Louis Fernandez) Reviewing a new opera is always a hard task. Beyond the many difficulties of reflecting on an extremely elaborate piece of work, after only one or two hearings, there is also a major difficulty for the critic when addressing unavoidable questions like, “is the new work any good?” This often transforms itself into a more dangerous {…}

May 31, 2023

Rolando Villazón, Anna Prohaska, Rafael Fingerlos, Serena Sáenz, Edgardo Rocha Headline Mozart Week 2024

The Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation has unveiled its plans for Mozart Week 2024. Rolando Villazón will launch the festivities in a concert alongside the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg under Roberto González-Monjas. The showcase will feature arias by Mozart and Salieri as well as his famed “Jupiter” Symphony. Performance Date: Jan. 24, 2024 Next up is a concert featuring Villazón alongside Ulrich Leisinger and {…}

May 8, 2023

Jonas Kaufmann, Nina Stemme, Alice Coote & Christian Gerhaher Lead Berlin Philharmonic’s 2023-24 Season

The Berlin Philharmonic has announced its 2023-24 Season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Iván Fischer conducts Michael Nagy in works by Jörg Widmann and Gustav Mahler. Performance Date: August 26, 2023 Alexander Rudin, Alexander Melnikov, Nadezhda Pavlova, and Olga Pashchenko perform works by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performance Date: August 27, 2023 Robin Ticciati conducts Wu Wei Sheng, Karen {…}

Apr 18, 2023

Franco Fagioli, Malin Byström & Ramon Vargas Lead New CD/DVD Releases

This week, audiences can check out exciting new releases from major artists. There is also a world premiere recording of a rarely performed opera. Home Decca releases the new album from Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre and the acclaimed vocal ensemble VOCES8. The album includes a world premiere, “All Seems Beautiful To Me,” and a new recording of Whitacre’s deeply moving {…}

Feb 14, 2023

Željko Lučić, Anna Netrebko & Anja Harteros Lead 2023 International May Festival at Wiesbaden

The International May Festival has announced its 2023 season at the Staaststhater Wiesbaden. Opera Uwe Eric Laufenberg stars in “Flieg, Gedanke, auf goldenen Schwingen.” Performance Date: April 30, 2023 Elissa Huber, Aaron Cawley, Erik Biegel, and Fleuranne Brockway Leoš Janáček’s “Die Sache Makropulos” while Christopher Bolduc, Julian Habermann, Aaron Cawley, Ralf Rachbauer, and Darcy Carroll star in Janáček’s “Aus einem {…}

Oct 20, 2022

Berlin Philharmonic Announces Cast Change for Debussy’s ‘La Damoiselle élue’

The Berlin Philharmonic has announced a cast change for Oct. 20, 21, and 22 concerts. The orchestra said, that soprano Julie Fuchs, unfortunately, had to cancel her participation in the concerts under the baton of François-Xavier Roth due to illness. As a result, her part in Claude Debussy’s “La Damoiselle élue” will be taken over by Anna Prohaska. A press release {…}

Apr 5, 2022

Rolando Villazón, René Pape, Sonya Yoncheva & Michael Volle Lead Berlin State Opera’s 2022-23 Season

The Berlin State Opera has announced its 2022-23 season featuring a new Ring Cycle. The Ring Cycle Daniel Barenboim conducts a new production of Wagner’s epic The Ring Cycle by Dmitri Tcherniakov. Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” is set to star Michael Volle, Lauri Vasar, Siyabonga Maqungo, Rolando Villazón, Claudia Mahnke, Anett Fritsch, Anna Kissjudit, Johannes Martin Kränzle, Stephan Rügamer, Mika Kares, {…}