It all started in high school for mezzo-soprano Ashley Dixon. Since her father was in the military, Dixon was constantly on the move with her family. Eventually, they settled in Georgia, where Dixon “begged” her parents to put her in the choir so that she could spend some time with friends she had just made. “Little did we know it {…}
(Credit: Gregor Hohenberg/Fay Fox) The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2023-24 season. For the purposes of this article, here is a look at the vocal performances of the season. Jaap van Zweden conducts Christian Gerhaher in a program that includes Shekhar, Mahler, and Beethoven. Performance Dates: Oct. 12-15, 2023 The Vienna Boys Choir is set to perform a Christmas concert. {…}
Looking for a unique Valentine’s Day gift? Opera San José will send your special someone a personalized Virtual Valentine’s Day Telegram sung by one of the company’s acclaimed Resident Artists. The Telegram includes a customized greeting. Opera San José is offering a selection of five songs for the music fan in your life: “Til There Was You,” performed by soprano {…}
As we enter the final month of the year, opera companies and streams are coming in full force. This week’s selections undeniably favor lovers of the standard repertory and star power. There are a number of galas and recital showcases to look forward to as well. Here is a rundown of our top 10 operas to stream this week. Die {…}
San Francisco Opera is set to stream “Celebrating the Voices of San Francisco Opera” on Dec. 4, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. PT. The virtual concert will feature a number of major artists including Janai Brugger, Ashley Dixon, Amina Edris, Sondra Radvanovsky, Michael Fabiano, Pene Pati, Artur Ruciński, Alfred Walker, Nicola Luisotti, and Members of the Company, performing from around the {…}
Opera San Jose has announced its 2020-21 Resident Artists. The artists include baritone Eugene Brancoveanu, mezzo-soprano Ashley Dixon, Soprano Maya Kherani, Resident Conductor Christopher James Ray, tenor Carlos Enrique Santelli, baritone Efraín Solis, and bass-baritone Nathan Stark. Artists will perform in mainstage operas during the company’s 2021 season and will also appear in digital concerts, recitals, and other events. The {…}
(Credit: Karen Almond/ Dallas Opera) “…[A] dramatist of considerable dramatic sophistication, capable of great irony in his musical treatment,” so says Stephen Lawless of Gaetano Donizetti. The comment appears in a director’s note in the program booklet for Los Angeles Opera’s production of Donizetti’s “Roberto Devereux” which opened Feb. 22 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A Stunning Production & Leader {…}
San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Chronicle will celebrate the start of the company’s 97th season with the latest edition of Opera in the Park. The free event will “bookend an action-packed weekend” for San Francisco Opera, according to the press release. The season will open with Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet,” the Opera Ball, and the BRAVO! CLUB Gala on {…}
San Francisco Opera Center is set to present the 2018 class of Adler Fellows in their final concert of the year, entitled “The Future Is Now: Adler Fellows Concert.” The concert, scheduled for Dec. 8 at the Herbst Theatre, will be conducted by Christopher Franklin and will feature eight Adler Fellow singers in opera scenes, arias, and duets with stage direction {…}
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions were held on April 29, 2018, with nine young artists competing to win the biggest competition in the United States and a chance to launch their international career. After a concert where each finalist performed two arias of different languages, the judges went on to deliberate and make their final decisions. The winners were {…}