The Canadian Opera Company is set to present Bizet’s “Carmen” with two mezzos. J’Nai Bridges makes her COC debut in the title role and shares it with COC Ensemble Studio alumna Rihab Chaieb. They are joined by Argentine tenor Marcelo Puente as Don José and Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury as Micaëla. El-Khoury shares the role with Anna-Sophie Neher, an Ensemble Studio {…}
Spain’s Teatro Villamarta de Jerez has announced its 2022-23 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances of the season. The season opens with “La Tabernera del Puerto” by Sorozabel in a production by the Universidad de Cádiz. Juan Manuel Perez Madueno conducts the production by Miguel Cubero. Performance Date: Oct. 1, 2022 Ruth Rosique and Juan Carlos Garbayo {…}
The Greek National Opera has announced the revival production of Umberto Giordano and Luigi Illica’s “Andrea Chénier.” The opera will be held from Jan. 29 -Feb. 13 in the Stavros Niarchos Hall. The title role will be shared by tenors Marcelo Puente and Marcelo Álvarez, while sopranos Cellia Costea and Eva-Maria Westbroek will play the role of Maddalena di Coigny. {…}
(Credit: https://www.snfcc.org/en/greek-national-opera-0) The Greek National Opera has announced the second half of its 2021-22 season, featuring a number of operas performed by international stars. Here is the full slate. Stavros Niarchos Hall The second half of the season opens with Umberto Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier” featuring Cellia Costea and Eva-Maria Westbroek as Maddalena di Coigny; Dimitri Platanias and Elchin Azizov as {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced a cast change for the Oct. 23 performance of “Norma.” The company noted that Marcelo Puente will sing the role of Pollione replacing Dmytro Popov. Puente has performed the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Oper Stuttgart, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Hamburg State Opera, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Canadian {…}
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo has announced its 2021-22 season featuring concerts, recitals, and operatic productions. Angela Gheorghiu opens the season in a recital with pianist Jeff Cohen. The program will include works by Durante, Paisiello, Bellini, Donizetti, Tosti, Respighi, Schumann, R. Strauss, Rachmaninov, Rameau, Martini, Debussy, Massenet, Brediceanu, Stephanescu, Flotow, and Satie. Performance Date: Oct. 8, 2021 Aleksandra Kurzak leads {…}
Photo by Fay Fox The Opéra de Marseille will begin streaming a recent production of Puccini’s “Tosca” on Feb. 28, 2021. The company, which was set to present the repertory staple between Feb. 9-21, recorded the opera on Feb. 19 to stream with a cast starring Jennifer Rowley in the title role. She is joined by Marcelo Puente as Mario {…}
Opéra de Marseille has announced its 2020-21 season featuring seven operas and a number of concerts. Misha Didyk stars in Tchaikovsky’s “Pique Dame” with Barbara Haveman, Marie-Ange Todorovitch, Marion Lebegue, Alexander Kasyanov, and Serban Vasile. Lawrence Foster conducts Olivier Py. Performance Dates: Oct. 2-9, 2020 Roberto Rizzi Brignoli conducts Nicola Berloffa’s production of Rossini’s “L’Italiana in Algeri” with Silvia Tro {…}
The Staatsoper Unter Den Linden has announced its 2020-21 season, which features eight new productions and numerous revivals. Premieres Barbara Wysocka directs Francesconi’s “Quartett” with Daniel Barenboim conducting Mojca Erdmann and Thomas Oliemanns. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-18, 2020 Mozart’s “Mitridate, Re di Ponto” is set to be conducted by Marc Minkowski and directed by Satoshi Miyagi. Pene Pati, Julie Fuchs, {…}
(Credit: Teatro Cervantes/Bayerische Staatsoper) This weekend, three new productions open with superb casts. Meanwhile one of the biggest stars in opera makes a major debut while a production will continue in very intriguing circumstances. Norma – Staatsoper Hamburg, Germany Marina Rebeka headlines a new production of “Norma” by Yona Kim. Rebeka takes on her signature role alongside Marcelo Puente, Liang {…}
(Credit: Moritz Schell Fotografie/Catherine Ashmore/Yasuko Kageyama / TOR) Three rarely performed works highlight the international weekend with three other repertory staples. There are also two new productions opening with one company premiere. Here is a look at what we recommend. Halka – Theater an der Wien, Austria Łukasz Borowicz conducts a new production of Moniuszko’s masterpiece. Mariusz Treliński directs the {…}