The standoff between the Metropolitan Opera and its Met Opera orchestra has escalated into a war of words with a recent set of leaked emails revealing the open hostility between the two parties. Slipped Disc recently leaked an email sent by the Met Opera general manager Peter Gelb to the members of the orchestra and a corresponding response from the {…}
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus have announced a new fundraising campaign. In a statement the orchestra and chorus said, “we are pleased to begin with a special fundraising matching campaign, to support our community of artists in these unprecedented times. Thanks to a generous contribution from Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin and his life partner Pierre Tourville, any donations from {…}
This calendar year has been a difficult one for the world and for the music industry. It tested artists in ways they never thought they would. And yet it also showed resilience, love, and humility. It was a year where generosity was predominant and where artists united for a better cause. Usually, at this point in time, OperaWire has a {…}
On Nov. 22, 2020, the MET Orchestra Musicians will present the premiere concert of its Spotlight Series. The opening showcase is set to include the beloved opera aria “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s “Turandot” arranged for four horns; Tchaikovsky’s tour de force for string sextet “Souvenir de Florence;” and the genre-bending string quartet Strum by one of the hottest young composers {…}
The Met Chorus Artists, Inc. has announced that it was able to raise over $500,000 in donations as part of its fundraising campaign to support artists who were affected by the Met Opera’s closure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, over 300 artists were able to receive $1,668 of support. “Our success is a testament not {…}
As Renée Fleming, “America’s Diva,” introduced the third to last piece in a program that ranged from Handel to Cantaloube to Harold Arlen, the beloved singer sighed deeply. It was a testament to the magic and beauty she had spun singing one of the standout numbers of her concert, “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi.” She sang the {…}
It was the afternoon following the Metropolitan Opera’s premiere of “Der Fliegende Holländer,” that I met a glowing Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo, the founder of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and the Abu Dhabi Festival. The Abu Dhabi Festival was one of four organizations co-producing the Met’s “Dutchman,” the other three being the Metropolitan Opera, L’Opéra de Québec, {…}
(Credit: Rosetta Greek ) In 2017, Kate Lindsey released her first album “Thousands of Miles.” The album was comprised of songs by Kurt Weill and was a cross between classical music and Broadway. It was an experience that helped explore her voice and her technique in ways that she had never expected to and which posed new challenges that made {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) The Met Opera’s Live in HD series for the 2019-20 season continues this Saturday, Feb. 1, 2019 with a transmission of the Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess.” The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time and is set to end before 5 p.m. local time. It will star Angel Blue and Eric Owens in {…}
(Credit: Karen Almond / Met Opera) The Met Opera’s Live in HD series for the 2019-20 season continues this Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 with a transmission of Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten.” The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time and is set to end a little past 4 p.m. local time. It will star Anthony Roth Costanzo, Dísella Lárusdóttir, Aaron {…}
Philip Glass has a solid trajectory at the Metropolitan Opera. Though few of his operas have had major representation at the hallowed house, their scant performances have tended to be major successes, often flanked by fantastically conceived productions that manage to get the utmost of his meditative masterworks. “Satyagraha” remains one of the great achievements in the Peter Gelb era, {…}
