During the Grammy’s premiere ceremony, the Academy announced the winners of the Classical Music Grammys. The award for Best Opera Recording went to Blanchard’s Champion featuring Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Ryan Speedo Green, Latonia Moore, and Eric Owens with David Frost as the producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus). Meanwhile, the Best Choral Performance was awarded to Saariaho’s “Reconnaissance’ {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is joining forces with National Sawdust to co-present a concert centered on excerpts from Paola Prestini’s upcoming opera “Sensorium Ex.” The event, which is part of the “Opera Evolved” series, features such artists as J’Nai Bridges, Hailey McAvoy, stage director Lileana Blain-Cruz, and Brenda Shaughnessy (librettist of “Sensorium Ex”), as they alternate between performance and discussion. Prestini {…}
(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera has withdrawn $40 million from its endowment for additional emergency funds. According to a New York Times article, the funds were withdrawn to “survive one of the most trying periods in its 141-year history.” This is the second time that the company has withdrawn from its endowment in a year. Last {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is set to present four contemporary operas during the 2024-25 season. In a new article by The New York Times, the company revealed that it will present “Grounded” about the toll of drone warfare by Jeanine Tesori and George Brant to open the season in September. The season will also see John Adams’ latest opera “Antony and {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its performance on Jan. 9, 2024 of “Carmen.” The company said, “For tonight’s performance of Bizet’s Carmen, the role of Don José will be sung by Rafael Davila.” He will replace Piotr Beczała. Davila has already performed the production on Dec. 31 and Jan. 3, 2024. Since his Met debut in {…}
Piotr Beczala has withdrawn from the second performance of “Carmen” on Jan. 3, 2024, at the Metropolitan Opera. The company said, “Tenor Rafael Davila will sing the role of Don José in Bizet’s ‘Carmen,’ replacing Piotr Beczała, who has withdrawn due to illness.” Davila sang the first performance on Dec. 31, 2024. Since his Met debut in 2017 as Don José, {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) This New Year’s Eve the Metropolitan Opera is set to open a new production of Bizet’s beloved “Carmen.” The production will showcase one of the most sought-after Carmens currently performing in the world – Aigul Akhmetshina. Over the past years, Akhmetshina has performed the role at the Royal Opera House, Bashkir State Opera and {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its production of Puccini’s “La Bohème.” The company noted that Joseph Calleja will not perform the role of Rodolfo on Jan. 4, 8, and 13, 2024. In his stead, Stephen Costello will sing the role, which he has already performed this season. This season Costello is set to perform with the {…}
Peter Gelb has admitted to removing Anita Rachvelishvili from Met Productions following a performance of “Aida” in December 2022. In a recent interview with the New York Times regarding the mezzo-soprano’s vocal struggles following her pregnancy the Met General Manager said, “It was obvious that she was not the same singer — at least temporarily not the same singer — {…}
The Spanish language is pretty preponderant in the United States of America with a recent census stating that over 42 million people in the country aged five and older speak the language at home. It’s the second most learned language following English, with over 8 million students. And yet, it took until 2023 for the Metropolitan Opera to finally, and {…}
(Credit; Evan Zimmerman) “No Opera on a Dead Planet.” In the middle of Act two of the opening night of “Tannhäuser” as Wolfram delivered his “Blick ich umher in diesem edlen Kreise,” specifically as he sang that “love is a spring to be drunk from,” an audience member started shouting from the rafters of the Met Opera auditorium. The first {…}