Though the most iconic grand opera in the art form’s canon, Verdi’s “Aïda” shouldn’t challenge a house of Lyric’s caliber too strenuously. The work requires four good-to-great singers, but we expect a top-five American opera house to arrange them. Though “Aïda” lends itself to maximalist stagings, smaller companies pare it down successfully by foregoing equestrian participants, or downshifting parades to {…}
Boston Baroque is set to present a new production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” The work, which is set to be performed on April 25, 26 and 28 at the Huntington Theatre in Boston, will star Sidney Outlaw in his debut as Don Giovanni, Susanna Phillips as Donna Anna, Patrick Carfizzi as Leporello, Michelle Bradley as Donna Elvira, Maya Kherani as {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. The season opens with Verdi’s “Il Trovatore“ starring Michael Spyres, Ailyn Perez, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Lucas Meachem, and Morris Robinson. Patrick Summers conducts the production by Stephen Wadsworth. Performance Dates: Oct. 18-Nov. 3, 2024 Isabel Leonard leads Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” with Jack Swanson, Alessandro Corbelli, Iurii Samoilov, and Cory McGee. Lorenzo Passerini {…}
California’s Music Academy, formerly known as the Music Academy of the West, has unveiled its 2023 season. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be solely on vocal performances. It all kicks off with an opening night gala “The Magic of Miraflores” featuring Michelle Bradley and Sing! children’s chorus. Pianist Natasha Kislenko also performs. Performance Date: June 3, {…}
Fort Worth Opera is set to close out its 2023 season with a semi-staged production of “Aida.” Performances are scheduled for April 14 and 16, 2023. The opera will be staged by Malena Dayen and conducted by Elaine Rinaldi, who is the first female conductor in the company’s history. They will lead a cast starring Michelle Bradley in the title {…}
(Credit: Fay Fox) The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its production of “Aida.” The company said that Angela Meade will sing the title role of Verdi’s Aida on April 27, 30 and May 6, 10, and soprano Leah Crocetto will complete the run on May 13 and 18, both replacing Michelle Bradley, who has withdrawn for personal {…}
The Boston Baroque has announced its 2023-24 season featuring a number of vocal performances. The Boston Baroque opens its season with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 featuring Heidi Stober, Daniela Mack, William Burden, and Eric Owens. The program also includes the “Coriolan” Overture and Elegiac Song. Performance Dates: Oct. 13-15, 2023 The company will also perform Handel’s Messiah with Amanda Forsythe, {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago is set to open its 2023-24 season. Here is a look at the season. Tomasz Konieczny leads Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer” alongside Tamara Wilson, Robert Watson, and Mika Kares. Enrique Mazzola conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 23, 2023 – Oct. 7, 2023 Audra MacDonald will perform in one evening. Performance Date: Oct. 6, 2023 Donizetti’s “La {…}
The San Diego Opera will present Puccini‘s “Tosca” this March. The famed work will star soprano Michelle Bradley, bass-baritone Greer Grimsley, and tenor Marcelo Puente. Other cast members include baritone Michael Sokol, tenor Joel Sorensen, and soprano Abigail Allwein. Valerio Galli conducts. Performances are set for March 25, 28 and 31 and April 2, 2023 at the San Diego Civic Theater. {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) Thirty-four years ago, Sonja Frisell’s monumental “Aida” production premiered at the Met to tremendous success. Not only did it become one of the company’s most beloved productions due to its elegant and epic sets that recreated Egyptian architecture. The production had horses, large crowds of people, and extravagant costumes. It was what operagoers wanted {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced cast change for its upcoming performances of “Aida.” The company said, “for all remaining fall performances of Verdi’s ‘Aida,’ the title role will be sung by Michelle Bradley, replacing Latonia Moore, who has withdrawn due to illness.” The news comes after Moore sang the first performance of the run. Bradley was already scheduled to perform {…}