I have more than once commented that OPERA, no matter the tale, should always be about the music; specifically, the singing, above and beyond anything else. It is, after all, what truly defines the art. And in Katie Mitchell’s and Robin Tebbutt’s revival production of Donizetti’s tragic opera, the singing is inarguably superlative. Alas, this is a truly grim tale. {…}
Andrea Bocelli is set to celebrate his 30th anniversary this summer in Tuscany. The superstar tenor will be joined by several personalities from the around the world including opera stars Plácido Domingo, Bryn Terfel, José Carreras, Aida Garifullina, and Nadine Sierra. The program will also include Sofia Vergara, Mateo Bocelli, Virginia Bocelli, Shania Twain, Lang Lang, Russell Crowe, Jon Baptiste, {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Josep Pons conducts Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” with Alexei Botnarciuc, Daniel Kirch, Sara Jakubiak, Ángeles Blancas, and Pavel Černoch. Àlex Ollé conducts. Performance Date: Sept. 25-Oct. 7, 2024 Maria Agresta and Saioa Hernández star in Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” with Artur Ruciński, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Brian {…}
The London Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here are the vocal performances. Michael Tilson Thomas conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. Performance Dates: Oct. 20 & 23, 2024 André J Thomas conducts the Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir and LSO Community Voices in music by Brandon Boyd, Nolan Williams, Margaret Bonds, Brandon Waddles, André J Thomas, Moses Hogan, Rosephanye Powell, Joe Pace, Carol Cymbala, Kurt Carr, Raymond Wise, and Frances Fonza Smith. Performance {…}
The Teatro Real de Madrid has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Nicola Luisotti and Andrés Salado conduct Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” in David McVicar’s production. The production will star Ermonela Jaho, Maria Agresta, Brian Jagde, Matthew Polenzani, Elīna Garanča, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Nicola Alaimo, and Manel Esteve. Performance Dates: Sept. 23-Oct. 11, 2024 Charpentier’s “David et Jonathas” will be performed in concert with Petr Nekoranec, Gwendoline Blondeel, Jean-Christophe {…}
The Opéra de Paris has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Verdi’s “Falstaff” opens the season with a cast that includes Ambrogio Maestri, Olivia Boen, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, Andrei Kymach, Gregory Bonfatti, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Iván Ayón-Rivas, and Federica Guida. Michael Schønwandt conducts the production by Dominique Pitoiset. Performance Dates: Sept. 10-30, 2024 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will star Eleonora Buratto, Elena Stikhina, Aude {…}
The Gran Theatre del Liceu has announced that it will present Bernstein’s “West Side Story” in concert during the 2024-25 season. The company said, that the performances on July 29 and 31, will feature Gustavo Dudamel, Nadine Sierra, and Juan Diego Flórez. Dudamel famously conducted the 2021 film adaptation of the work, which was directed by Steven Spielberg. Meanwhile, both {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is set to present Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” in its Live in HD series on March 23. The production by Bartlett Sher will star Nadine Sierra and Benjamin Bernheim and will be conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin The production also stars mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as Stéphano and baritone Will Liverman as Mercutio. Rounding out the principal cast are {…}
The Metropolitan Opera revived Bartlett Sher’s production of “Roméo et Juliette” for the first time since 2018. As always, Gounod’s famed masterpiece is all about its two titular characters, the opera designed to explore the dynamics of the lovers amidst the larger feud between their warring families. Painting with Vocal Colors The Met Opera nailed its casting of Benjamin Bernheim {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is set to present Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” for seven performances. The opera, which opens on March 7 and runs through March 30, is set to star Nadine Sierra and Benjamin Bernheim. The production also features Samantha Hankey, Will Liverman, Frederick Ballentine, and Alfred Walker. Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the production by Bartlet Sher. which had {…}
Nadine Sierra has joined Askonas Holt for worldwide management. She will be managed by Solal del Castillo. This season, the American soprano will perform at the Metropolitan Opera in “Roméo et Juliette,” and returns to the Royal Opera House in “Lucia di Lammermoor,” and on tour in Japan for “Rigoletto.” She has already performed at the Opéra National de Paris {…}