The Atlanta Opera (TAO), hailed by the industry as being at the forefront of opera’s response to the pandemic with its innovative “Big Tent” series, announced the December 15 launch of Atlanta Opera Spotlight Media. The digital subscription service will provide access to monthly streaming bundles that combine concerts, special recordings, and behind-the-scenes footage with original opera productions captured live {…}
The Atlanta Opera has announced a new series of safety measures designed to help protect audiences as the company launches its 2020-21 season. Patrons who purchase digital tickets will only be able to access them after answering a health survey via the company’s app; tickets may only be accessed after passing the screening. This new precaution comes in partnership with {…}
(Credit: Marco Borggreve) Famed Russian conductor Alexander Vedernikov has died at the age of 56, after having been diagnosed with COVID-19. Vedernikov died on Friday, Oct. 30 after being put on a ventilator for few days following the diagnosis. Born in Moscow, Vedernikov was the son of the bass Alexander Filipovich Vedernikov and Natalia Nikolaevna Gureeva. The conductor went on {…}
The Atlanta Opera (TAO) website greets visitors with an invitation: “JOIN US AT THE BIG TENT!” Cool. The company’s staging its 2021 productions in an enormous tent. But wait a minute; is that a circus tent? Yes, it is, and unlike the Met’s new-ish production of “Così fan tutte” in which the circus entered the opera house, The Atlanta Opera’s {…}
(Credit: Mara Zampieri official website) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that soprano Mara Zampieri has canceled her appearances as Lucia in the run of Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana.” Per an official statement on the company’s website, the soprano, who belongs to the COVID-19 risk group, does not want to take the chances in traveling to Vienna and participating in the rehearsals {…}
Palm Beach Opera will launch its 2020-21 season with the company’s first-ever outdoor festival, featuring live performances of “La Bohème,” “Pagliacci,” and “The Magic Flute.” The festival will run from February 19-27, 2021, and will be held at the iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre of the South Florida Fairgrounds. The productions will be semi-staged, and in order to maximize social distancing, the {…}
(Credit: Simon Pauly) “The music is giving me what I need. Music has always given me what I needed in my life.” When the COVID-19 hurricane struck humanity in full force in March, tenor Martin Muehle was about to begin rehearsals for the supernatural opera “The Queen of Spades” at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. At that moment it was obvious {…}
(Credit: Oliver Ostermann/Brian Cheney) Austrian Composer Oliver Ostermann and American Tenor Brian Cheney have teamed up during the COVID-19 pandemic to create the album “ I Sang My Heart to the Moon.” The album features eight pieces in total with lyricist and acclaimed poet Nancy Fitz-Hugh Meneely offering up poetry suited for this time. “Love Apart,” “I Sang My Heart {…}
Whether it is a brand new Ferrari or a Rolls Royce cabriolet – the relationship between star singers and their cars has always been something of an amour fou. Piotr Beczała is no exception and the Polish tenor drives a sleek and elegant Jaguar XK150 which, in general terms, might well serve the description of his voice. Timeless, and equipped {…}
The Seattle Opera has announced the cancellation its fall production of “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci.” The company revealed in a press statement that due to the global pandemic, it was forced to cancel the first production of the season. The cancellation will result in the loss of work for more than 220 singers, crew, and musicians. Additionally, with the end {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Patrick Forbes’ “Brexit {…}
