Photos by: Sachyn Mital, © Lincoln Center Jeanine De Bique is one of the most exciting sopranos to catch onstage these days. Animated, joyful, and technically flawless, the Trinidadian vocalist with the light, starry voice that soars before landing on audiences’ ears like a musical meteor shower. While De Bique does staged productions, she throughly enjoys singing in concert format. {…}
In a 2019 article, Lynn René Bayley castigated modern opera for its “bastardization” of its sacred origins. She declared that the post-modernist operatic aesthetic relies too much on brazen sexuality and enigmatic “shock-value,” with such dependencies producing nothing but “gutter trash” performances that are poisoning the artform’s contemporary credibility. After having expressed her disgust at Hans Neuenfels’ laboratory-themed take on Wagner’s {…}
(Credit: Jeff DolenProductions) The Pacific Chorale will present its much anticipated original film concert “The Wayfaring Stranger Project” on PBS SoCal on Dec. 17 at 8 pm and on KCET on Dec. 22 at 8 pm. The work was crafted and will be conducted by the chorale’s Artistic Director Robert Istad. The multi-media project is comprised of music by J.S. {…}
The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra has announced its 2021-22 season. The orchestra plans no-capacity-limit performances starting in September 2021. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on vocal works only. “The Music Returns!” will showcase mezzo-soprano Susan Platts performing Mahler‘s “Rückert-Lieder.” The rest of the program will feature Montgomery’s “Banner,” and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4. Bramwell Tovey conducts. {…}
On May 3, 2019, Australian soprano Yvette Keong will perform her graduation recital at the Manhattan School of Music’s Greenfield Hall. While still a member of the school’s Senior Opera Theater, Keong has quickly begun to make a name for herself with recent appearances in the role of Pamina in the Berlin Opera Academy’s 2018 production of “Die Zauberflöte,” which {…}
Samuel Barber’s “Antony and Cleopatra” was supposed to be an opera for the ages. But it was not to be. Commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera for the opening of its new house at Lincoln Center, the opera’s Sept. 16, 1966, world premiere is widely remembered as a colossal failure, not only because the Franco Zeffirelli production was filled with one {…}
This week we continue our celebration of pride month. We’ve now looked at some of the most popular LGBT operas and commemorated Harvey Milk and Stonewall. Now OperaWire looks at some of the legendary composers in opera and classical music who were part of the LGBT community. Some of these composers were unfortunately never able to be open about their {…}
Renee Fleming and Decca have a holiday gift for fans of the American soprano. Decca announced that the famed soprano will be releasing her latest album “Distant Lights” on Jan. 6, 2017. “Distant Lights” will be her first orchestral album in three years and will feature music by Samuel Barber, Anders Hillborg and Björk. The album will revolve around music {…}