A Whole Universe – Joe Davies on Performing Mahler’s ‘Symphony No. 8’ With the Leamington Sinfonia Orchestra

(Photo: Chris Tribble) “Try to imagine the whole universe beginning to ring and resound. There are no longer human voices, but planets and suns revolving” wrote Gustav Mahler, commenting on his 8th Symphony. On 16th May, the majestic, (if not suitably astronomical), Coventry Cathedral hosted a remarkable and rarely performed work that received a rapturous reception at its cessation, much {…}

May 28, 2026

Opera Meets Film: Duplicitous Love Behind Enemy lines in Hans Gefors’ ‘Notorious’

Joining the ranks of other screen-to-stage operatic adaptations, Swedish composer Hans Gefors and his eighth opera, “Notorious,” can be considered a contemporary grand opera. Spanning five acts — a number usually seen in French grand opera but also seen in Italian verismo including “Don Carlo,” “Robert le diable,” and “La muette de Portici” — the opera details the complex love affair between a {…}

May 13, 2026

An Opera in Poems – American Opera Projects Brings Benjamin Franklin & ‘The Post Office’ to NYC

(Photo Credit: Sarah Peet) In 1753, a 47-year-old Philadelphia writer, editor, scientist and inventor was given a new title by his London overlords. The British Crown named Benjamin Franklin “Deputy Postmaster for the Colonies,” a position he’d sought, and financially lobbied toward, for a couple of years. The gig offered a way to spread publications and patronage. Multiple family members {…}

May 1, 2026

The Many Kinds of Labour in Operatic Past and Present

(Photo Credit: WDR/Teatro Real/Javier del Real) From the earliest days of opera to the cutting edge of today, work was and remains at the heart of opera plots no matter how inventive they are. One of the earliest operas, essentially the one which spearheaded the start of opera itself, Jacopo Peri’s ‘Dafne‘ (1598), features the theme of labour as Apollo’s {…}

Apr 29, 2026

Artist of the Week: Mihails Culpajevs

On May 3, the Bühnen Bern is set to present a new production of Verdi’s rarely performed opera “La Forza del Destino.” The opera will feature several rising stars Mihails Čuļpajevs. Over the past years, the rising star has performed at the Bregenzer Festspiele, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opéra de Lyon, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Finnish National Opera, Ópera Nacional de Chile, Royal {…}

Apr 22, 2026

Environmental Operas Reshaping Our Ideas Of The World

Photo Credit: Valeriya Landar/Opera aperta The themes of environmentalism, conservation of natural resources, sustainability, and ecological welfare abound in contemporary discourse due to the increasingly unstable nature of Earth’s condition and humanity’s persistent inability to regulate the actions of the apathetic. Composers of every age, capacity, and style have come forward to voice their views on the matter. From the {…}

Apr 16, 2026

Opera Meets Film: When Justice Becomes A Curse in Poul Ruder’s ‘Selma Ježková’

Photo Credit: Miklos Szabo/Lincoln Center (2011) Having composed the internationally celebrated work, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale‘ (1988), an opera which has gained a truly canonical spot in theatrical repertoire thanks to its global embrace, Danish composer Poul Ruders was and remains on the cutting-edge of opera today. With five operas to his name, among them ‘The Thirteenth Child‘ (2016) and ‘Kafka’s {…}

Apr 10, 2026

Artist of the Week: Amina Edris

This week the Metropolitan Opera will revive its iconic production of “La Bohème.” Among the headliners in the cast is soprano Amina Edris as Musetta, making her debut with the company. Over the years, Edris has performed at the Opéra Comique, Staatsoper Berlin, Semperoper in Dresden and at Polish National Opera, among others. OperaWire had a chance to speak with {…}

Mar 28, 2026

Opera is a Place: Understanding Why Younger Audiences Come to the Opera House

(Photo Credit: Octavio Alonso Maya Castro) Visiting the Palacio de Bellas Artes made me fall in love with opera again. The open plaza welcomed groups of young people walking, laughing, and congregating. The bronze-tiled dome gleamed like a radiant sunset, hugging the luminous marble archway. Stepping inside, the grand foyer projected an entirely different regal stature. Whereas the exterior of {…}

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