(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) On Dec. 31 the Metropolitan Opera will premiere a new production of “Rigoletto” featuring Met veterans and newcomers. It will also mark the first time, Quinn Kelsey, one of the Met’s stars headlines a production. Kelsey, who made his Met debut in 2008 as Schaunard in “La Bohème,” has appeared in over 70 performances {…}
On Dec. 23, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino will open a new production of “Fidelio” with an all-star cast. The production will feature some of the best interpreters of the work and some new to his repertoire, none perhaps moreso than Italian soprano Francesca Aspromonte. Following years of singing baroque music, Aspromonte take on Marzelline in Beethoven’s only opera. The role {…}
On Dec. 17, the Teatro Mayor Julio Santo Domingo in Bogota will present a new production of “Tosca” with an international cast and international conductor. Among the cast members is British tenor Adam Smith who will sing the role of Cavaradossi. Smith will make his debut at the prestigious Colombian house in a role he debuted earlier this year at {…}
(Credit: Teatro alla Scala / Brescia – Amisano) One of the most important days on the opera world calendar is the opening of the Teatro alla Scala. Big stars. New productions. At the close of the calendar year. All at the world’s most legendary opera house. No surprise that this year is as big as any other with the company {…}
This week the Opernahus Zürich will open a new production of Donizetti’s “Anna Bolena,” continuing its Tudor cycle with director David Alden furthering his exploration of the queens after receiving rave reviews for “Maria Stuarda.” Despite Alden’s prominence in the director’s chair there’s no doubt that the spotlight of this production will shine most fiercely on soprano Diana Damrau as {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) On Nov. 23, the Metropolitan Opera will make history premiering Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl’s “Eurydice.” Aucoin will make history as the youngest composer to have a Met premiere since 1938. But this opera will also mark the first time that soprano Erin Morley headlines a brand new production at the Metropolitan Opera. Morley {…}
On Nov. 19, the English National Opera will open a new Ring Cycle. The production will mark the first time the company stages the monumental tetralogy in more than 15 years. Taking on this major task is director Richard Jones. Jones first staged Wagner’s Cycle in 1989 at the Scottish Opera before bringing his take in 1993 to the Royal {…}
On Nov. 14, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna will finally open a new production of Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur.” The production by Rosetta Cucchi was previously filmed as a movie in Bologna during the time theaters were shuttered due to COVID-19. Now after almost a year of delays, the show will go on and soprano Kristine Opolais will get to make {…}
The Madison Opera is set to open its 2021-22 season with Donizetti’s masterpiece “Lucia di Lammermoor.” The opera is most famous for its soprano role and her corresponding mad scene. However, one cannot deny the prominence of the tenor role of Edgardo, especially considering that fact that it is this character that ends the work with a searing dramatic scene. {…}
On Oct. 26, 2021, the Metropolitan Opera will revive a production of Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” for the first time in seven years. The production will mark the return of Lise Davidsen in a role debut, Michael Volle in a signature role, and Klaus Florian Vogt, one of the greatest Wagnerians of his generation. But perhaps what makes this {…}
The Wexford Festival Opera is an internationally recognized event that programs unusual and rare works. It also prides itself in supporting rising stars and giving them opportunities to explore a diverse repertoire. This season the company will present Catalani’s “Edmea” for its inaugural production, starring Luciano Ganci, one of Italy’s leading tenors. Ganci will make his role debut as Oberto {…}
