Having explored the tricky terrain of opera’s more conventional genres, as well as its regional varieties, what is left are the rather obscure versions of opera that have grown from different types of traditions and histories. What would happen if modern politics and opera were combined? What do you get when you feature a small break between each scene of {…}
This week the Metropolitan Opera opened its 2023-24 season with the Met premiere of Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking” with it an all-star cast. Among the performers is Latonia Moore, making her role debut as Sister Rose. In a recent interview with OperaWire, Moore noted that Heggie music “is composed in a Bel Canto way and composed with the singer {…}
Around the world, opera has very different forms. Although the artform has touched almost every continent on the planet, that does not mean that it looks the same. Whether that means an Italian opera that is translated into a different language, or a domestic artform resembling opera that evolved endogenously, the fabric of opera is multi-dimensional! In Part One of {…}
Back in February, the Dubai Opera made a major announcement – Dr. Paolo Petrocelli would become the face of the organization, taking over the top position as Head of the company. For Petrocelli, the Director General of the Stauffer Center for Strings, one of Friends of Europe’s 40 most influential young personalities, and the man who literally wrote the book {…}
A film about an opera singer falling in-love, only to fall out of love and pursue her career, is perfect for the screen. Produced in 1953 by American playwright and producer Harry Kurnitz, the embellished biopic “Melba“ is the story of the famed figure of operatic history Nellie Melba who was personified by an equally great actress-singer, Patrice Munsel. Although a {…}
This week the Opera A Coruña is set to open its 2023-24 season with a production of “Aida” in a new production that will be headlined by one of the most exciting rising stars in opera, Marigona Qerkezi. Qerkezi, who began her career with lyric and coloratura roles, has swiftly moved into taking on Verdi operas, performing such works as {…}
(Photo credit: Kristen Loken) On Sept. 9, Opera San José will open its 40th anniversary with a new production of Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” by Shawna Lucey. The production will mark the role debuts of several artists who are also rising stars in the opera world. One of those artists is Joshua Sanders who will take on the lead role {…}
Just a few weeks after sex offender David Daniels pled guilty to sexually assaulting Samuel Schultz, he took to social media to post about his potential return to the stage. “Over the last week, I’ve received not one but two singing engagement offers. Both in Europe: shocking right? With approval, I am going to accept. I better start vocalizing when {…}
Finals for singing competitions are an interesting experience to cover. On one hand, everyone on stage is a winner. In the case of the 2023 edition of the Queen Sonja Singing Competition, the six singers who took the stage on August 26 were picked from an overall pool of 521 contestants from around the world; not mention that the competition {…}
