On July 18, the Bayerische Staatsoper will open a new production of Fauré’s rarely performed work “Penelope.” Based on the famed Homer epic poem, The “Odyssey,” the work, will receive a new production by Andrea Berth and will star the rising mezzo-soprano Victoria Karkacheva. The Russian will not only make her role debut in the title role, but she will {…}
This week, teh Festival Aix-en-Provence is set to open a new production of “La Calisto.” The work, which is rarely performed, will see mezzo-soprano Giuseppina Bridelli, who is a highly regarded singer of the Baroque repertoire. The Italian mezzo will make her role debut as Diana a year after making her festival debut in Aix. Regarding the role, Bridelli said, {…}
On July 19, the Teatro Real will broadcast the iconic Willy Decker production of “La Traviata,” marking 20 years since the production premiered. When it opened in 2005, it became an instant classic for its modern, minimalist approach and its stark staging focusing on the three main characters. The production also emphasized time and Violetta’s impending death through a large {…}
San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Opera Orchestra, represented by American Federation of Musicians Local 6 have reached a new agreement. The two-year contract, which has a term from August 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026, increases wages and enhances retirement packages during each year of the contract, as well as increasing the collaboration between the orchestra and company in {…}
I have just returned from Mexico City after the Latin American premiere of our opera, “I Am A Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams”, which follows the story of two migrants to the United States of America, one of whom is facing deportation. I am proud to have been commissioned by White Snake Projects to compose the piece, working with the {…}
John Irvin’s 2007 film “The Moon and the Stars” is a tale of arduous love, societal stigma, and unyielding dedication to art. The story revolves around the production of a cinematic rendition of Puccini’s fifth opera, “Tosca.” There are two primary narratives that play out in tandem: the arrest of the production’s director, Davide Rieti, a gay Jewish man played by {…}
This week, the Santa Fe Opera is set to open its 2025 season with a production of “La Boheme” featuring a cast of rising stars, including Emma Marhefka, who will make an unexpected company debut. The soprano, who was a Santa Fe Opera Apprentice in 2024, stepped in at the last minute to sing the role of Musetta, a part she {…}
(Credit: Stephan Rabold) This week, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin is set to present Bernard Foccroulle’s “Cassandra” for the first time. The work combines the figures of the ancient prophetess Cassandra and the popular researcher Sandra. The opera premiered in 2023 to rave reviews and now brings back some of the cast that created the work, including Katarina {…}
I. In a city as operatically overdetermined as Berlin, even a new production of Richard Strauss’s “Die Frau ohne Schatten” might be expected to pass with respectable indifference. But when Tobias Kratzer mounted the late-Romantic behemoth this January at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, capping a Strauss trilogy that had begun with “Arabella” and “Intermezzo,” the result was not just another {…}
