The name Richard Tucker most likely makes one think of the prestigious music foundation which fosters the new and upcoming talent, culminating with its elaborate end-of-year gala honoring the newest recipients of awards and grants. However, Richard Tucker was also a virtuoso tenor whose Metropolitan Opera career spanned three decades, both on the Met stage and on-tour. Born on this {…}
LThe Teatro La Fenice continues its 2016-17 season presenting a rarely heard Rossini work, “L’Occasione fa il Ladro.” The work, which is rarely performed, requires agility and virtuosic coloratura that can give any artist a chance to shine. And this week, rising star Rocio Perez continues her ascent in the opera world, taking on her first Berenice. Perez is no {…}
You know “Andrea Chénier,” but how many other Umberto Giordano operas can you name? Some might remember “Fedora,” or even “Siberia,” thanks to Sonya Yoncheva’s recent performance, but chances are, you might not know that in sum, Giordano composed a total of 13 operas, more than Puccini. But unfortunately, as was the case with a number of other composers of {…}
Ruth Ann Swenson was an American darling during the 80s and 90s and the early 2000s. Her coloratura soprano was renown for its bright color, flexibility, and gleaming high notes. And she was also known for numerous roles from the standard repertoire and other rarer gems she explored throughout her career. To celebrate her birth on August 25, 1959, Operawire takes {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Francis Ford Coppola’s {…}
Tenor Peter Hofmann’s career took a rather interesting turn for what many would consider an opera singer. Born on August 22, 1944, the heldentenor was a major attraction in a number of Wagner operas, including “Lohengrin,” “Die Walküre,” and “Parsifal” among other. However, at age 45, when he would have supposedly entered his peak vocal years, he left opera and {…}
It’s the final week of the Salzburg Festival, but before it concludes “Lucrezia Borgia” will open in two concert performances with a stellar cast that includes Juan Diego Flórez and Ildar Abdrazaov with Marco Armiliato conducting. But it is Krassimira Stoyanova that headlines the performances in the title role and forays once again into the Bel Canto repertoire. Throughout her career Stoyanova has {…}
Michael Sylvester was one of the most sought after tenors in the 1990s singing at all the major opera houses in the world. While he never achieved the fame other tenors of his generation had, Sylvester was still beloved throughout the opera world. In the course of his 25-year career on the opera stage, he appeared in leading tenor roles {…}
Arturo Chacón Cruz is one of the major Mexican tenors setting the opera world on fire. On August 20, 1977, he turns 40, giving OperaWire a chance to look at 40 fun facts about the tenor, who is now entering his prime. He was born in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora. Chacón Cruz graduated from the Houston Grand Opera Studio… …and Boston {…}
