Fresh Squeezed Opera has announced a new lab aimed at composers of all ages, nationalities, education levels, races, genders, and backgrounds. The Fresh Squeezed Vocal Lab will give composers the chance to work with renowned vocalists in the creation of a new piece; composers also have the option of workshopping another older piece. In keeping with COVID-19 safety guidelines, all {…}
The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh has announced Global Choral Traditions, a live, interactive, virtual exploration of choral music from around the world. The Choir will offer four sessions of Global Choral Traditions featuring experts from Gospel, Appalachian, Bulgarian, and South African choral traditions and they will teach participants about what makes each style unique, as well as about the elements {…}
On December 22, 2020 soprano Natalia Tsvi and tenor Gilad Paz released a special holiday recording of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” sung in 14 languages as they shared the holiday spirit with viewers worldwide. The duo, also known as Voce Nova, perform classical crossover. Last year they made an appearance on season 15 of America’s Got Talent. “2020 has been an {…}
Composer/pianist Felix Jarrar has announced his first 2021 concert with the virtual Boston premiere of his song cycle, “The Ulster County Songbook” on January 15 at 7:30 p.m. EST. “The Ulster County Songbook” will showcase the composer’s new ensemble, The Jarrar Trio, comprising Jarrar, tenor Fran Daniel Laucerica, and baritone Gray Leiper. Besides writing the music for “Songbook,” Jarrar served {…}
Sarasota Opera has announced casting for its 2021 festival. “L’Inganno Felice” will feature soprano Hanna Brammer as Isabella and bass-baritone Alexander Charles Boyd as Tarabotto. Tenor Christopher Bozeka will make his company debut as Bertrando with bass Joshua DeVane as Ormondo. Joseph Beutel rounds out the cast, which will be conducted by Victor DeRenzi and directed by Martha Collins. “La {…}
New York-based company Teatro Grattacielo has announced that it will be kicking off 2021 with a presentation of Umberto Giordano’s “Fedora” on Jan. 3, 2021. The showcase, which will be presented via the company’s official website and YouTube channel, will be free to the public for 24 hours. As part of the streaming showcase, audiences will be able to enjoy {…}
On Jan. 29, 2021, Christman Opera Company is set to present the newest work from composer Theodore Christman, titled “The Impresario and the Dueling Divas.” The cast includes soprano Teresa Castillo as Heidi Highmore, mezzo-soprano Madison Marie McIntosh as Lola Lowell, and tenor John Viscardi as Derek Schaus; pianist Eve Queler provides the previously recorded accompaniment. The opera is based {…}
Regina Opera has released its 2019 production of Bizet’s “Carmen,” available to stream for free via the company’s website and YouTube page. Conducted by Gregory Ortega, the cast includes Lara Michole Tilotson in the title role, with Christopher Trapani as Don Jose, Alexis Cregger as Micaela, and Jaeman Yoon as Escamillo. Viewers can also watch excerpts and full videos of {…}
OperUs has announced a New Year’s Eve Concert featuring a number of artists from around the world. The showcase will be streamed via OperUs’s official Facebook page starting at 8 p.m. GMT and will be feature Italian mezzo-sopranos Fiorenza Badila Constantini, Caterina Dellaere, and Alessandra Gambino; British soprano Miriam Endersby; Chilean bass-baritone Arturo Espinosa; French-Argentine mezzo-soprano Eugenia Forteza; Italian baritone {…}
Music continues to find a way during the pandemic, this time with Boston-based Cappella Clausura’s video production of the 17th-century female composer, Donna Chiara Margarita Cozzolani’s “Magnificat.” The video is currently available for streaming on the organization’s website and YouTube. Dedicated to presenting female composers’ works from the 9th-century to the present, Cappella Clausura’s production foregrounds Cozzolani’s circa 1650 masterpiece. Cozzolani {…}
Spotlight Artists Management has released its Christmas Concert 2020 for online viewing via the company’s official YouTube channel. The performance which took place on Dec. 12, featured performances by soprano Zoya Gramagin, soprano Dilara Unsal, soprano Nozomi Yoshuda, mezzo-soprano Eugenia Forteza, baritone Billy Huyler, and pianist Alexander Chaplinsky. The showcase included music by Puccini, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, and a number {…}