Q & A: Tenor Benjamin Bernheim on Lincoln Center Recital, Verdi Requiem Tour & Future Projects

(Photo Credit: Julia Wesely) On April 21, Benjamin Bernheim makes his return to New York City. The famed tenor, who last performed in the Big Apple in the September 2024 production of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” will take to the stage at Alice Tully Hall alongside long-time collaborator Carrie-Ann Matheson to present a recital program featuring works by Duparc, Tchaikovsky, Bizet, {…}

Q & A: Brian Dore on the International Friends of Festival Verdi & its Mission

The International Friends of Festival Verdi is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing essential support to Teatro Regio di Parma’s annual Verdi Festival, Verdi Off, and Accademia Verdiana. It also is celebrates the enduring legacy of Giuseppe Verdi and seeks to foster robust cultural exchange between the Verdi Festival and its supporters around the world. This year the organization will {…}

Q &A: Fundación Ibáñez Atkinson’s Andrés Rodríguez Spoerer on his Operatic Journey & Bringing Met Opera’s Laffont Competition Auditions to South America

(© Fundación Ibáñez Atkinson) This year, the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition held its first South American auditions in over 70 years. This historic event was several years in the making, with Andrés Rodríguez Spoerer as its main champion. As Music Director of Chile’s Fundación Ibáñez Atkinson (FIA), Rodríguez Spoerer spent years building the relationships, programs, and infrastructure that would make {…}

Q & A: Peruvian Tenor Iván Ayón-Rivas on the Duke of Mantua, His Royal Opera House Debut & Continuing to Study

(Photo: Tatiana Mazzola) Iván Ayón-Rivas is an exciting young tenor from Peru. Trained at the Conservatory of Music of Peru, Iván received a solid vocal education under the tutelage of Maria Eloísa Aguirre and continued his studies with renowned teachers and hugely esteemed fellow Peruvian tenors Juan Diego Flórez and Luigi Alva. He is currently perfecting his technique with legendary {…}

Q & A: Serge Dorny on Taking Presidency of Opera Europa, The Future of Opera & Anna Netrebko’s Return to Bayerische Staatsoper

(© Geoffroy Schied) Serge Dorny is one of the most powerful men in opera. Beginning his career as a dramaturge under Gerard Mortier at Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, he would eventually become Artistic Director of several major institutions before climbing to some of the most prestigious positions in the industry. He led as General Director of Opéra National {…}