(Photo: Missy Mazzoli is an acclaimed composer of experimental chamber operas whose oeuvre ranges from electronic avant rock to short-form chamber operas. One of the first two women to receive a commission from the Metropolitan Opera, she joined forces with her longtime collaborator, Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Royce Vavrek, to created the highly anticipated “Lincoln in the Bardo,” premiering at the {…}
(Photo: Nina Wurtzel-Horiz) Jeanine Tesori is one of today’s pioneering composers. Her work transcends boundaries and spans genres, including film and opera. Her new opera, “Blue,” which received the MCANA Award for Best New Opera, and “Grounded,” the first female commissioned opera by The Metropolitan Opera, are making history. Her work focuses on political and societal complexities, woven into the {…}
Since he took over the job eight years ago, Steven Fox, Music Director of Cathedral Choral Society (CCS) has done his utmost to transform the organization’s direction. To that end, Fox’s initiatives have included expanding the repertory, creating programs to improve the skill set of its members, and offering up new opportunities to deepen connections with the audience. “I am {…}
For 44 years, Victor DeRenzi has maintained his position at the helm of Sarasota Opera as its Artistic Director. During that time he has led over 900 opera performances. Among his major accomplishments with the company is a Verdi cycle that he initiated in 1989 and completed in 2016 with the aim to perform all of Verdi’s music. He also {…}
(©Alessandro Lodola) Belgian-Italian director Maximilien Seren-Piccinni has deep roots in the history of music as he is a descendant of the famous Italian composer and master of opera buffa Niccolò Piccinni. From a young age, he has been involved in the arts, having been the personal assistant to Mario Monicelli and later studying opera directing at the Polo Nazionale Artistico {…}
(Photo: Alexander Shelley © Rémi Thériault / Joel Ivany © Taylor Long) OperaWire recently attended Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) for their National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) semi-staged production of Puccini’s “Tosca.” The day after their opening night performance, OperaWire was invited to sit down with the Music Director and Conductor of NACO, Alexander Shelley, and the Artistic Director of Edmonton {…}
(Photo: Ferdia Durkin) On the evening of Friday, September 26th, the Sligo Baroque Music Festival kicks off this year’s festival with a concert entitled “Corelliana” by the Vespres d’Amadi Baroque Orchestra, directed by Dani Espasa, at the city’s St. John’s Cathedral. As its name suggests, it is a festival dedicated to baroque music in all its forms, including opera. Although {…}
(Photo: OperaDelaware) OperaDelaware, founded in 1945 and the 11th oldest company in the US, was set to celebrate its 75th season in 2020, right as the COVID pandemic began. The artists were about to arrive in Wilmington to begin rehearsals. As the company—and the rest of the art world—realized how the pandemic would impact their work, administrators and board members {…}
(Credit: Matilde Chambon) Mimi Johnson is founder and director of Performing Artservices (1972) and Lovely Music (1978). She was married to composer Robert Ashley and continues to produce and tour his work, including all of Ashley’s operas, from “Perfect Lives” (1978-81) through “Crash” (2013-15) and “Quicksand “(2011-16). OperaWire reviewed Johnson’s most recent productions of Ashley’s operas, including “Improvement (Don Leaves {…}
In 2024, the New York City Opera named Constantine Orbelian the Executive Director of the company while still continuing as the Music Director. The company has gone through a series of challenges since it reopened in 2016 and has not had a linear season. However, it has continued to perform at Bryant Park every summer, bringing classic works to the {…}
Recognised worldwide for his natural ease and extraordinary collaborative spirit, conductor James Gaffigan has attracted international attention for his prowess as a conductor of both symphony orchestras and opera. The mutual trust he builds with artists empowers them to cultivate the highest art possible. Gaffigan is uniquely positioned, with music directorships at two international opera houses. He is the General {…}