On April 17 & 18, 2025, the LA Philharmonic is set to present Carlos Simon’s “Good News Mass.” The work is a transcendent musical experience merging gospel and classical traditions, spoken word, and visual art. Composer Carlos Simon has become one of the most important voices in classical music, becoming the current Composer-in-Residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for {…}
(Credit: Photo courtesy of Opera San José) On April 19, Opera San Jose is set to present “Zorro,” an opera about the famed masked vigilante set in the early 1800s in el pueblo de Los Angeles, still a colony of Spain. The opera will feature a Latin American cast and will be led by David Radamés Toro, a director who {…}
(Photo: Armati Bacciardi) Over the next few months, OperaWire will be reviewing a number of productions at a variety of festivals across the globe. One name that keeps cropping up, at least in Europe, is that of Rosetta Cucchi. Blessed with a never-ending supply of energy and ideas, she always has one project on the go with others in the {…}
Timothy Long is a recognized conductor, pianist, and composer who is the Artistic and Music Director of Opera at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester and an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera. Throughout his career, he has attempted to redefine opera for modern audiences by breaking traditional stereotypes and making performances shorter, more diverse, and {…}
(Photo credit: Michael Cooper) Canadian-based mixed media artist, director, and librettist HAUI™ (he/they) uses his platforms to explore the intersections of race, gender, identity, and sexual orientation and to amplify underrepresented themes, myths, and histories. HAUI™ is published by Playwrights Canada Press and has collaborated with leading arts organizations such as Canadian Opera Company, CBC, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Stratford {…}
The Czech Lieder Society recently released “Songs,” an intriguing double CD of songs and piano pieces by Sláva Vorlová. It is unlikely that many reading this article will have heard her name or any of her works, yet during her lifetime (1894 – 1973) she was well-known and an influential composer. From an early age, Vorlová pursued an interest in {…}
(Credit: Morgan Miller) On Feb. 15, Opera San José will open a new production of Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle.” The opera is known for its intimate but eerie qualities and features a cast of two singers on stage. For the new production, Shawna Lucey is directing the work which features many hidden things that bride Judith will discover in her new husband’s {…}
(Photo Courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Williams.) Opera Lafayette and OperaCréole present “RE|STORE: Edmond Dédé’s ‘Morgiane’” in four cities across the U.S. including New Orleans, Washington, DC, New York City, and College Park, MD. The preview of this never-performed, long-lost masterpiece took place at the historical St. Louis Cathedral, where Dédé was baptized, featuring The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra playing modern instruments {…}
(Photo credit: Tony Hitchcock) Despite winning a Pulitzer Prize and receiving great acclaim following its Metropolitan Opera premiere in 1958, Barber and Menotti’s “Vanessa” is not regularly programmed as a full work. Arias such as “Must the winter come so soon?” and “Do not utter a word” are frequently heard in recitals, but this does not do justice to this {…}
(Photo: Rasmus Jurkatam) From the beginning, Arvo Volmer’s career has been closely tied with the Estonian National Opera, where he was appointed to his first professional post as its assistant conductor in 1985 and where he conducted his first opera, Händel’s “Alcina.” Since then, he has gone on to establish a successful international career, with a string of appointments, including {…}
(Photo: Maru Teppei) Beth Morrison Projects (BMP) is an organization actively changing the roadmap of opera production and composition one project at a time. Since 2006 the company has commissioned, developed, produced, and toured over 60 works in 14 countries around the world, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning chamber operas “Angel’s Bone” and “p r i s m.” This year’s PROTOTYPE {…}