One of the greatest achievements of general manager Peter Gelb’s tenure is his Live in HD series, which has enabled audiences from around the world to experience opera in movie theaters. That undertaking has generated a tremendous following that has resulted in home video releases and encore performances, which are slated to take over coming weeks around the world. With {…}
Verdi’s “La Traviata.” Puccini’s “Tosca.” Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” What’s wrong with that picture? For most opera lovers, nothing whatsoever. And yet the underlying truth that everyone overlooks is that those works don’t exist without the other major figures attached to the respective works. It should really be Verdi and Piave’s “La Traviata,” for example as the former would {…}
What do you do after you’ve taught, formed a young artist program and had a legendary career as a singer and conductor? The answer? Direct opera. That is exactly what famed baritone Sherrill Milnes has embarked on alongside his wife, Maria Zouves. In collaboration with the Prague Summer Nights, presented by Classical Movements, the duo has already directed two Mozart {…}
Is it still reasonable to establish an opera festival in the midst of the summer in the U.S.? It’s not a simple question to answer but for opera lovers and audiences thirsting for the art form during the hot and humid days of July and August, Jonathon Loy, General Director of the Berkshire Opera, has the answer. In just its second {…}
It is rare to see a production company put on a combination of opera, operetta, and musical theater. While most viewers recognize the relationship between the three, they often struggle to assimilate them in the same breath, much less the same stage. But the three can be viewed on the same stage. And when given the opportunity, they can even {…}
Wagner in Miami. It has an interesting ring to it, mainly because you wouldn’t necessarily associate the intense heat of the ever-playful and carefree Floridian city with the philosophical and hyper-romantic German master of opera. But it’s 2017 and the Miami Music Festival (MMF), which is featuring a number of repertory classics, is hosting its second-ever Wagner Institute, a program {…}
It was backstage at the Washington National Opera Gala after a star-studded evening. The stars standing outside their dressing rooms receiving backstage guests as they started to accumulate at the bottom of the stairs in their evening wear. That’s where we caught WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, who had, as she is known to do, watched the entire show from {…}
The Prague Summer Nights is underway and OperaWire will be providing extensive coverage of the showcase. Produced by Classical Movements, the festival seeks to promote young artists with John Nardilillo as its artistic director and conductor. Nardolillo has appeared with numerous orchestras including the Seattle, San Francisco, Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, National, Utah, Columbus, Oregon, Fort Worth, Alabama, North Carolina, Toledo, Vermont {…}
Carnegie Hall. One of the great artistic temples in the world. A place so rich in musical history and tradition that only the greatest artists get a chance to showcase their talents on that stage. “Carnegie is one of the halls I love performing in,” soprano Harolyn Blackwell told OperaWire. “It is just standing on that stage and you think {…}
It’s a big year at Caramoor for Will Crutchfield. For the last 20 years, Crutchfield has been a leader in reviving a number of Bel Canto works at the festival through his program “Bel Canto at Caramoor.” It is a program that has showcased some rarities and has shown the conductor’s expertise in the repertoire. However, this year Crutchfield is {…}
Eerie strings. Witches and a young protagonist constantly facing exclusion and a deep sense of fear. Throughout its two-plus hours, “Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch’s Accuser” plays on themes of oppression, fear, and marginalization with a score will haunt you long after. But audiences for this new opera by Lisa Bielawa won’t encounter these eternal themes in the traditional {…}