Ping, Pong & Pang – How Atlanta Opera’s Widely Traveled ‘Turandot’ Production Remains Fresh For Veteran Cast Members

Atlanta Opera is gearing up for a revival of Puccini’s “Turandot,” the iconic opera featuring arguably opera’s most iconic melody. The company, which is reviving the production by French Canadian duo Renaud Doucet and André Barbe, will feature a cast that includes tenor Gianluca Terranova and Marcy Stonikas as Turandot. Finding Deeper Meaning From Another Vision Reviving the production will {…}

Apr 24, 2017

Reviving A Master – Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE! Debuts New Orchestra in ‘Eileen’

This October, Victor Herbert’s operetta “Eileen” will turn 100 years old. In anticipation of that celebration, and as a culmination of its third season, the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE! (VHRPL) will present the work. The two performances on April 25 and 26 will also feature the first time that the New Victor Herbert Orchestra debuts. Starting From Scratch The {…}

Apr 20, 2017

‘Cyrano’ Crash Course – How Jennifer Rowley Went From Covering Patricia Racette to Metropolitan Opera Role Debut in No Time

It was March 31, 2017, one day before the infamous day where people play tricks on one another. Soprano Jennifer Rowley was getting some shuteye, her days consumed by the task of taking on Samuel Barber’s “Vanessa” at the Toledo opera. On that very night, she would be singing the first of two performances for the demanding work. The phone {…}

Apr 19, 2017

Forging An Alliance – How the New York Opera Fest Was Created

People don’t often think about opera in New York as extending into the summer. With the major companies ending their respective season in May, the summer is generally the time most New Yorkers associate with other activities. But that won’t be the case for the second straight year with the New York Opera Fest set to take over the city. {…}

Apr 18, 2017

Mastering German Repertoire – Anne Schwanewilms On Strauss, Wagner & Preferring Recitals To Operas

Anne Schwanewilms is no stranger to the opera world. She is one of the most in-demand sopranos in the lieder repertoire and she has specialized in the challenging work of Richard Strauss, performing in every major theater around the world. However, she has rarely appeared in the United States and since her debut at the Bayreuth, she has not returned. {…}

Apr 14, 2017

Q&A: Natasha Novitskaia On The Challenges Of Transitioning From Soprano to Mezzo

Russian-born Natasha Novitskaia is a mezzo-soprano who has excelled in such roles such as Dalila, Santuzza, Amneris, Azucena, Lyubasha among others. From an early age, Novitskaia received early training in singing and classical piano and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance at the Marylhurst University and a Master’s degree in Russian Literature from St. Petersburg University. Although she began {…}

Apr 11, 2017

Sticking to the Score – Krassimira Stoyanova On Finding Musical Surprises From A Conservative Approach to Verdi, Verismo & Bel Canto

Krassimira Stoyanova is not your typical diva. Nor has she managed to carve out a career with the “expected” working conditions for most singers of her caliber. Since her debut at the Sofia National Opera House in 1995, the Bulgarian soprano has become a famed interpreter of the Italian operatic repertoire, singing at all the greatest theaters in the world. Her {…}

Apr 10, 2017

Bringing New Life to Opera – How OperaRox’s Kimberly Feltkamp Hopes To Switch Up the Indie Opera Scene

“A lot of the time it’s just like jumping off a cliff because you don’t know how it’s going to go,” said Kimberly Feltkamp, the general manager of OperaRox Productions in a recent conversation with OperaWire. “I didn’t conceive of it as a company when I started it,” Feltkamp added. But strong reception to her initial project with OperaRox in 2015 {…}

Apr 6, 2017

Life & Art Imitate One Another – How Ana María Martinez Uses Real Life to Immerse Herself In Her Characters

During a conversation with OperaWire regarding her upcoming performances of “Madama Butterfly” at the Royal Opera House, soprano Ana María Martinez related a story regarding her deep connection with the work. She narrated how during her first production of the opera at the Houston Grand Opera in 2010, her son was around the same age as the title character’s child {…}

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