This year, Wexford Festival Opera presented the European premiere of William Bolcom and Mark Campbell’s opera “Dinner at Eight,” an operatic version of the stage play and Hollywood film of the same name. At the center of the opera is Millicent Jordan, who was portrayed in this version by soprano Mary Dunleavy. The American soprano has sung all over the {…}
“The wheel is come full circle,” once wrote William Shakespeare. Baritone David Pershall could look on his recent starring role as Silvio in “Pagliacci” at the San Francisco Opera in much the same way. He’s come a long way from his early years when he was a prospect at the San Francisco Opera’s young artist training grounds, the Merola Opera {…}
It was 1957 and opera was in the midst of a golden age of singing. Kurt Herbert Adler, the second general director in San Francisco Opera’s history, knew that for opera to continue, young talent needed to be fostered and grown. So he sought out the help of tenor James H. Schwabacher Jr., San Francisco Opera’s production coordinator Matthew Farruggio, {…}
It was 2014 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Clémentine Margaine, a graduate of the Paris Conservatory and winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Concours International de Marmande, was an ensemble member of the company who had just been handpicked by the casting director of the company to sing the title role of “Carmen.” “I was very lucky that {…}
At this moment, opera in Ireland is really on the up. Over the last couple of years, the country has seen a significant number of developments, which has started to lift its profile. This year, for example, saw the inauguration of the Irish National Opera company, which has an ambitious vision for delivering opera, showcasing Irish singers and increasing the {…}
It’s a big return for María José Montiel. The Spanish mezzo-soprano, who is recognized throughout Spain, has forged a career in opera, recitals, and concerts and has become one of the country’s most acclaimed classical singers of her generations. But rarely has she traversed the Atlantic to perform in the United States. Her last appearances in the States have been {…}
Niloufar Talebi is an author, award-winning translator, multi-disciplinary artist, and producer. She has received commissions from Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances, and the Atlanta Symphony, and her work has been featured at Stanford Live, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Kennedy Center, World Literature Today, PBS Frontline, ArteEast, Bidoun, Poetry International, Rattapalax, and Mother Jones Magazine. {…}
Soprano Deanna Breiwick has been around music and performance her entire life. She comes from a family of musicians and vocalists. She sang her first studio recital at age five, began as a classical harpist at age seven, and was let loose on Italian arias by age 14. Her first opera production was “Dialogues des Carmélites” at age 21 and {…}
The name Joyce DiDonato is synonymous with great music making, diverse repertoire, arts education, and advocacy. The mezzo is also one of the greatest living artists in the world and one of the busiest performers around. As she finishes her first staged production of “Les Troyens” at the Wiener Staatsoper, DiDonato is embarking on a tour with the Philadelphia Orchestra {…}