It’s late September in New York and a major European director is staging a unique new work at a historic venue. And it stars Jonas Kaufmann, making his return to the Big Apple for the first time in two years. Described by director Claus Guth as a “highly emotional trip” in a recent interview with OperaWire, “Doppelgänger” is gracing the {…}
(Credit: Matt Donnelly) At the beginning of August, around 50 students went to Vail, Colorado to participate in the Vail Opera Camp. The camp, which is a 10-day experience, brought students from ages 10 to 18 from all over the country to hone in on their craft of singing as well as learning about the art of opera from the {…}
For the Berkshire Opera Festival’s first “La Bohème,” OperaWire interviewed two of the leads, Yongzhao Yu (Rodolfo) and Véronique Filloux (Musetta). The festival, not far from the historic site of Tanglewood, has over the years gained a reputation for exciting and powerful productions. It is also known for spotting rising talent poised to reach an ever wider audience around the globe. {…}
Credit Frank Caliri Jonathan McPhee boasts a diverse musical portfolio. As the Music Director for the Lexington Symphony in Massachusetts and a Guest Conductor at the Houston Ballet, his expertise doesn’t stop there — he’s also a composer and arranger. With an affinity for arranging, he’s notably transformed grand pieces, such as Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” and “Firebird” into reductions. {…}
Gregg Kallor’s “Frankenstein” is commissioned by Arizona Opera and will make its world premiere in October 2023 with performances in Phoenix and Tucson. This opera in two acts; adapted from Mary Shelley’s novel, brings to the surface humanity’s dire need for greater empathy. Composer and librettist Gregg Kallor in collaboration with director Sarah Meyers, dramaturg Cori Ellison and conductor Nicole {…}
After waiting for three years to conduct the Ring Cycle at the Bayreuth Festival, Pietari Inkinen finally made it come true. Over the past month, the Finnish Conductor has been in Bayreuth performing the Ring Cycle in Valentin Schwarz’s production. It marks his return to the festival after his debut in 2021. It also marks his return to the Ring {…}
(Photo Credit: Ken Howard) Does opera seen at the movies count as its own experience? With the advent of streamed opera in movie theaters, the idea that filmed opera can somehow replace or make up for the real-life experience is a touchy point. Of course, one can’t compare the feeling of being in an opera house with being in a {…}
Nearly thirty years ago, Ryan Brown created Opera Lafayette (OL), an organization dedicated to exploring baroque opera and its history via implementing period-instruments. But after being at the helm of the company and shepherding its growth into one of the major torchbearers for early opera performance tradition around the world, he’s decided to step away in 2025. In his place {…}
Lucas Meachem is an American, Grammy Award winning baritone whose compelling lyric baritone voice and dramatic interpretations have led him to the world’s most important operatic stages. He was discovered by mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, with the encouragement of tenor Paul Groves, after he sang a karaoke stint in Paris. Graham persuaded William Mason, the then director general of the Lyric {…}
