(Photo Credit : Jonathan-Tichler) “La Damnation de Faust.” “La Rondine.” “Die Schöpfung.” “In a Grove.” “St. Matthew Passion.” “Antony and Cleopatra.” These are just a few of the many projects that tenor Paul Appleby took on this past season. What stands out in this list is how wide-ranging it is in its artistic exploration. There are several contemporary works, sacred {…}
The first draft didn’t work. Australian mezzo-soprano and novelist Indyana Schneider says that plainly, without flinching. By the time Schneider’s debut novel, “28 Questions,” hit shelves in January 2022, she’d already completed a full draft of her follow-up, “Since the World is Ending,” and it wasn’t good. But what followed was, in her words, “a really fun journey.” That journey {…}
(Photo credit : Nadeesha Rathnayake) Carolina López Moreno, Bolivian-Albanian Soprano, born and raised in Germany, is a versatile, award-winning artist, and is regarded as one of the most promising sopranos of her generation. On the brink of an international career, she has already collaborated with renowned orchestras and conductors, including the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Antonio Pappano and {…}
(Photo: Julien Gazeau) Mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston is rapidly making a name for herself in the world of classical music, especially for her expressive renditions of works from the baroque period. She already has a substantial discography, including the award-winning 2022 release, “Battle Cry,” and the fascinating disc of contemporary music, entitled “Isolation Songbook,” which was created in response to the {…}
(Photo: Federico Melis) Federico Fiorio is a male soprano, specializing in the baroque. I first came across him on his professional debut in 2018 when he was performing at Venice’s Teatro Malibran, in which he impressed with his “high degree of vocal control and versatility.” Since then, and almost by chance, I have had the opportunity of reviewing many of {…}
Throughout the years, the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Youth Opera Company has created a free program that gives students the chance to learn music and drama in one of the world’s most important opera houses in the world. Made for children between the ages of nine and 13, the Company offers students from all different backgrounds the chance to pursue {…}
(Photo: Victoria Elmas) (Warning: this article contains explicit language) Danish soprano Laura Helene Hansen trained at the Royal Academy of Music, Copenhagen, and the Opera Academy of the Royal Danish Opera, where her roles included Cio-Cio-San, Contessa Almaviva, Manon Lescaut, Die Marschallin and Elisabetta. She was also a subject of the TV series The Next Diva in Denmark last year. {…}
(Photo: Mattia di Pasquale) Genoese Soprano Benedetta commenced her international career at the age of just twenty. After pursuing piano and vocal studies in her home city, she is now continuing her training and specialization with esteemed soprano Barbara Frittoli. A recipient of several awards, and described as a “rising star,” she has achieved much critical acclaim, especially for her Mozart {…}
Violetta Urmana had not sung at the Metropolitan Opera since 2017. For 16 years, she was a leading soprano for the company, performing both mezzo and soprano roles in many of the most dramatic roles in the repertoire. Her “Aida” was one of the most memorable interpretations and was even recorded on HD, while her “La Gioconda” was iconic. She {…}
On June 1 and 8, the Philadelphia Orchestra will present Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” with Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducting the opera for the first time. The conductor has lined up an all-star cast of Wagner titans who have performed the work on numerous occasions. Among them is Stuart Skelton, who is recognized as one of the great Heldentenors of his generation. {…}
For years, Nina Stemme has been regarded as one of the great interpreters of the Wagner repertoire. Her Isolde has been widely admired by audiences around the world at some of the greatest theaters such as the Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne, and Berlin. In May 2004, she bid farewell to the role in a stage production, and now June 1, she {…}