(Photo: Craig Gibson) Freddie De Tommaso is an Anglo-Italian tenor from Tunbridge Wells who received universal acclaim in 2021 when he stepped up to rescue an ailing Bryan Hymel, substituting his Cavaradossi halfway through the Royal Opera House’s performance of “Tosca.” The Times described the occasion as a “had to be there moment.” He repeated the role for his Metropolitan {…}
Pene Pati is having a breakout season, making important debuts at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera. The tenor has been hailed for his “extraordinary gift for producing a golden thread of sound” and his “round and sunshine-filled voice.” He has won numerous awards around the world including the Opus Klassik Newcomer of the Year Award, Best {…}
(Credit: Olivia Kahler) Alasdair Kent made a name for himself performing in opera houses around the world, but his upcoming role as Frederic in West Australian Opera’s “The Pirates of Penzance” marks his principal debut in his home city of Perth, Western Australia. The role is one of many exciting firsts for the singer this year, who following his performance {…}
In February, soprano Fotina Naumenko was nominated for a Grammy for her album “Bespoke Songs.” The album was dedicated to showcasing contemporary vocal chamber music, featuring four world premiere recordings of newly-written musical works for soprano voice and mixed instrumental ensembles, with lyrics by female authors. Naumenko is a singer who performs art song, oratorio, opera, choral, chamber, and new {…}
(Photo: © Marigona Qerkezi press) Kosovo soprano Marigona Qerkezi gave her first performance at the age of six, in Ljubljana. She has performed on many international stages and has won scholarships from Croatia, Italy and Russia. She is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the first prize at the Leyla Gencer Opera Competition and a special prize from the {…}
Atom Egoyan‘s “Seven Veils” is an ambitious film. Set in Toronto, it follows Jeanine, a theater director doing a revival of “Salome” at the Canadian Opera Company. As she digs deeper into the production, created by her former mentor, Jeanine is faced with some of her past traumas uniting “reality” with the theatrical. The film delves deep into Jeanine’s psychology {…}
(Photo: FreddieF) This year’s International Händel Festival in Göttingen kicks off on May 16th and will run until May 25th. The festival will present a range of events dedicated to the composer, including lectures, concerts, recitals, and readings, along with the eighth edition of its Händel competition. The centerpiece of the festival will be five staged performances of the composer’s {…}
(Photo: Felix Grünschloß) OperaWire was fortunate to be present at The International Händel Festspiele in Karlsruhe earlier this month in which we caught a splendid production of the composer’s 1731 opera, “Rinaldo.” Fortunately, we managed a very quick interview with one of its star performers, mezzosoprano Valeria Girardello. OperaWire: What was the first opera you saw? Valeria Girardello: “L’Italiana in {…}
(Credit: Nick Coleman/Coleman PhotoGraphix) On March 15, the Portland Opera is set to present “The Shining” an opera by Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell. The work comes from the iconic book by Stephen King that was made legendary by Stanley Kubrick with his 1980 film starring Jack Nicholson. Having made its world premiere in 2016, the opera has been performed {…}
(Photo: courtesy of Giselle Allen) Later this month, Irish National Opera will be staging a new production of Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer,” conducted by Fergus Sheil and directed by Rachael Hewer, with baritone Jordan Shanahan as the Dutchman. OperaWire recently met up with the Northern Irish soprano, Giselle Allen, who is currently preparing for the role of Senta, to talk {…}
(Photo: Ivano Buat) Internationally acclaimed conductor Daniel Oren is particularly recognized for his interpretations of Italian opera, especially works by Verdi, and is noted for his successful career at prestigious opera houses around the world. He has collaborated with conductors Herbert von Karajan and Franco Ferrara and was famously chosen by Leonard Bernstein to sing the role of the boy {…}