(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 {…}
Opera San José is currently performing a production of “Bluebeard’s Castle” by Shawna Lucey. The new production features tons of easter eggs for the bride Judith and the audience to discover, including items from prior Opera San José productions like “The Marriage of Figaro,” “Tosca,” “Il Segreto,” and “Cinderella.” But the greatest discovery is likely to be Maria Natale. The {…}
(Photo Credit: Emma Kruch) Acclaimed mezzo-soprano recently debuted an expanded version of Thomas Adès’ “America: A Prophecy” with The Gewandhaus Orchestra under Andris Nelsons. Her other performances this season include Verdi’s “Requiem”and Anna in Berlioz’s monumental “Les Troyens”. OperaWire was glad for this opportunity to discuss with the mezzo-soprano both the modern and the classical roles in her repertoire. OperaWire: Hi Kelley — and thank you so much {…}
(Photo: courtesy of Vannina Santoni) Jules Massenet completed more than 30 operas over the course of his career, scoring numerous successes. Within a few years of his death, however, his reputation had faded. Today, apart from “Werther,” “Manon” and to a lesser extent “Thaïs,” most opera-goers would struggle to name more than one or two other titles. Opera companies reinforce {…}
On Feb. 3, 2024, Anna Netrebko will make her return to the United States in a recital at the Palm Beach Opera. The highly anticipated concert will showcase the soprano in a variety of repertoire that she has performed to great acclaim. At her side will be Angel Rodriguez, an acclaimed Cuban-Mexican pianist and composer based in Mexico. He has performed {…}