(Credit: Chris Singer) In Gramophone’s Opera recording of the year, Handel’s “Agrippina” with Erato Records, there are many shinning vocal performances, including those by Joyce DiDonato, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Franco Fagioli, and Luca Pisaroni, to name but a few. Luca Pisaroni wows the listener in the role of the bumbling Emperor Claudio. Pisaroni is perhaps best-known these days for his work {…}
On March 25, María José Siri made history at the Ópera de las Palmas in Spain by becoming the first woman to give an encore at the opera house. The soprano was not only taking on her first performances in the role of “Adriana Lecouvreur” but was also making her house debut at the prestigious Spanish theater. The production was {…}
(Photo credit: Frances Marshall) “At Home With… ” is a series collaboration between OperaWire and photographer Frances Marshall of Marshall Light Studio, combining original photography with insightful interviews. Between New York City and the stunning scenery of England’s Surrey Hills, a rumble like a temblor traveled across the Atlantic. On the Surrey side was the renowned bass, Brindley Sherratt. After the {…}
Soprano Angel Blue has become an operatic sensation. She recently had a stellar turn as Bess in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2019-20 season opener of “Porgy and Bess”. This year the recording won a Grammy for Best Opera Recording, with Angel Blue giving the acceptance speech onscreen. A natural on camera, she has also launched and hosted an online chat show {…}
(Photo Credit: Victor Santiago) Francesco Meli is one of the world’s leading tenors and has performed some of the most demanding Italian repertoire at every major international opera house. During the pandemic Meli has remained visible thanks to many online concerts performed both from his home and from the concert hall. He has also been busy in the recording studio {…}
On March 26, award-winning composer Evan Mack’s new album of art song, “The Travelled Road” released worldwide on all major streaming platforms. The recording came about organically after Mack invited mezzo-soprano Megan Marino and pianist John Arida to Skidmore College in New York State to noodle around and explore some ideas. Marino and Arida had worked together, and with Mack, {…}
(Photo credit: Alisabeth Von Presley) For opera artists around the world, COVID-19 was a major blow. Not only did they lose the opportunity to work, but in most cases, they have often been the last to get the chance to make their return. While several industries around the world have opened and closed repeatedly with the differing waves of the {…}
(Credit: Silvia Lelli) The Teatro Real de Madrid is one of the few theaters in the world that is currently performing for live audiences. The company has worked with performers and audiences to ensure the safety of everyone and still be able to bring culture in a socially distanced fashion. Annalisa Stroppa is one of the performers who is currently {…}
On March 18, the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Weiwuying is set to open a production of Verdi’s immortal “La Traviata,” which will be performed for a live audience. For many opera singers, the possibility of returning to the stage in front of a live audience is something truly unique and special, and this is undoubtedly the case for {…}
Four characters across generations come to terms with their identities as a major coming-out story was playing out on television. That is at the core of “The Puppy Episode,” a new work set to be showcased by Chicago Opera Theater as part of its Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer Residency. The work was composed by Matthew Recio in collaboration with librettist {…}
When La Monnaie was forced to postpone its planned “Bastarda” project, which would have featured the Tudor trilogy and Donizetti’s rarely performed “Il castello di Kenilworth,” the company had to opt for an alternative. The company decided to perform two rare works by Donizetti and Rossini; “La Favorita” and “Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra.” However, it would only be highlights of the {…}