Christian Van Horn is one of today’s rising stars in the opera world, the bass making major role debuts and opening new productions at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Canadian Opera Company and the Metropolitan Opera. This year, he became the third bass-baritone to win the Richard Tucker Award and the first of his voice type since 2003. Van Horn’s {…}
Baritone Levente Molnar is one of Hungary’s great artists and in just a few weeks, he will be showcasing the treasures of his country when the Hungarian State Opera performs at Lincoln Center. He has established a career all around the world, appearing in Zurich, Munich, Tokyo, London, Taiwan, and Freiburg, among others. Molnar, who previously performed at the Metropolitan {…}
Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas is no stranger to Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” The Mexican tenor, who takes on the role at the Los Angeles Opera for the first time this season on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2018, has performed the role all around the world. He has appeared as the Spanish prince in Vienna, in Munich, and in Zurich, among other cities. {…}
The title role in Puccini’s “Tosca” is quite possibly the biggest diva in all of opera. The role requires stamina, vocal prowess and an incredible singing actress who can convey all the complex emotions the character faces throughout the evening. It’s a role that every soprano dreams of and one that can elevate a career to stardom. It’s a role {…}
One of the events at this year’s “Vicenza in Lirica” was a production of Henry Purcell’s semi-opera “King Arthur,” in collaboration with the Conservatory “A. Pedrollo” of Vicenza, which provided a marvellous opportunity for its students to perform in front of the paying public in the magnificent surroundings of the Teatro Olimpico, the oldest indoor theatre in Europe. OperaWire was {…}
Of all the questions I asked Jeanne Pansard-Besson, who was deep in final rehearsals for a “Don Giovanni” at the New Generation Festival in Florence, there was one I was especially interested in hearing her answer to – In this age of on-demand everything (streaming, smart phones, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and what many people consider the very shrinking short–attention {…}
Bulgarian baritone Vladimir Stoyanov is one of the leading singers of his generation performing in many of the world’s leading companies. He has performed in such theaters as the Plovdiv Opera House, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, Berlin State Opera, Vienna State Opera, Zürich Opera, Teatro Real, La Fenice, Teatro Regio, Teatro Massimo, Royal Swedish Opera, and San Francisco Opera, {…}
On Sept. 1, 2018, the Teatro Julio Mario Santo Domingo will make history as it gives Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” its Colombian premiere. No that was not a joke. Or fake news. One of the seminal masterpieces in opera history, composed and premiered in the early 1900s, is making its way to the South American country for the first time in {…}
Throughout history, many opera stars have managed to make the crossover to Broadway and musical theatre, enjoying successful careers in both. Most recently, Renée Fleming earned raves for her work in “Carousel” on Broadway. Paolo Szot is another in recent years who has also managed a successful development in both arenas as well. Coloratura soprano Meghan Picerno is another taking {…}
Newsday once described Aprile Millo as “the high priestess of that old time operatic religion.” Indeed, Millo is still one of the few remaining divas of the past who continues to thrill audiences with her passionate and intense voice and whose sheer honesty continues to bring audiences back to a different time in the opera chronology. A huge exponent of {…}
Over the past years Italian-American tenor Leonardo Capalbo has garnered international acclaim for performing in some of the leading theaters such as The Royal Opera Covent Garden, Teatro Real Madrid, La Monnaie, Berlin State Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, L’Opéra de Lyon, Teatro Regio di Torino, the Canadian Opera Company, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, {…}