It was 2014 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Clémentine Margaine, a graduate of the Paris Conservatory and winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Concours International de Marmande, was an ensemble member of the company who had just been handpicked by the casting director of the company to sing the title role of “Carmen.” “I was very lucky that {…}
At this moment, opera in Ireland is really on the up. Over the last couple of years, the country has seen a significant number of developments, which has started to lift its profile. This year, for example, saw the inauguration of the Irish National Opera company, which has an ambitious vision for delivering opera, showcasing Irish singers and increasing the {…}
It’s a big return for María José Montiel. The Spanish mezzo-soprano, who is recognized throughout Spain, has forged a career in opera, recitals, and concerts and has become one of the country’s most acclaimed classical singers of her generations. But rarely has she traversed the Atlantic to perform in the United States. Her last appearances in the States have been {…}
Soprano Deanna Breiwick has been around music and performance her entire life. She comes from a family of musicians and vocalists. She sang her first studio recital at age five, began as a classical harpist at age seven, and was let loose on Italian arias by age 14. Her first opera production was “Dialogues des Carmélites” at age 21 and {…}
The name Joyce DiDonato is synonymous with great music making, diverse repertoire, arts education, and advocacy. The mezzo is also one of the greatest living artists in the world and one of the busiest performers around. As she finishes her first staged production of “Les Troyens” at the Wiener Staatsoper, DiDonato is embarking on a tour with the Philadelphia Orchestra {…}
He has sung in practically every major opera house in the world. Specializing in the roles of Rossini, Mozart, and Donizetti, his career at the Metropolitan alone has garnished over one hundred performances from his debut in 1964 until his last performance there in 1975. Working with the major singers of this period, including a favorite, Maria Callas, he sang {…}
On Nov. 9, 2018, Michelle Bradley will perform in the last of four Verdi Requiem performances at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. And then in January the soprano, who adores Verdi’s music above all else, will make her role debut as Leonora in “La Forza del Destino.” It’s been a tremendous 2018 overall for Bradley, who made her role debut as {…}
Mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges’ first love was basketball. “It was something I was quite great at, and could see myself going far in,” the Lakewood, Washington native revealed to OperaWire in a recent interview. But eventually, something else took over her life as she grew older and she knew that she had to leave her first love behind to pursue her {…}
“Maria de Buenos Aires” is virtually synonymous in the modern day with Colombian soprano Catalina Cuervo. She has performed the Astor Piazzolla and Horacio Ferrer work more than any other singer in its history, appearing in 16 productions to date and over 60 performances. From her formative years in Colombia, Cuervo knew that she wanted to be on an opera {…}
What is it like to crossover from opera to rock music? Better yet,what it is like to fuse both genres into one score? That was the challenge mezzo-soprano Yajie Zhang had to face for the new opera “Orfeo” by Fay Kueen Wang and Zou Shuang. A classically trained performer, Zhang has steadily risen the ranks of the opera world performing {…}
Elīna Garanča is, for many, THE mezzo-soprano of this generation. With her movie star looks and acting chops to match. she has performed at all the major theaters, showcased an extensive array of repertoire and recorded award-winning albums. She has made a specialty of lyric mezzo roles such as Octavian in “Der Rosenkavalier” or the title role in “Carmen,” but {…}
