Minnesota-native conductor Joseph Mechavich is a truly versatile maestro. He’s known for his commitment to contemporary American opera. The conductor is a champion of Jake Heggie’s work, has led productions of John Adam’s “Nixon in China,” and Floyd’s “Susannah,” among many others. As of this writing, Mechavich just finished a run of “Dead Man Walking,” with the Atlanta Opera, and {…}
Baritone Mark Cotton has been performing opera for 30 years, garnering acclaim around the United States for his portrayals in some of the greatest operas. Having studied with such greats as Carlo Bergonzi and Franco Corelli, Cotton has performed the roles of Falstaff in Otto Nicolai’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” Germont in “La Traviata,” Valentin in “Faust,” Belcore in {…}
On February 14, 2019, Plácido Domingo visited Vilnius to prepare a performance alongside Ana María Martínez and Violeta Urmana, and conductor Jordi Bernàcer at Žalgiris arena. It is not often that one gets an opportunity to introduce the icon, who needs no introduction. Fortunately, OperaWire was at the press event prior to the performance and had an opportunity to ask {…}
Amy Owens is the true definition of renaissance artist. As a coloratura soprano, she gravitates more to recitals and concert operas rather than staged productions. She released an electronic pop album this summer, right before attending the Linda and Mitch Hart Dallas Institute for Women Conductors. Just for the fun of it, Owens took on rare (and more difficult) version of {…}
It takes years for an artist to reach his or her “peak.” Years of constant work, precision, and experience are some of the keys to finding yourself fulfilling the dreams that you initially set out to conquer. And in some cases, that might not be enough. Soprano Ermonela Jaho has been performing around the opera world for over 25 years {…}
Soprano Erin Morley is one of opera’s most sought-after lyric coloraturas, having wowed audiences and critics alike in such quintessential coloratura roles as Zerbinetta in “Ariadne auf Naxos,” Sophie in “Der Rosenkavalier,” Cunegonde in “Candide,” and, Olympia in “Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” In early January, the Salt Lake City native finished her debut run as Pamina in “The Magic Flute” at {…}
“For 30 years my Dad thought he was a girl. This is the story of how he found himself.” So says eight-year-old William Bouk regarding “Mr. Liz: Living in the In-Between,” a showcase featuring mezzo-soprano Liz Bouk and his family. The show had a series of successful previews in late 2018, but will now get a run of shows at {…}
Internationally renowned soprano Aprile Millo returns to New York on January 30, 2019 for a highly anticipated recital with the New York City Opera. This performance marks her first concert in the city in nearly a decade. Accompanied by Inseon Lee on piano, Millo will perform a wide-ranging program consisting of songs by Bellini, Tosti, Liszt, Donaudy, Rachmaninoff, and Wagner, as {…}
“Don Giovanni” is undeniably one of the great operas in the standard repertory. While the title character is the focal point of the story, there is no denying that the opera simply can’t work without a potent contrasting force in the form of Donna Anna. That is the challenge for any soprano taking on the role of the Mozart heroine. {…}
Wilhelm Schwinghammer is one of today’s leading German basses. Throughout the past few years, he has performed at the Bayreuth Festival, Teatro Real de Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Wiener Staatsoper and the Hamburg Staatsoper as a studio member. He is a great exponent of the operas of Wagner, Strauss, Mozart, and Verdi, as well as the works of Puccini {…}
In a few weeks, the New York City Opera will continue its championing of bold, dramatic operas — both musically and thematically — with the jazz opera, “Dear Erich.” Premiering at the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene, at the Museum of Hewish Heritage in Battery Park, New York, the opera uses the idiom of jazz to deal with one of history’s {…}