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, {…}
OperaWire was lucky enough to catch up with the wonderfully talented soprano Carmela Remigio, during the Festival della Valle d’Itria in Martina Franca, where she sang Armida in Handel’s “Rinaldo.” Known as “Madame Mozart” in Italy, owing to her close association with Mozart’s operas, and especially “Don Giovanni,” her repertoire is, in fact, far wider. In 2019, she is scheduled {…}
Since winning the Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 2005, Nicole Cabell has performed at all the major houses around the world and has also scored major success in numerous roles. After an acclaimed Micaëla in “Carmen” at the Atlanta Opera this past season and a summer filled with concerts in Russia, Germany, and Japan, Cabell returns to the {…}
Since her debut in 2002, Michèle Losier has become one of the most in-demand mezzo-sopranos in the world. She has garnered acclaim in numerous roles and has performed on some of the world’s greatest stages including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, San Francisco Opera, Salzburg Festival and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, among others. This month Losier sings at the Edinburgh Festival {…}
Often attention is focused on the stars of the opera world, but below the stellasphere there exist thousands of other singers, directors, conductors, and musicians pursuing their careers. Some are fairly well established and make comfortable livings on the stage and in the concert halls, some struggle to maintain a full calendar, while others are winding down as retirement approaches, {…}
The calendar year of 2018 is only half-way done, but for Steven LaBrie, it has been quite the ride. A survey of his year has included a plethora of major achievements. He debuted a new album, stepped into new roles for the first time, shared the stage with major stars, and debuted at new theaters as well. And he still {…}