Over the past year, María José Siri’s career has skyrocketed from opening the Teatro alla Scala in a new production of “Madama Butterfly” to premiering a new production of “Manon Lescaut” at the Teatro Regio di Torino. This past month she was also called to make another high-profile opening at the Vienna State Opera in “Il Trovatore.” Since then she {…}
“To see the elephants. The lights. The action. I was sold. I didn’t understand why I had to go to school because I knew what I wanted right away. I thought it was the most amazing magical night ever.” That was mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught’s description of her first ever experience at the Arena di Verona as a 13-year-old. The Dundalk, {…}
For years, tenor Russell Thomas has developed into one of the rising stars of the opera world, his incredible lyricism and potent dramatic voice making him a fixture for some of the greatest operas. He has dominated in Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini alike at the greatest opera houses around the world including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Oper {…}
José Carreras will always be remembered as part of The Three Tenors. But for opera lovers, he will be remembered for his expressive and gorgeous voice that resonated throughout the world’s greatest theaters. He sang over 60 roles from operas by Verdi and Puccini and created memorable productions including the famed Franco Zeffirelli production of “La Bohème” at the Metropolitan {…}
Performances of Washington National Opera’s (WNO) production of Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Aida’ are well underway. While the production finishes its run on September 23rd, there remains great interest, and for good reason. With set and costume designs drawing inspiration from Los Angeles-based artist RETNA, audiences will no doubt find much novelty in this classic work set within the ancient world of {…}
On September 22, 2017, Utopia Opera will premiere its production of “Hydrogen Jukebox,” a modern chamber opera born from the collaboration of poet Alan Ginsberg and composer Philip Glass. During the 1988 presidential election debates between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis, Glass and Ginsberg felt they weren’t addressing the real concerns of the American people and this became the {…}
Saimir Pirgu is one of today’s top tenors, singing at every major international theater, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Teatro alla Scala, the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Paris Opéra, the Berlin Staatsoper and Deutsche Oper, the Zurich Opera, Barcelona’s Liceu, the San Francisco Opera, and the Salzburg Festival. This season he heads to the Teatro {…}
Rihab Chaieb is a rising star in the opera world having won the 2016 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition and becoming a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program. The Tunisian mezzo-soprano has quickly earned praise singing a number of houses including the Canadian Opera Company where she was a member of the Ensemble Studio and participant in {…}
Joan of Arc is an iconic figure and one that has been showcased in a lot of different art forms, including opera. In recent years, some operas telling the famed heroine’s story have been given revivals, most notably Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco.” Of a different ilk, but no less compelling is Tchaikovsky’s “The Maid of Orleans,” which will open Odyssey Opera’s {…}
In a contemporary landscape overrun with new operas featuring white, cisgendered men in the title roles, it’s refreshing to consider Opera Philadelphia’s newest commission, “Elizabeth Cree.” This chamber opera, composed by Kevin Puts with a libretto by Mark Campbell, adapts Peter Ackroyd’s macabre murder mystery, “The Trial of Elizabeth Cree.” The story, set in late 19th century London, follows Elizabeth Cree, {…}
On September 23, 2017, On Site Opera will present the World Premiere of John Musto’s “Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt” at the American Museum of Natural History. Known for staging performances in unusual venues that serve to bring out the best of both the opera and environment, On Site Opera hopes to bring life and sound to the Hall of {…}