From South Africa to America. Between those two countries is a vast ocean and traversing from the former to the latter presents a number of major challenges, not only physical, but emotional and economic. Opera is rife with characters battling the ocean on their way to success or tragedy. Just to name a few are the characters in Jake Heggie’s {…}
Creamy. Sweet. Intense. Warm. Thick. Bubbly. Dark. Light. Potent. Vibrant. Any one of those words could be used to describe an operatic voice. But as Matt Burns, founder of Magnum Opus Tasting Concerts (spelled officially Magnvm Opvs” to emphasize “voice” and “vine”), could tell you, they can also be used to represent wine. With his project, founded rather recently, the {…}
Opera requires a singer to perform in numerous languages. This can be daunting for anyone who does not speak any given tongue or does not have a connection to the corresponding culture. While some singers overcome this challenge by learning as much as is needed for a given piece, others feel that total immersion is the key to success. Case {…}
Maria Agresta has quickly risen to fame in the opera world. She has made debuts in all the great theaters including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, and Royal Opera House. She has also become the go-to soprano for the Verdi repertoire singing roles in “I Due Foscari,” “Il Trovatore,” “I Masnadieri,” “La Traviata” and “Simon Boccanegra.” This month she {…}
Liudmyla Monastyrska is one of the most in-demand Verdi sopranos of her time. Just look at her repertoire and engagements and you will see that the Ukrainian soprano has run the gamut of the great composer’s repertoire. From the earliest works to “Aida,” Verdi’s final dramatic soprano role, Monastyrska has deep knowledge of Verdi’s artistic development. Among the roles that {…}
Every opera career has a different path. Not everyone wins competitions, not everyone starts at the top opera houses or young artist programs, and not everyone begins at the same age. And that is very clear for Angel Blue, who has taken unconventional paths to becoming one of the most promising young artists in opera. “I am definitely open and {…}
How do you balance a career in opera with a high-profile presence in musicals and cabaret? While crossover is frequent among many artists, it is rare to see a singer split his or her time between opera and musicals. However, that has not been a problem for Polish-Brazilian baritone Paulo Szot, as his work in opera has been met with critical {…}
Imagine doing a rehearsal in one city until 10 p.m. and then having to fly to another city, to do another rehearsal for another opera, just 12 hours later. Well, that is what John Chest faces right now, as the baritone takes on Benjamin Britten’s “Billy Budd” in Berlin and John Harbison’s “The Great Gatsby” at the same time. The {…}
When audiences headed to see Rossini’s “Otello” this past March at LoftOpera, many were looking forward to seeing the rare bel canto opera and its famed three tenor roles. But when all was said and done, the consensus seemed to be quite surprising – soprano Cecilia Violetta Lopez owned the run. Here at OperaWire, we singled out her work as {…}
Haydn’s “Creation” is one of the great musical masterworks of all time, the ambitious oratorio relating the creation of the world as told through “Genesis.” Since its premiere in 1799, Haydn’s masterpiece has been a fixture at every major concert venue around the world, including some sacred locales around the world. This week, the oratorio will be showcased at the {…}
For years Kate Lindsey has been dominating the operatic scene with her endearing characterizations in some of the most famous pants roles in the repertoire, particularly the character of Nicklausse in “Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” This year, audiences will finally be able to see Lindsey in a very different light as she explores the world of Kurt Weill and his contemporaries {…}