Q & A: Ilanah Lobel-Torres on What Inspires Her Most as an Opera Singer
(Photo: Angéline Moizard) As a young singer from New York, Ilanah Lobel-Torres never imagined that a few bars of music in a supporting role {…}
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Q & A: Soprano Emily Michiko Jensen Singing Cio-Cio San, the Role ‘That Started it All’
In childhood soprano Emily Michiko Jensen performed as a “super” for San Diego Opera’s production of “Madama Butterfly,” along with her sister. Now, she will star as Cio-Cio San in Opera San José’s “Madama Butterfly”, which opens on Nov. 16 and runs through the 30th. Jensen, a Japanese-American San Diego native who draws from her rich heritage as a woman {…}
In Less Than Five Minutes, Get To Know Soprano Jane Burnell
The up-and-coming British soprano Jane Burnell recently made her role debut as Countess Cortese in “Il Viaggio di Reims” at the Wexford Festival Opera. OperaWire was lucky to meet up with her for a quick interview to get to know more about her. OperaWire: What was the first opera you went to see? Jane Burrell: I was about 11 years {…}
Q & A: Cadie & Jonathan Bryan on Living Life & Art Together in Piedmont Opera’s ‘Pagliacci’
(Photo Credit: Daniel Welch) If you had to boil down the one constant connecting thread of opera, romance would likely be at the top of that list of possibilities. Simply put, what connects us to the greatest of operas is usually a great love story. Think “La Bohème,” “La Traviata,” “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Tristan und Isolde,” “Der Rosenkavalier,” etc. {…}
In Less Than Five Minutes, Get To Know Irish Soprano Ami Hewitt
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Q & A: Jonathan Tetelman on Returning to Carnegie Hall, Crossover & Performing With Yankees Legend Bernie Williams
(Photo: ©BenWolf) On Jan. 13, 2026, tenor Jonathan Tetelman will join guitarist and Yankees legend Bernie Williams for a special Carnegie Hall concert. The evening will blend classical, Latin, and jazz music and will feature special guests that include Mets legend José Reyes, Knicks icon Stephon Marbury, and Metropolitan Opera artists. The concert will be hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Darren Rovell {…}
Q & A: Cathedral Choral Society of Washington’s Steven Fox on Creating the Ensemble’s ‘Sound’
Since he took over the job eight years ago, Steven Fox, Music Director of Cathedral Choral Society (CCS) has done his utmost to transform the organization’s direction. To that end, Fox’s initiatives have included expanding the repertory, creating programs to improve the skill set of its members, and offering up new opportunities to deepen connections with the audience. “I am {…}
Q&A: Limmie Pulliam on Performing in the Festival International de Musique Saint-Georges’ First Opera
(Photo credit: Daniel Welch) The 2025 edition of the Festival International de Musique Saint-Georges will celebrate the 280th anniversary of the composer’s birth by presenting its first opera. The concert version of Leoncavailo’s “Paglacci” stars tenor Limmie Pulliam as Canio, soprano Michelle Johnson as Nedda, along with tenor Leo Williams, and baritones Darnell Ishmel and Franco Pomponi. Alexis Rainbow directs {…}
Q & A: Katerina Burton, the Soprano Soloist for the Cathedral Choral Society’s Performance of Mozart’s Requiem at National Cathedral, Washington, DC
(Photo credit: Gillian Riesen) When she was a child, Katerina Burton remembered her mother, a competitive figure skater, working to opera. “I loved watching her and other professionals skate to music from ‘Carmen,’ ‘Tosca,’ ‘Tristan und Isolde,’ etc…and I really just fell in love with the music and the storytelling,” Burton told OperaWire in a recent interview. That was the {…}
Q & A: Nicolò Balducci Talks About His Voice & The Roles That Are Making Him A Countertenor In Demand
(Photo: Guiseppe Tricarico) Countertenor Nicolò Balducci first came to attention at the 2022 Early Music Festival in Innsbruck, where he won 3rd prize as well as the Young Artist Award in its Cesti singing competition. Three years later, he is now an established singer with an impressive CV, boasting a wide repertoire of roles from operas of the baroque era, {…}
Q & A: Dave Monaco on How a Singer’s Voice Decides for Them, Not the Other Way Around
(Photo: © Riccardo Sammartini) Dave Monaco is not yet 30, but has already been hailed as a “tenor with exquisite natural vocality but impetuous elegance.” He is one of the most talented singers of the bel canto repertoire, particularly valued for his interpretations of Rossini’s work. Monaco has made a name for himself as a true virtuoso in the world {…}