The Pinchgut Opera is set to present the Australian premiere of Alessandro Scarlatti’s “The First Murder (Il primo omicidio).” The work is a rare Baroque piece that returns to one of humanity’s oldest myths, not simply to tell the story of Cain and Abel, but to explore what follows. “The First Murder” is a story of becoming human and the {…}
San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program is set to present “La Tragédie de Carmen.” The condensed, stark adaptation of Bizet’s “Carmen,” created by Peter Brook, Jean-Claude Carrière, and Marius Constant, presents the opera in a raw and psychologically intense form. The work will be conducted by Merole Almuni Stephanie Rhodes Russell and directed by another Merola alumni Mo Zhou. “La Tragédie {…}
Shakespeare would be proud. Benjamin Britten would cheer. Pocket Opera must celebrate, for its production of Britten’s Opera “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was a true success. Pocket Opera’s Chamber Opera Company, founded by Donald Pippin and now led by Nicolas A. Garcia, gave us all that delights and stirs in Britten’s musical version of Shakespeare’s famous comedy. At the Thomas {…}
The Amigos de la Ópera de A Coruña has announced its 2026 season celebrating 74 years. The season opens with Janacek’s “Jenůfa,” which will star Vanessa Goikoetxea, Eliska Weissová, Alejandro Roy, Joan Lainez, Marianne Cornetti, Gabriel Alonso, Javier Agudo, Andrea Varela, Belén Vaquero, and Ruth González. Alfons Flores and Ana Garay will be responsible for the staging while José Miguel Pérez-Sierra will conduct. Performance {…}
It was during her years working as an opera singer in Germany that Breana Stillman first encountered the transformative power of the art form beyond the stage, specifically through children’s choirs involved in opera productions. What she witnessed there, the musical growth, the exposure to languages and cultures, the discipline and sense of community it fostered in young people, planted {…}
The Hong Kong Professional Vocalists Association (HKPVA) will present a reimagined production of Georges Bizet’s “Le Docteur Miracle” as part of French May 2026. The production draws on a version of the score re-orchestrated by Marco Iannelli, who has adapted Bizet’s original harmonies for reduced forces to heighten clarity and theatrical immediacy. A fairy-tale staging concept, first developed for a {…}
G. Schirmer and Wise Music Group have announced a new publishing agreement with Canadian composer Ian Cusson. Cusson, who is of Métis and French-Canadian heritage, is known for his opera, orchestral works, and art song compositions. The centerpiece of Cusson’s upcoming schedule is the world premiere of his new opera, “Empire of Wild,” at the Canadian Opera Company on May {…}
The Indeterminacy Festival will present the world premiere of “Directions for Making a Round Ark.” The new chamber opera, which retells a Babylonian flood myth predating the biblical story of Noah’s Ark by a thousand years, unfolds in three parts and features three soloists joined by an intergenerational consortium of over 70 Brooklyn-based choral singers and instrumentalists conducted by Yonatan {…}
Classical Uprising will present Sarah Kirkland Snider’s song cycle “Penelope” as part of the Portland Bach Experience. The work, which sets lyrics by playwright Ellen McLaughlin, is scored for soprano, string quintet, and percussion. It draws on Homer’s “Odyssey” to tell the story of a woman whose husband returns after 20 years away. Mezzo-soprano Lauren Kelley, a core member of {…}
(Photo by Jiyang Chen) The Naumburg Orchestral Concerts has announced its its 121st season, which runs from June 9 through August 4, 2026 at the historic Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. Here is a rundown of vocal and operatic performances. Pianist Simone Dinnerstein leads Baroklyn and CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists) in a program featuring works by J.S. Bach and Philip {…}
(Photo Credit: Mark Bugnaski) The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2026–27 season. Handel’s “Messiah” returns to the holiday lineup for the first time in over a decade. Julian Kuerti conducts. Performance Date: Dec. 19, 2026 Holst’s “The Planets” will be conducted by Julian Kuerti. The program also includes music by Dukas and Haydn. Performance Date: Feb. 20, 2027 Bach’s {…}