Stephen Schwartz, the composer of the musical “Wicked,” has canceled his commitment at Washington National Opera following the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The composer said that “Last year, way before the change of Board and name of the Kennedy Center, I was invited by (director) Francesca Zambello to be part of a Washington {…}
(Credit: © James Bort / OnP) The Opéra National de Paris has appointed Semyon Bychkov its new Music Director. The company and Alexander Neef, Director General of the Paris National Opera, announced the news and noted that Bychov will start his tenure on August 1, 2028. His first contract will be for four seasons. Bychov will be responsible for overseeing {…}
(Credit: © Hugo Thomassen) The Dutch National Opera is set to revive a production of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde.” The production by Pierre Audi will be conducted by Tarmo Peltokoski, who leads his first complete run of Wagner’s revolutionary work. The cast will include soprano Malin Byström, who makes her role debut as Isolde and Michael Weinius as Tristan. They {…}
(Photo: Pato Cassinoni) Irish National Opera‘s (INO) recent tour of Smetana’s “The Bartered Bride” took in a number of small venues across Ireland that rarely, if ever, get featured in its normal schedule. Included were towns such as Birr, Monaghan and Manorhamilton, situated in the rural hinterlands, far distant from the Dublin metropolis and the smaller urban areas of Galway, {…}
Welcome back for the first edition of 2026’s CD and DVD releases from around the opera world. The year kicks off with star-studded new releases including a new Verdi recording and an Offenbach opera that features some of today’s greatest performers. Luigi Gordigiani: Romantic Florence – Songs For Voice And Piano Dynamic releases mezzo-soprano Marina Comparato’s latest album. She is {…}
The Atlanta Opera has announced a major evolution of its annual new-works initiative. The company said that its 96-Hour Opera Festival will relaunch in 2026 under a new name— the NOW Festival (New Opera Works). The new title aims to reflect the company’s expanded commitment to championing bold, contemporary storytelling and nurturing the next generation of opera creators. The company {…}
(Credit: Patrice Nin) The Vienna Philharmonic has announced that the New Year’s Concert 2027 will be conducted by Tugan Sokhiev. The orchestra said that its artistic collaboration with Tugan Sokhiev began in 2009 during an Asian tour in Seoul and was followed by joint appearances at subscription concerts in Vienna and in many other cities around the world. In 2025, {…}
Bass Seokjun Kim has joined TACT Artists Management. Kim is a member of the ensemble at Staatstheater Nürnberg, where he has performed such roles as Timur (“Turandot”), Osmin (“Die Entführung aus dem Serail”), Daland (“Der fliegende Holländer”), Banco (“Macbeth”), Sarastro and Sprecher (“Die Zauberflöte”), Don Basilio (“Il barbiere di Siviglia”), and Hermann (“Tannhäuser”). He has also performed at the Korea {…}
On Dec. 29, 2025, Carmen de Lavallade, the first Creole/African descendant prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera, died at the age of 94, following a short illness at a hospital in Englewood, New Jersey. Born on March 6, 1931 in Los Angeles, California to Creole parents from New Orleans, Louisiana, she studied ballet with Melissa Blake at the age of {…}
The Grand Théâtre de Genève has announced that it has closed its home at Place de Neuve. The company said that its home will be closed for 18 months of renovations, scheduled to last until the end of June 2027. As a result, all its productions will be presented at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrice. The company next performs “L’Italian {…}
Bryn Terfel has joined Classic FM for a new four part series. The Welsh bass-baritone will host “Opera Villains with Bryn Terfel,” drawing inspiration from his own portrayals of roles from Don Giovanni to Sweeney Todd. In the series he will explore what makes these villains tick, and whether they are truly evil or simply flawed. In a statement Terfel said, {…}
