The Japan Society in NYC has unveiled its 2022-23 season. For the purposes of this article, our sole focus will be on vocal and operatic performances. The season opens with “Yukio Mishima’s Hanjo” as created by Toshio Hosokawa. The reality-bending opera will be directed by Luca Veggetti and conducted by Neal Goren. The performance will feature an excerpt from the {…}
France’s Les Choregies d’Orange Festival has announced a cast change for its “La Gioconda” performance on August 6, 2022. The festival noted that Csilla Boross will replace Saioa Hernández in the title role. Hernández canceled her scheduled performance due to personal reasons and noted, “I’m sorry not being able to meet the public who had decided to be with me in {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced a replacement for Angel Blue in “La Traviata” on July 30, 2022. The company noted that Nina Minasyan will sing the role of Violetta. Blue canceled the production earlier this month because the Arena di Verona decided to use Blackface in a production of “Aida.” Blue called the practice “offensive, humiliating, and outright racist.” {…}
Renowned musicologist Richard Taruskin died from cancer at age 77 on July 1, 2022. Taruskin was the author of the monumental “The Oxford History of Western Music,” a six volume set tracing Western music from around 800 CE to the late-20th century. The Washington Post called Taruskin’s massive 4,000 page narrative history “Erudite, engaging, and suffused throughout with a mixture {…}
The Sparrow Initiative will present Mozart’s “The Impresario” on August 6, 2022 at St. Wilfrid’s Episcopal Church in Huntington Beach in California. The showcase, which will star baritone Anthony Moreno, soprano Amy Joy Stephens, soprano Alyssa Wills, tenor Dominic Salvati, and pianist Jasper Jimenez. There will also be excerpts from a number of other major operas including “La Bohème,” and {…}
The New Camerata Opera will present an outdoor summer concert on August 6, 2022. The showcase, which will be hosted by Operation Gig!, will take place at Ditmas Park in Brooklyn and features New Camerata Opera’s principal soloists. The showcase follows a number of concerts at Anita’s Way in Manhattan set to take place on August 4. New Camerata Opera {…}
“Chevalier” is set to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film directed by Stephen Williams is a historical drama about Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, considered one of the great composers of his time. The film turns the spotlight on the Black artist whose legacy has been woefully obscured. The movie, which is set to be {…}
(Credit: Ken howard) PBS has announced that it will start broadcasting the Metropolitan Opera’s performance of “Don Carlos” on Sunday, August 7, 2022. The Verdi opera stars Sonya Yoncheva, Jamie Barton, Matthew Polenzani, Eric Owens, John Relyea, and Étienne Dupuis. Of the production, OperaWire’s Francisco Salazar noted that while the production did not really present the “original” French version of the {…}
The UK Premiere of Mark Adamo’s “Little Women” was a tad late getting underway. The almost capacity audience at Opera Park Holland needing to be reminded three times to take their seats in order for the performance to commence. Not that Mr. Adamo himself, present at the event in the 5th row back, would have minded much; given that he {…}
Joe O’Neill will become Nevill Holt Opera’s new Managing Director. O’Neill will take up the post in September and will succeed Annie Lydford who will become the Chief Executive at The Academy of St Martin in the Fields. He is currently the Senior Producer for the Education department at Shakespeare’s Globe where he has championed the growth of access to {…}
The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra will perform in Lincoln Center in two free concerts on August 18 and 19, 2022. The symbolic international Freedom Tour includes recent refugees of the war, members of orchestras in other parts of Europe, and the leading musicians of Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Odesa. The Metropolitan Opera and the Polish National Opera brought these musicians together {…}