It looks like most stars are back rehearsing. Check out what they share this week. Ainhoa Arteta The week has been busy for the Ainhoa Arteta as she is preparing to sing the title role of Tosca.” The diva showed off some stills of the current production she is rehearsing and from the looks of it, audiences should be in {…}
The weekend kicks off with numerous companies performing some of Verdi’s timeless classics. There will also be Mozart, Wagner and some rare gems by Weill and Heggie. Check out what’s playing near you! Austria At the Vienna State Opera Puccini’s “Tosca” kicks off with Sae-Kyung Rim in the title role alongside Aleksandrs Antonenko and Marco Vratogna. On Saturday the company will {…}
It won’t be a busy opera weekend around the United States, but there are notable companies showcasing major productions throughout the country. The Arizona Opera’s run of “Madama Butterfly” gets its final three performances in Phoenix on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Florida Grand Opera will also continue its run of “Eugene Onegin” on Friday and Saturday, the latter performance {…}
On Feb. 5 American audiences will celebrate one of the most popular holidays – the Super Bowl. And while it is a football event that doesn’t have anything to do with opera, operatic stars have definitely been present throughout the past few years in many sporting events. Just looking at the Olympics held in Russia in 2014. Anna Netrebko performed {…}
This weekend, the start up opera company OperaRox Productions will present Handel’s “Alcina.” The company will perform the work on Feb 3 and 5. Noted as one of Handel’s most popular works, Alcina tells the story of a fearsome sorceress with an island of her own, who lures men to their doom. After seducing them with her magic, she turns the men into {…}
Martina Arroyo is one of the greatest singers of 1960’s and 1980’s and was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve wide success. Today she is viewed as part of an instrumental group of performers who helped break down the barriers of racial prejudice in the opera world. This year Arroyo celebrates her 80th birthday and {…}
Robert Neu was not expecting to be named the new artistic director of the Skylark Opera Theatre. But sure it was hard to not see it coming. The company announced the director’s new position as part of unveiling its new season, which will feature two new productions of opera staples. “Not only does Bob bring us extensive directing and production {…}
We have just entered the Winter season, but the Aspen Music Festival is already getting people pumped for the season, announcing its performance slate for the months of June, July and August. Opera aficionados will find a lot to marvel at including a number of recitals. Michelle De Young will give a concert on July 25, 2017 featuring “Timothy Collins’ {…}
Sonya Yoncheva has returned to the stage. After having cancelled her run of Massenet’s “Manon” at the Opera de Monte Carlo due to back pains, the soprano returned to the stage for “Les Victoires de la musique classique.” The soprano performed “Vissi d’Arte” from Puccini’s “Tosca.” Yoncheva has yet to perform the complete opera but based the on the frequency with which {…}
How does one discover opera? Is it through recordings, family or through music in schools? The answer is never a simple one and at times it is merely by coincidence. For some it is about discovery and curiosity. That’s Michele Angelini’s story. Discovering Opera “It was the movie ‘Amadeus.’ Specifically June Anderson singing the Queen of the Night,” Angelini revealed {…}
What do Renata Tebaldi, Puccini’s “La Bohème” and his “Manon Lescaut” have in common? They were all “born” on the same day – Feb. 1. The great soprano came into the world on Feb. 1, 1922 in Pesaro, Italy, the land of Rossini, but ironically not one of the featured composers in her repertoire. She did sing two of his {…}
