(Credit: Emelie Kroon) When COVID-19 struck a few months back, one of the final “live” performances to take the stage was a rendition of Wagner’s “Die Walküre” in Sweden. Among the performers in that production was dramatic soprano Elisabet Strid, who took on the role of Sieglinde. Strid, who has performed in such opera houses as the Teatro Real, Lyric {…}
The Lithuanian National Opera has postponed the premiere of Donizetti’s “Anna Bolena” due to the COVID-19 crisis. The company postponed the opening dates on the recommendation of the National Centre for public health. “Anna Bolena” was set to open August 25 and 27 with Francesca Sassu in the title role and Raffaella Lupinacci as Giovanna Seymour. The company announced that new {…}
Boosey & Hawkes has announced that it has signed Serbian-Canadian composer Ana Sokolovic to its roster. Sokolovic immigrated to Canada in the 1990s and engaged in collaborations with Queen of Puddings Music theatre, which commissioned her first operas. She also worked alongside the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec. Among her most renowned works are her four operas, which have {…}
(Credit: Met Opera / Ken Howard / Marty Sohl) The Met Opera has unveiled its 25 and 26th weeks of streaming, continuing its theme-based streaming options. For week 25, the company will focus on 20th-century classics, while the ensuing week of streams will place an emphasis on French operas. Monday, August 31 – R. Strauss’s Elektra Starring Nina Stemme, Adrianne Pieczonka, Waltraud {…}
(Credit: Esmeralda Martin) The Teatro Español has announced that it will present the European premiere of Campbell, Reed, and Kaminsky’s “As One” on September 24, 2020 in a co-production with the Teatro Arriaga. The opera will spotlight mezzo-soprano Inés Olabarria-Smith and baritone Enrique Sánchez-Ramos. The Bauhaus String Quartet will accompany the two singers. Carlos Calvo Tapia will conduct the production {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Federico Fellini’s “And {…}
The Knights Orchestra is set to stream “Candide” on August 25, 2020, in celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s 102 birthday. The production was directed by Alison Moritz and starred Miles Mykkanen in the title role with Sharleen Joynt as Cunegonde, Margaret Gawrsyak as the Old Lady, and Evan Jones as Pangloss, Voltaire, and Cacambo. Other cast members include Alexander Elliot, Alex {…}
Opera Colorado has announced a series of digital performances by its 2019-20 Artists in Residence entitled “An Afternoon of American Song.” The program, which was originally slated for a live performance in March but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will feature six pre-recorded video sets. The recordings will be released on a weekly basis on the company’s official {…}
( Credit: Matt Bellin) Skylark Opera has announced that it will present a special program for the senior residents at the Ebenezer Ridge Points Apartments on August 22, 2020, at 1 p.m. CST. Soprano Bergen Baker and the vocalist and stage director Paul Coate will perform a wide selection of pieces from operas, operettas, and the musical theater, including Broadway {…}
(Credit: Tete a Tete Festival Official Website) Tête à Tête Opera Festival has unveiled some unique operas that it will be presenting in the coming weeks. First up will “Last Party on Earth,” which will showcase a post-apocalyptic work where two survivors make their way through what’s left of the world until they come across a Queen of Cans in {…}
(Credits: ROH/Bill Cooper / Christopher Pledger / Shirley Suarez / Gregor Hohenberg/Sony) Wigmore Hall has announced the full slate for the 2020 fall season. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the vocal works only. All the concerts will be live-streamed on the Wigmore Hall’s website in HD. Here is the rundown. Baritone Christian Gerhaher and the {…}