Opera Holland Park has announced the retirement of General Director Michael Volpe, which will take effect on Sept. 30, 2020. Volpe began working with the owners of Holland Park Theatre in 1989 and under their management founded Opera Holland Park in 1996. In 2015, he transitioned the company to its own independent charity, working together with James Clutton to transform {…}
“Lucrezia Borgia” is one of the most challenging soprano roles of the Bel Canto repertoire. It is a part that sopranos relish to sing due to the complexity of the character and the flashiness of the music. So when a new soprano takes on the part for the first time, it is always exciting to wonder how that singer will {…}
The Orchestra Now has unveiled its 2020 winter-spring season, which will include 16 concerts. For the purposes of this article, we will only focus on operatic and vocal concerts. The company’s first major vocal showcase will be “Rest in Pieces,” which will be presented by the Bard Conservatory Graduate Vocal Art Program. The event will celebrate opera, with music by {…}
Opera for Peace is set to showcase the latest concert in its series supported by Unesco, le Forum International pour la Paix, and la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de L’Humanité on Thursday Jan. 23, 2020 at Place Flagey in Brussels. The concert will feature a wide range of operatic talent, including soprano Elizaveta Ulakhovic, mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti, tenor Jesse Mimeran, {…}
(Credit: Paula Lobo) The MetLiveArts program featured “Ute Lemper: Weimar Holiday” at The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium as part of a special Holiday series. Lemper performed story-telling music by Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weil, Friedrich Hollaender, Mischa Spoliansky, Marcellus Schiffer, Shmerke Kaczerginski and Alexander Tamir. The evening highlighted an enlightening and progressive time in Germany’s music history which cultivated the awareness {…}
(Credits: Johannes Ifkovits) The Vienna State Opera will live stream Wagner’s “Lohengrin” on Jan. 19, 2020. The opera will feature tenor Piotr Beczala as Lohegrin, a role that he has made his own over the past few years. He will be joined by Ain Anger, Cornelia Beskow, Egils Silins, Linda Watson, and Boaz Daniels. Valery Gergiev will conduct the opera {…}
(Credit: Markus Gárder / Royal Swedish Opera) OperaVision will present Giordano’s “Fedora” from the Royal Swedish Opera on Jan. 17, 2020. The Verismo work will star Malin Byström, Daniel Johansson, Ola Eliasson, Marianne Odencrants, Krisitan Flor, Emelie Thoor, Niklas Björling Rygert, Jon Nilsson, John Erik Eleby, Jens Persson, Håkan Ekenäs, Andreas Lundmark, Mikael Fagerholm, and Henrik Hugo, among others. Eugene {…}
(Source: Provided by G. Schirmer) G. Schirmer Inc. has announced that it has reached a publishing administration agreement with Du Yun, a composer, performer, activist, and curator, who has created the opera “Angel’s Bone.” “Angel’s Bone” was the piece for which Du Yun won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize. Du Yun’s “Sweetland” is set to world premiere in 2020 with The {…}
(Credit: junmarkl.com) German conductor Jun Märkl has canceled his performances with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra on January 16 and January 17, 2020 according to the statement on the conductor’s personal Facebook webpage. Märkl said in a statement that the disagreements erupted over contractual issues, and that he has made numerous efforts to find a compromise, but to no avail. “Now {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl/ Metropolitan Opera) On Jan. 10, 2020 Verdi’s “La Traviata” returned to the stage in Michael Mayer’s production. It was the first revival of the production which scored a divisive reaction from the critics and the audience last season when it premiered. For this revival the Met brought superstar Aleksandra Kurzak, who was taking on the role of {…}
(Credit: Arielle Doneson) The Atlanta Opera is set to premiere Tomer Zvulun’s new production of “Salome” on Jan. 25, 2020. The work will star Jennifer Holloway in her U.S. title role debut with Arthur Fagen conducting. Holloway has turned “Salome” into one of her signature roles, performing it in Dreseden, Mannheim, Leipzig, Bilbao, and England’s Opera North. Nathan Berg will {…}