Philadelphia’s FringeArts has announced its 2020 lineup featuring 12 curated productions ranging from music to theater, installation art, and more with 114 independently-produced shows across genres and platforms. The 24th annual event runs from September 10 through October 4. On the musical end of the spectrum, there are four performances of note, all presented in a virtual format. Alter Ego {…}
Glyndebourne has announced the extension of its summer season for an additional two weeks between August 29 through September 13. The organization will now be offering additional outdoor concerts, including a recital performance by Glyndebourne’s Jerwood Young Artists. This concert will mark the 10th anniversary of the program and will bring together singers who were participants in recent years. The {…}
With opera in full swing in Europe and multiple artists beginning to tour, the opera world seems to be getting back to a somewhat new normal. This week Cecilia Bartoli embarks on a European tour with Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco, returning to the stage after months of quarantine and after canceling her Salzburg Whitsun Festival. Bartoli will perform {…}
(Credit: B. Ealovega) The Santa Fe Opera has announced that Susan Graham will become an Honorary Board member of the Santa Fe Opera Board of Directors. The company made the announcement via social media stating, “We are proud to announce the appointment of legendary mezzo-soprano and longtime friend of the Santa Fe Opera, Susan Graham, as an Honorary Board member {…}
(Credit: Deutsche Oper Berlin / Leo Seidel) UPDATE: Since the publication of this article, the Charité’s leadership has distanced itself from the statements made in this article. Here is the full update. Leading German epidemiologists from Berlin’s Clinic Charité have published a revised study suggesting that opera houses and concert halls should allow every seat in the audiences to be {…}
The Schubertiade has announced its latest series of broadcasts for the week starting on August 17. The first showcase will present soprano Sumi Hwang, baritone Johann Kristinssons, pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz, and clarinetist Clara Hoffer in such works as “Die junge Nonne,” “Nacht und Träume,” “Licht und Liebe,” “Antigone und Oedip,” “Der zürnenden Diana,” “Sehnsucht (D 516),” “Lied eines Schiffers an {…}
“The Wonderland Series” will make its digital premiere on Sept 16 and 26 as part of the Rochester Fringe Festival. The experimental multimedia opera by Anna Heflin was inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” and will feature violinist Shannon Reilly performing and acting as she “weaves between every imaginable multimedia form.” “Shannon is one of the most hardworking people {…}
(Credit: Julia Wesely) After a performance of “Elektra” on August 17, 2020, conductor Franz Welser-Möst was awarded with the Ruby Festival Brooch at the Salzburg Festival. The award was presented to the conductor on his 60th birthday by Salzburg Festival President Helga Rabl-Stadler. Welser-Möst made his debut with the Festival back on August 29, 1985 in a concert featuring works by {…}
We are now entering the final weeks of summer, which means that opera companies in Europe will be in full swing while many opera companies in North America will start to test the waters with their brand new digital seasons. Nonetheless, the streaming has continued at a steady clip with another set of unique offerings coming your way this week. {…}
Massenet’s opera “Thaïs,” set in 4th century Alexandria, focuses on two individuals with diametrically opposed outlooks and lifestyles. There is the hedonistic courtesan Thaïs, who seeks only love—although for no longer than a week at a time—and there is a cenobite monk named Athanaël, an ascetic, whose aim is to turn the courtesan to the path of righteousness. While he {…}
The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) have endorsed Joe Biden for President of the United States. Both AFM and IATSE represent musicians and stage employees of major opera companies and orchestras around the United States. In a report made by Deadline, AFM reached its decision to support the Democratic candidate via a {…}