The New York City Opera has announced that it will broadcast an excerpt from William Grant Still’s “Troubled Island” to celebrate June 19. The excerpt will feature bass Kevin Thompson performing “I Dream of a World” and will be streamed on the company’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. “Black Lives have mattered to the New York City Opera since its inception {…}
The CBC Virtual Orchestra will release a world premiere performance of Vivian Fung’s “Prayer.” The online recording, created in isolation with musicians from 28 different orchestras throughout Canada, will be led by Metropolitan Opera music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Audiences will get a chance to experience the world premiere globally on July 1, 2020 via CBC Music. “’Prayer’ is, in essence, {…}
(Credit: Petra Hajská) The Czech Philharmonic will be presenting a concert to an audience of 500 people at Sychrov Castle on June 24, 2020. The performance is dedicated to the healthcare workers in the Czech Republic who have been a major force behind the country’s stabilization during the outbreak of COVID-19. Since the lockdown began, the orchestra has presented a {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced changes to its 2020-21 season. Instead of presenting Verdi’s “Nabucco” in August, the company will present a Verdi gala with Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Patrick Cook, Marko Mimica, Saioa Hernandez, and Irene Roberts. Performances are set for Sept. 12 and 13, 2020. On Sept. 19 and 20 Verdi’s “Aida” will be performed in a “Best of” Concert with {…}
The National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter has awarded $25,000 to Nashville Opera to support an enhanced partnership between Nashville Opera and Tennessee State University that provides access, promotes inclusion, and expands career pathways for African-American artists. The collaboration will include digital masterclasses, digital and/or live community-engagement panel discussions, and virtual outreach at HBCUs around the country. {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu is set to offer a concert to plants. Under the title “Concierto para el bioceno,” the Barcelona theater will perform a concert to 2,292 plants, which will be placed throughout the theater. The concert will be held on June 22, a day after the state of emergency in Spain is lifted. The project is a {…}
Valhalla Media will launch a brand new streaming platform aimed at providing live opera performances to audiences worldwide. On June 26, the company will feature baritone Will Liverman alongside pianist Paul Sanchez in a program centered on African-American composers including Leslie Adams, Margaret Bonds, Damien Snead, and Robert Owens. There will also be a world premiere by Shawn Okpebholo. On {…}
The Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile has reported that theatrical designer Germán Droghetti has died as a result of the coronavirus. Born in 1958, Droghetti became involved with the theater when he won a competition to work on the sets and costumes for the Teatro Municipal’s productions. Over the decades, he worked on the operas “Carmen,” “The Barber of Seville,” {…}
“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 Kon Ichikawa’s “The {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts has announced eight new resident artists for its opera academy. The artists include sopranos Loella Grahn from Sweden, Joanna Latini from New Jersey, and Ethel Trujillo from Mexico; mezzo-soprano Monique Galvão from Brazil; tenor Shawn Roth from Pennsylvania; baritones Benjamin Dickerson of Vermont and Kevin Godinez of Costa Rica; and bass Peter Barber, who hails from Virginia. {…}
For the first time in its 60+ year history, Lincoln Center is lighting its iconic plaza with a rainbow design and flying the Pride flag in front of its campus. The flag will be lit up as an acknowledgment of the histories, struggles, and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ communities, and will celebrate the full spectrum of queer identity. The installation {…}