Bryan Hymel has canceled his remaining performances of “Les Troyens” at the Opéra National de Paris. The company announced that due to family reasons Hymel would not be able to perform. As a result, Brandon Jovanovich will take over. Hymel was slated to perform three performances of the seven with Jovanovich performing four shows. It is the second high-profile cancellation {…}
The Fresh Squeezed Opera is set to present “The Female Gaze.” The new program will feature the world premieres of three commissions from Whitney George, Gabrielle Herbst, and Gemma Peacocke. “The Female Gaze” flips the dominant artistic trope of the male gaze as the creators are women, the protagonists are women, the stories explore the female psyche, and women helm the creative process. {…}
The American Opera Projects’ Board of Directors has announced the appointment of new artistic leaders who will continue the organization’s 30-year legacy of creating contemporary opera in the U.S. Effective July 1, 2019. Matt Gray will become General Director and Mila Henry will join the company as Artistic Director. “It was a unanimous decision on the part of the Board {…}
Waltraud Meier, born on Jan. 9, 1956, would become one of the most successful German artists of the late 20th century and beyond. Meier was born in Würzberg and sang in choral groups throughout her youth. Despite starting her graduate studies in English and Romance languages, in 1976, she shifted her focus to singing and made her debut at the {…}
Soprano Herva Nelli is most known to American audiences through Arturo Toscanini’s NBC opera broadcasts. Born in Florence on 9th January 1909, Nelli and her family emigrated to Pittsburgh when she was 10-years-old. Aged 17, she took a job as a glass cutter to pay for her singing lesson and later studied at the Pittsburgh Music Institute and in New {…}
American-born Giorgio Tozzi was actually born George John Tozzi on Jan. 8, 1923. He originally planned on studying biology when he entered DePaul University, though he eventually wound up in military service during World War II. After that, he resumed a singing career. He would make his professional debut in the Broadway production of “The Rape of Lucretia” in 1948. {…}
The Gran Theatre del Liceu has announced that Maria Teresa Leva will make her role debut as Cio-Cio San in “Madama Butterfly.” The company announced Ainhoa Arteta was forced to cancel the first two performance on Jan. 13 and 16 due to laryngitis. As a result, Leva will take over. Arteta is scheduled to return for the Jan. 20 performance and {…}
Virigina Tola has canceled her performances of “Un Ballo in Maschera” at the Teatro Regio di Parma. The theater announced that Tola would not be able to perform the role of Amelia. As a result, the role of Amelia will be performed by Irina Churilova on Jan. 12, 16, 18, and 20. This season Churilova is set to perform the {…}
Renowned soprano Adrianne Pieczonka has been appointed the Vocal Chair and Head of the Vocal Department at the Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory. Per a press release, she is the school’s first ever Vocal Chair, a role that the Canadian soprano will assume in May 2019. “I am very excited and honoured to assume the role of Vocal {…}
The Russian multidisciplinary artist collective AES+F, together with Italian director Fabio Cherstich are set to showcase a new vision for Puccini’s “Turandot.” The new production, set to open on Jan. 19, 2019 at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, will travel to the Teatro Comunale di Bologna in May, with more dates and theaters to follow. The new production {…}
Opera Naples has announced that Timothy Todd Simmons will be the company’s new executive director. Simmons recently served as the Executive Director at the New Orleans Opera and served as the Chorus Master/Assistant Conductor with the San Diego Opera. He is a graduate of the Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma and has two Masters Degrees: a Master of Music from Indiana {…}