Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” will be showcased via the Vienna State Opera’s live stream service on May 21, 2019. The famed Rossini comedy will star Juan Diego Flórez in a role that he championed in the earlier part of his career. It will be interesting to see the tenor return to this iconic interpretation after having moved into heavier {…}
The Icelandic Opera’s production of “La Traviata” will get a live stream via OperaVision on May 24, 2019. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time. That’s around 1 p.m. EDT and 10 a.m. PST for the start time. It will be available for repeat viewings on Opera Vision until Nov. 23, 2019. The opera stars Herdís Anna Jónasdóttir {…}
Update: Marina Rebeka will not replace Sonya Yoncheva. Per the soprano: Dear Friends, there is information going around that I’ll be replacing @sonyayoncheva at #SavonlinnaOperaFestival on July 18. I’d like to clarify that at that time I’ll be in rehearsals for #SimonBoccanegra at @SbgFestival, and therefore my participation in the gala is not true. Sonya Yoncheva has pulled out of {…}
Anna Netrebko graced the Croisette at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17,2019. The diva, accompanied by her husband Yusif Eyvzaov, graced the red carpet for an exclusive Chopard party. The soprano and her husband performed at the event in duets from “La Boheme” and “La Traviata.” The exclusive event was held at the Hotel Martinez where a number {…}
Zinka Milanov and Birgit Nilsson are two of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Not only were they superstar sopranos (albeit of different repertory), but they share a birthday. So in celebration of their special day, here’s a little quiz in which you’re tasked with figuring out which of the two divas the prompt refers too. Of course, don’t {…}
Opera, Song and Music Theater is quivering, twisting, and turning. Could it be that we are in an renaissance? There is a new blood pulsing through its veins. Opera and theater makers are pulling at its heart, resuscitating our interest and taking us to diverse locations with as yet unclassifiable languages and forms. The Xen of Opera looks at the {…}
Renown tenor Sidwill Hartman has died at the age of 62. Hartman died of a heart attack on Tuesday, May 7 while teaching a class of students at the SA College of Music, which is also UCT’s music department. The tenor was well-known locally in Cape Town and was well-regarded internationally across Europe for his many groundbreaking performances. Early in his {…}
The Hawaii Opera Theatre has announced its 2019-20 season. The season will feature three productions of some of the most beloved operas. The season opens with Puccini’s “Tosca” conducted by HOT Principal Conductor/Artistic Director Emmanuel Plasson. Performance Dates: Oct. 11, 13, 15, 2019 The second production of the season will be Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” featuring Starring Ryan Kuster in {…}
The New York City Opera has announced it will bring back Bryant Park’s highly popular free summer performing arts series. The popular series will present three concert performances showcasing two popular operas and one concert celebrating pride month. The series opens with Puccini’s “La Bohème” with stars of New York City Opera. Performance Date: May 20, 2019 The second concert in {…}
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra has announced its 2019-20 season. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on vocal performances. Soprano Anna Crookes will be joined by flutist Fiona Fulton, cellist Jonathan Aasgaard, and pianist Ian Buckle of Pixels Ensemble to perform works by Hildegard of Bingen, Dani Howard, George Crumb, Luciano Berio, and Maurice Ravel. Performance Date: {…}
Boston Lyric Opera will receive a $30,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant will support the fall 2019 production of Leoncavallo’s tragic opera “Pagliacci,” which will open the season on Sept. 27. Out of 1,500 applicants in its category, BLO is one of 977 institutions chosen to receive the grant (which typically ranges $10,000 {…}