(Credit: Cory Waver/San Francisco Opera) The San Francisco Opera has announced that it will stream performances from its archives beginning Saturday, May 9. The company will begin with a recent performance of Boito’s “Mefistofele.” The production stars Ildar Abdrazakov in his staged role debut as Mephistopheles, Ramón Vargas as Faust and Patricia Racette in the dual roles of Margherita and {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced that it has received a $2.5 million loan from the Payment Protection Program (PPP). The loan will allow the company to rehire back the 25 employees furloughed during the COVID-19 pandemic and salary reductions originally planned for May 1, will no longer take place. The furloughed employees will be able to return to work {…}
“Le Nozze di Figaro” is undoubtedly one of the most iconic works in the opera canon. It had its world premiere on May 1, 1786 and has, in the eyes of many, gone on to become the greatest opera ever written. It’s easy to see why this might be a consensus pick. It features incredible music, fascinating characters, enduring themes, {…}
After the Metropolitan Opera presented an at home gala, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino announced it would also showcase its own similar event with some of the greatest artists around the world. The Maggio Musicale is not as famous as the New York theater but it is currently run by Alexander Periera, one of the most popular and influential General directors {…}
Opera Arias is continuing its takeover festival in May featuring a number of great opera singers. Following the success of the takeovers in April, the festival will begin on May 2 with Ketevan Kemoklidze. She will be followed by Rocio Perez on May 9 and then followed by couple Amina Edris and Pene Pati on May 16. Legendary tenor Ramón {…}
This week two complete opera DVDs will be released as well as a single, which will donate all funds to an artist relief fund. Der Zwerg Naxos releases a production from the Deutsche Oper Berlin of Alexander von Zemlinsky’s one-act adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s “Birthday of the Infanta,” “Der Zwerg.” In this acclaimed production by Tobias Kratzer, the work stars {…}
The Canadian Opera Company has announced the launch of its Digital Content Hub. The new online portal will host all of the COC’s upcoming webinars, online tutorials, and interactive programs for adults and young people, as well as registration details. The platform will also house the company’s entire #OperaAtHome series, which includes performance clips, published daily. The series has already {…}
The OmniARTS Foundation is set to showcase three “Lean On Me: A Virtual Concert Series for COVID-19 Relief” concerts in late May and early June. . The three performances, which kick off at 4 p.m. EDT, will be presented live on Facebook and YouTube. Among those hosting the performances are mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, composers Lori Laitman and Tom Cipullo, and {…}
Spooky Goose Opera has announced its third fully remote concert series, which are set to take place on May 1 and 2, 2020. The company also announced that it will be performing a remote original opera “The Yellow Wallpaper” composed by Dr. Tyler Hughes with a libretto by Aaren Marchi and Joshua Jorgensen. The opera will be presented in episodes {…}
The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music has announced the world premiere of a new documentary film “Down to Twelve: The 2020 Lotte Lenya Competition Finalists.” Audiences can check out the film starting on Saturday, May 2 starting at 11 a.m. EDT at the company’s official website. The film, which lasts 75-minutes, follows the 12 finalists during the two-day semifinals in {…}
The LA Opera has announced that it has canceled its performances of “The Marriage of Figaro.” More importantly, the organization has also reached agreements with unions regarding cancellations of the run as well as performances of “Pelléas et Mélisande.” The performances encompassed what remained of the company’s 2019-20 season. Per agreements with unions, the company’s “Pelléas et Mélisande” was canceled {…}