Credit: Simon Pauly ***Editorial Note – This interview was conducted as part of series of interviews dedicated to previewing the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ring Cycle. Unfortunately, that performance was canceled, but out of respect to the time put into this project by the artists and organizations, we will endeavor to publish the over coming days and weeks.(Given the context, interview {…}
(Credit: Todd Rosenberg Photography/Christian-Nielinger) A new Honorary Artistic Committee has been added to the jurors of the “Guido Cantelli” International Conducting Competition. The Members of the Honorary Committee will be made up of winners from the competition’s past editions. Among them are Riccardo Muti, who won in 1967 when he was only twenty-six, Israeli conductor Eliahu Inbal, prized in 1963, {…}
(Image provided by Jensen Artists) Audiences will be able to check out the world premiere production of “SEMMELWEIS” online starting on May 2, 2020 starting at 1 p.m. ET. The work, which was produced by the Budapest Operetta Theatre and Bartók Plusz Opera Festival, had its world premiere in 2018. It was created by American composer Raymond J. Lustig, Irish-American {…}
Opera Philadelphia has launched the “Digital Festival O.” which will stream five major productions from the company’s past. “The unprecedented social distancing necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic has galvanized the performing arts community, sparking generous artist relief funds and online expressions of creativity as we all navigate this challenging time in our history. Digital Festival O, which premieres when we {…}
Lawrence Brownlee has released a video of “Amazing Grace” dedicated to the memory of Luca Tragetti and Everett McCollum. The performance is a part of Lincoln Center’s new #HumanityInConcert initiative, in which artists of all kinds post their own tribute or dedication, using the hashtag #HumanityInConcert, to come together to honor shared humanity. In a statement the tenor said, “Dedicating {…}
(Credit: Monika Rittershaus) The Berliner Philharmoniker’s European Concert is set to go ahead as planned on May 1, 2020 in an empty hall in the Philharmonie Berlin. The concert, which will be led by Kirill Petrenko, will be performed in a chamber formation with Federal President Steinmeier delivering the opening address. The concert will be performed with the support of {…}
The Des Moines Metro Opera has announced a Virtual Festival. After the company announced it was canceling the 2020 edition due to the coronavirus pandemic, Des Moines Metro Opera revealed that it would show performances from previous festivals. The virtual festival kicks off with Massenet’s “Manon” starring Sydney Mancasola in the title role, Joseph Dennis, and Michael Adams. David Neely {…}
Catalina Cuervo and the Long Beach Opera have teamed up for a new show entitled “Latin Heat.” The new online program, which will discuss Latin American operas, Zarzuela, and unknown Latin works, will also showcase the soprano performing songs and talking to special guests. “Latin Heat” will air on Facebook every Monday at at 4:00 PM PST and 7:00 PM {…}
The Teatro alla Scala has announced it is planning to reopen in September with Verdi’s Requiem. Dominque Meyer and the administration announced the news stating that Riccardo Chailly would lead the famed work in memory of the victims of COVID-19. The concert would also be performed at later dates in Bergamo and Brescia, two of the hardest hit cities in {…}
(Credit: Jason Homa/Javier del Real/Jiyang Chen) The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced an at home concert featuring some of the world’s greatest opera stars. The concert on May 1, which was organized by the company’s sovrintendente Alexander Pereira, will showcase Cecilia Bartoli, Vittorio Grigolo, Roberto Alagna, Diana Damrau, Ludovic Tézier, Francesco Meli, Lisette Oropesa, Luca Salsi, Thomas Hampson, Krassimira Stoyanova, {…}
No doubt the legacy of “Cavalleria Rusticana” is reaching far back into the history of recording; from the 1909 version of the Odeon Orchestra to the milestones of the LP era. Its prominence has not even slowed with the advent of the compact disc or indeed the reprinting of forgotten lore, including the 1938 performance of Lina Bruna Rasa. One {…}