On Jul. 5, 2019, Teatro alla Scala announced the untimely death of tenor Giuseppe Bellanca. He was 48. Italian news site ANSA reported that Bellanca died instantly when his Honda Hornet motorcycle crashed into a large vehicle, which, according to police, “did not respect a give way sign.” The accident occurred at Piazza Ovidio. Born in Palermo in 1970, Bellanca {…}
Opera Maine will present its new production of “The Magic Flute” on July 24 and 26, 2019. The production will feature maestro Roberto Kalb in his Opera Maine debut. Kalb is the Head of Music and Resident Conductor at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. The classic Mozart opera will be directed by Dona D. Vaughn, the company’s Artistic Director. {…}
On Site Opera is set to showcase Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw” in a series of performances at Wave Hill in the Bronx. The run is set for Oct. 25-27, 2019. Wave Hill is a public garden and former estate in the Bronx, which director Eric Einhorn believes suits the operatic ghost story to perfection. “The incredible grounds at {…}
The Teatro Grattacielo will be celebrating its 25th anniversary with a gala performance featuring three unique works by Italian composers. The performance, set for Sept. 28, 2019 at the Gerald Lynch Theater, will feature the first act from Leoncavallo’s “La Bohème,” Act two from Catalani’s “Loreley,” and the third act from Respighi’s “Sleeping Beauty.” The performance will be conducted by {…}
(Credit: Festival d’Aix en Provence) On July 9, 2019, Mezzo TV is set to present Puccini’s “Tosca’ from the Festival D’Aix-En-Provence. The new production by Christophe Honore is set to star Angel Blue in the title role and her role debut and Catherine Malfitano as La Prima Donna. The cast is rounded out by Joseph Calleja as Cavaradossi and Alexey {…}
Central City Opera will present the Colorado premiere of Benjamin Britten’s opera “Billy Budd.” The opera, based on Herman Melville’s novel, “chronicles the idealistic title character’s forced enlistment in the British Navy aboard the Indomitable during the Napoleonic Wars and the moral dilemma that ensues over crimes he commits in self-defense.” Ken Cazan will direct this large production as part {…}
The winners of the 23rd South Bank Sky Awards were announced on July 7, 2019 during a ceremony at the Savoy Hotel in London. The Sky Awards are unique in that they “celebrate every genre of the arts, including pop, dance, opera, comedy, and TV,” according to Sky News. “British culture is really thriving right now, and this year’s Awards nominees reflect the {…}
The winners of the 38th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition have been announced. The competition, founded by Hans Gabor of the Wiener Kammeroper, prides itself as being “THE ‘springboard’ for a career in opera,” according to its website. Previous participants and winners include such stars as Elina Garanča, Angela Gheorghiu, Angela Meade, Antonio Poli, Stuart Skelton, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, and {…}
The Des Moines Metro Opera has announced its 2020 season. The 48th season will showcase three main stage operas and two-second stage series. Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd” will open the festival followed by Rameau’s “Platée.” The third and final opera will be Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades.” In the second stage series Poulenc’s “La Voix Humaine” will open the series followed {…}
Jonas Kaufmann has revealed he is recording “Otello” for Sony Classical. The tenor posted a photo on Instagram with Antonio Pappano and Carlos Alvarez revealing that he is recording Verdi’s penultimate opera alongside Federica Lombardi in the role of Desdemona. The new recording comes after Kaufmann’s role debut in 2017 at the Royal Opera. He went on to perform the {…}
The Choregies d’Orange has announced that the gala with Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov has been canceled. The gala, which was scheduled for July 20, was to have been Netrebko’s debut in the French summer opera festival in Avignon. The soprano and tenor were scheduled to be joined by Christopher Maltman and Daniela Barcellona. According to the press release, the festival {…}
