On Sept. 1, 2018, the Teatro Julio Mario Santo Domingo will make history as it gives Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” its Colombian premiere. No that was not a joke. Or fake news. One of the seminal masterpieces in opera history, composed and premiered in the early 1900s, is making its way to the South American country for the first time in {…}
New York native Ruth Ann Swenson, born on August 25, 1959, made quite a career for herself. The soprano, raised in Commack, NY, studied at the Hartt College of Music and Academy of Vocal Arts, before heading to the Merola Program at the San Francisco Opera. She would receive an honorary doctorate from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in {…}
Born on August 25, 1918, Leonard Bernstein would be 100 years old were he still alive. The famed conductor / composer left an indelible mark on the history of music. Today, we commemorate his 100 years with this little quiz that tests your knowledge of his extraordinary career.
***As of the writing of this piece, Leonard Bernstein is 100-years-old. Born on August 25, 1918, Bernstein (who was actually born with the name Louis, which he changed to Leonard legally at age 15), he would go on to become one of the great icons of American music. He studied at Harvard and then Curtis, and it wasn’t long before {…}
José van Dam is one of the most talented bass-baritones of the 20th century. Born on August 25, 1940, in Belgium, his greatness was apparent from a very early age. He was admitted into the Brussels Royal Conservatory at 17, from which he graduated just a year later. At 21, he continued his prodigious ways, making his opera debut as {…}
OperaRox Productions has announced its 2018-19 season focusing on two themes. The company will hold a Queer Opera festival and will also hold concerts focusing on Mental Health. Here is a look. Queer Opera Festival OperaRox will return to The Stonewall Inn in the summer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The company’s two-week Queer Opera Festival {…}
As festival season comes to an end, a number of classics will be presented. The weekend will also see a historic performance for legendary opera singer Plácido Domingo. Here is a look at what you need to see this weekend. Les Pêcheurs de Perles – Salzburg Festival, Austria Plácido Domingo makes history this weekend as he takes on his 150th role {…}
Opera Philadelphia is set to present “Ne Quittez Pas.” The opera will be directed by James Darrah’s and will be a reimagining of Poulenc’s 1958 monodrama “La voix humaine,” based on a play by Jean Cocteau. The work will be presented at Philadelphia’s Theater of Living Arts with Darrah adding a cabaret-style prologue of Poulenc art songs on texts by {…}
The Angel’s Share will close its first season on October 10-12, 2018, with an operatic double bill from composer and pianist Gregg Kallor, including the world premiere of his setting of sketches from “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” and a reprisal of his acclaimed setting of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano will perform the monodrama, {…}
There are still a ton of operas to see this weekend at Glimmerglass, Santa Fe, and the Seattle Opera. We have featured those in previous weekend editions. As for new productions, there are really only two major showcases taking place. And here they are. Rigoletto – Berkshire Festival Jonathan Tetelman, the breakout star of the recent “La Bohème “ at {…}
Sydney Chamber Opera and Carriageworks, in association with Resonant Bodies (USA) have announced the full program for the first Sydney iteration of Resonant Bodies, an international festival of new vocal music founded in New York in 2013 by American singer Lucy Dhegrae. The event will present six dynamic vocalists across two nights on August 31 and Sept. 1, 2018. Among {…}