Forth Worth Opera and McCammon Voice Competition Announces Semi-Finalists

Fort Worth Opera and the McCammon Voice Competition have announced the 29 artists who made it into the semi-finals of their biennial competition. The semifinalists SeokJong Baek, Rachel Blaustein, Leah Brzyski, Teresa Castillo, Wonjin Choi, Taylor Comstock, Joshua Conyers, Sylvia D’Eramo, Jesse Donner, Dylan Elza, Jessica Faselt, Rudolph Giron, Elana Gleason, LaMarcus Miller, Megan Moore, Tshilidzi Ndou, Alexandra Nowakowski, Ndumiso {…}

Mar 20, 2020

On Site Opera to Stream Past Performances

On Site Opera has announced that it will be hosting a series of livestreams over the coming weeks, featuring past performances of the company. The organization will also be streaming town hall-style discussion for audiences to discuss the challenges in the performing arts during the current epidemic. Works to be streamed include John Musto and Eric Einhorn’s “Rhoda and the {…}

Mar 19, 2020

Companies Around the UK, Including English National Opera, Scottish Opera Shut Down Due to Coronavirus

***This article will be updated as companies announce cancellations*** Major opera houses in the United Kingdom have canceled performances due to the coronavirus outbreak. The English National Opera announced that it was canceling all performances but honor all contracts. Meanwhile the Scottish Opera stated, “In line with advice from the Scottish Government and the announcement from Capital Theatres earlier today {…}

Mar 19, 2020

Angel Blue Launches ‘Faithful Friday’ on Facebook

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, artists are taking to the internet to fill the void left by the lack of performances. Soprano Angel Blue is the latest to come up with a means of communicate with fans and other artists around the world during these challenging times. On Friday, March 20, 2020, Blue is set to launch a {…}

Mar 19, 2020

Metropolitan Opera Cancels Remainder of 2019-20 Season

(Credit: Jonathan Tichler/Metropolitan Opera) The Metropolitan Opera has announced that it will be canceling the remainder of the 2019-20 season in an effort to help contain the spread of COVID-19. Productions that are affected by this decision include “Maria Stuarda,” “Simon Boccanegra,” “Tosca,” “La Cenerentola,” “Katya Kabanova,” “Manon Lescaut,” “La Bohème,” “Werther,” and “Madama Butterfly.” The company noted that full-time {…}

Mar 19, 2020

Teatro Regio di Parma Launches Verdi Streaming Festival

The Teatro Regio di Parma is launching a Verdi streaming festival. The company announced that in collaboration with Unitel and Dynamic, it will present 11 operas from the acclaimed Verdi Festival from the past 15 years with Italian subtitles. It all begins with “La Traviata” starring Svetla Vassileva on March 20 and 21, followed by “Nabucco” with Leo Nucci on March {…}

Mar 19, 2020

Metropolitan Opera Schedule: Second Week of ‘Nightly Streams’ To Focus on Operas of Wagner

The Wagner Society of New York has revealed that the Met Opera’s next schedule of nightly streams will center on the operas of Wagner. A Wagner Festival, if you will. The schedule is set to kick off on March 23 with “Tristan und Isolde,” followed by the Ring Cycle, “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” and “Tannhäuser.” Here is the full slate {…}

Mar 19, 2020

Lyric Opera of Chicago Musicians Cut Pay to Help Ring Cycle Extras

Musicians of the Lyric Opera of Chicago have voted to cut their pay in order for Ring Cycle extras to get paid. In a press release, the orchestra said, “As COVID-19 began sweeping across the United States, the Lyric Opera of Chicago management made the heartbreaking but necessary decision to cancel Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle, scheduled to be performed three {…}

Mar 19, 2020

Metropolitan Opera Lays Off Union Employees, Including Musicians

UPDATE: The remainder of the 2019-20 season has been canceled. The Metropolitan Opera has laid off all of its union employees. According to NPR’s Anastasia Tsioulcas, this includes musicians and chorus members. According to VAN Magazine, the” musicians are not laid off, but furloughed starting from March 31. Health benefits will continue.” This comes on the heels of another report {…}

Mar 19, 2020

Staatsoper Berlin 2019-20 Review: Carmen

(Credit: Monika Ritterhaus) Audience members were already en route to Unter den Linden when the news began to spread on social media: the evening’s performance of “Carmen,” the second in a much-anticipated run of performances, would be the final night of Berlin opera before the city’s concert halls and opera houses were forced to close their doors for at least {…}

Mar 19, 2020

Teatro Regio di Torino Reschedules & Cancels Performances

The Teatro Regio di Torino has rescheduled and canceled its March, April, and May performances. The theater announced that Puccini’s “La Bohème,” originally scheduled for March 11 through 22 has been rescheduled for April 8 through 19. Meanwhile, Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust,” originally scheduled for April 8 through 19, has been canceled. Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion will be rescheduled {…}