Russian soprano Maria Maksakova has led a storied life in the performing arts. Coming from a family of prominent artists, Maksakova performed with leading Russian theaters such as the Bolshoi Theatre, Mariinsky Theatre, Helikon Opera; internationally, she has sung on stages in Tokyo, Vienna, London, Helsinki, and Baden-Baden. On the screen, Maksakova has served as a TV presenter and co-host {…}
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden has closed down in order to take precautionary measures that would prevent the spread of COVID-19. The measure has been made effective immediately. The company was one of the last major houses in the opera world to shut down its performances. “The safety and security of the Royal Opera House staff, audiences and artists {…}
The Staatsoper unter den Linden has announced that it will provide online streams on its website starting on March 16, 2020 and running through April 19. The offerings will change daily, with some re-runs, and will be available for 24 hours (all opera streams start at noon). The program kicks off with “Manon” starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón from {…}
The International Opera Awards have been postponed. The event, which was set for May 4, 2020 at London’s Sadler’s Wells, will now take place on Sept. 21, 2020. While the event is canceled, voting is still open for those who wish to contribute their opinions on the Opera Magazine Readers’ Award, which includes such nominees as Ildar Abdrazakov, Cecilia Bartoli, {…}
Opera Australia might have to sell off some major properties to manage financial difficulties that it will face due to the COVID-19 crisis. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the company might be faced with selling off one or both of its properties in Surry Hills and Alexandria to avoid bankruptcy. The option seems “fairly likely,” per a comment in {…}
(Credit: Matthew Perrin) Bampton Classical Opera has unveiled the cast for its upcoming production of Gluck’s “Paris and Helen” this summer. The production, which opens at The Grange Garden in Oxfordshire on July 17 and 18, will be directed by Jeremy Gray with Karin Hendrickson conducting the Orchestra of Bampton Classical Opera. Audiences will hear Samantha Louis-Jean as Paris and {…}
(Credit: Lisa Tomasetti) Opera Australia has announced that its production fo “La Traviata” at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2020 has been canceled in keeping with government bans on public gatherings of more than 500 people. The run was scheduled between March 27 and April 26, 2020. “These are unprecedented circumstances for Opera Australia and an extremely challenging time for {…}
(Credit: Teatro alla Scala) The Teatro alla Scala has announced the death of architect Vittorio Gregotti due to the coroanvirus at the age of 92. Gregotti designed the Arcimboldi Opera Theatre, a futuristic structure, that was used while La Scala was under renovation from 2002 to 2004. He was also well-known for having designed the Marassi stadium in Genoa for {…}
Victorian Opera has announced the cast for its upcoming production of “The Who’s Tommy.” The company revealed that the role of Pete Townshend will be played by Mat Verevis with other cast members in leading roles including Amy Lehpamer, Chris Ryan, Paul Capsis, Kanen Breen, and Vincent Hooper. The ensemble cast is comprised of Sheridan Anderson, Jared Bryan, Monique Dawes, Mark Doggett, Darcey Eagle, Courtney {…}
On Thursday March 17, 2020, the Royal Opera House will stream Beethoven’s “Fidelio” into local cinemas, with international audiences getting a chance to see the transmission at a later date. The performance will be conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano with Jonas Kaufmann as Florestan and Lise Davidsen in the role of Leonora. Other cast members include Simon Neal, Georg Zeppenfeld, {…}
The LA Opera is slated to present living room recitals online starting on March 17 all the way through March 21, 2020. All the programs will kick off at 4 p.m. local time and will run until 5 p.m. All concerts can be viewed via the company’s official Facebook page. The recital program kicks off on March 17 with Erica {…}