The internationally renowned soprano Patricia Racette, will receive an Honorary Doctorate from the San Francisco Conservatory on Monday, May 19 at its 2017 commencement. In January, Racette visited SFCM where she held an event with voice students and spoke to them about different aspects of vocal performance that ranged from technique and health to repertoire and interpretation. Racette is one {…}
As part of the second ever New York Opera Fest, Experiments in Opera is showcasing its Flash Opera. The company has partnered with Symphony Space to commission six new short operas. The six, new works will each last 15 minutes apiece but will be fully staged in an evening-length program in the Thalia Theater. Up first will be Peter Mehlman’s “Mandela {…}
For 50 years, the Metropolitan Opera has made its home in Lincoln Center, creating numerous cathartic and revelatory memories for both audiences and artists alike. In speaking with some of the world’s greatest artists that have performed at the Met, OperaWire has been granted the opportunity to hear some unique, enriching and entertaining stories and experiences that have taken place {…}
Would you go to the opera if you knew it was being performed at a bar? That was the central questioning floating around in the mind of Anne Hiatt in 2005 as she hung out at Freddy’s Bar and Backroom, a locale in Brooklyn one night. She was watching a voice student perform and from talking with the bartender, she {…}
The Odyssey Opera started its series of Oscar Wilde operas this past season in March, with Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and with another performance, Zemlinsky’s “Der Zwerg” in April. The company is currently continuing its program with a final performance of Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert’s “Patience, Or Bunthorn’s Bride.” Odyssey Opera’s Artistic Administrator Linda Osborn noted that {…}
Michael L. Mael, Washington National Opera’s Executive Director is stepping down from the leadership position starting on July 1, 2017. He has held that same position since 2011. Mael started out at the company as Chief Financial and Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for all financial and day-to-day operations of the company. Three years later he became WNO’s Executive Director. {…}
There have been two major changes to the Metropolitan Opera’s gala this Sunday. The big news is the cancellation of Rolando Villazón from the 50th Anniversary Gala. The Mexican tenor’s name, which was featured prominently on the list of artists to perform at the big event, is no longer there. The cancellation is not surprising considering that Villazón recently canceled {…}
Franco Alfano’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” has never truly managed to establish a foothold in the operatic canon. The work only premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 2005 and Roberto Alagna, the opera’s most dedicated interpreter has stated that he struggled to find a company willing to take a chance on it. Despite its Italian composer, the music works very much {…}
Opéra Monte Carlo has announced its 2017-18 season with a diverse amount of operas. The season’s first production, Rossini’s “La Cenerentola,” opens on Oct. 29, 2017, with Cecilia Bartoli leading the cast. Nicola Alaimo, Rebecca Olvera, Carlos Chausson, and Edgardo Rocha round out the cast in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s classic production. Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” takes the stage on Nov. 19, 2017, {…}
Now that that most of the major opera companies in the U.S are about to finish their 2016-17 season, most opera lovers will be left searching for what to see. While most festivals take place in Europe, many companies and festivals will be active introducing new works, bringing old classics and discovering new talent. The following is a list of {…}
The Glyndebourne Festival has announced its 2018 festival and with it a new international competition. Titled the Glyndebourne Opera Cup, “the new competition will be designed to discover and spotlight the best young singers from around the world and will offer a top prize of £15,000 and a platform for launching an international opera career.” The competition will take place every {…}