I will admit that I came to my appreciation of Mahler’s Symphony No 3 later than the rest of his masterpieces. And attending the recent, dynamic performance mounted by conductor Leon Botstein, leading The Bard College Conservatory Orchestra with the addition of the college’s Chamber Singers, Festival Chorale, and a ‘Preparatory’ Chorus, I understood why that was. Mind you, right {…}
On May 11, 2019, Paulo Szot concluded his latest show at Feinstein’s/54 Below as part of his international tour. The program celebrated the musical partnership of Frank Sinatra and Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, with Szot reflecting on their influence on his own artistry. Backed by pianist and Music Director Klaus Mieller, bassist Itaiguara Brandrao, and drummer David Sillman, Szot {…}
The Angel’s Share will present “Epilogues and Epitaphs” with countertenor Daniel Moody and violinist Augusta McKay Lodge. The performances, set for June 24-26 at the Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn, will also feature Voyage Sonique, which is comprised of cellist Keiran Campbel, theorbo player Adam Cockerham, and harpsichordist Robert Warner. The ensemble will perform Rebel’s “Tombeau de Lully,” Handel’s “Waft her {…}
The Lithuanian State Opera has announced its 2019-20 season. In a press statement General manager Jonas Sakalauskas said, “For the 100th season, it was our wholehearted goal to open up the main Lithuanian theatre stage to a broad circle of best Lithuanian artists. We hope that our theatregoers shall enjoy and appreciate this initiative.” Operetta The season opens with Bernstein’s {…}
The Nationaltheater Mannheim has announced its 2019-20 seasons, which includes nine production premieres and 15 revivals. Premieres The season opens with Britten’s “Peter Grimes,” which will be directed by Markus Dietz and conducted by Alexander Soddy. Roy Cornelius stars in the title role with Astrid Kessler as Ellen Orford. Performance Dates: Nov. 11, 2019 – March 15, 2020 Jelena Kordic {…}
The Indianapolis Opera has announced its 2019-20 season which features four mainstage productions. This season represents that company’s 75th anniversary. The season kicks off with Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore.” It will feature Ashley Fabian as Adina, who has been a rising star at the Pittsburgh Opera. Performance Dates: Nov. 15-17, 2019 Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” comes next with Eric McKeever in the {…}
David Bizic is set to replace Lucas Meachem in an upcoming performance of “The Pearl Fishers.” Bizic will replace Meachem on the May 31 performance as Meachem. Meachem was forced to cancel due to his wife’s pregnancy. He noted in a statement “I am deeply sorry to announce the cancellation of my upcoming performance of Pearl Fishers in Dortmund, Germany. {…}
Pretty Yende has canceled her upcoming performance of Bellini’s ”La Sonnambula” at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. The soprano announced that due to health conditions she would not be able to perform the role of Amina. She said, “It grieves my heart and soul that I have to unfortunately not perform my scheduled engagements as Amina Deutsche oper Berlin due to the {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features the Zac Efron {…}
Acclaimed Bass-baritone Valeriano Lanchas is set to perform Winterreise” at the Teatro Mayor on May 21, 2019. The singer will be joined by pianist Alejandro Rocha and there will be a pre-concert lecture about the Schubert song cycle, which is one of the most famous in the repertoire. Lanchas is one of Colombia’s best-known singers, who was the first Colombian {…}
The New York Festival of Song will present “Manning the Canon: Songs of Gay Life” on June 25, 2019 at the LGBT Community Center. The performance will feature music by such composers as Berg, Bernstein, Blitzstein, Bolcom, Britten, Coleman, de Blasio, De Falla, Griffes, Porter, Poulenc, Saint-Saëns, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and Wallowitch as performed by tenor Daniel McGrew, Scott Murphree, Efraín {…}