Dramatic soprano Wendy Bryn Harmer knows her way around Wagner’s “Ring.” The California native has sung multiple roles in the composer’s epic cycle at some of the most prestigious houses. This spring she’s back at the Met singing in three out of the four operas, performing Freia in “Das Rheingold,” Ortlinde in “Die Walküre,” and Third Norn in “Götterdämerung.” The {…}
You might have heard, but Beniamino Gigli and Lauritz Melchior were born on the same exact day – March 20, 1890. As such, it should not be a surprise that their careers overlapped in some unique ways. They both became major stars at the Met. They both appeared in the movies. They even shared an operatic role. But they also {…}
Opera Rara has released the world premiere recording of Donizetti’s “L’Ange de Nisida.” The new recording was taken from two concert performances of the work in July 2018 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden with Opera Rara’s Artistic Director Sir Mark Elder leading the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in his ninth Donizetti title for the company. The new {…}
Jamie Barton has postponed her upcoming recital at the Kennedy Center. The Kennedy Center announced that due to “illness Barton postponed her upcoming Kennedy Center recital on Saturday, March 23, as part of the Renée Fleming VOICES series.” As a result, the performance has been moved to Saturday, May 4, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. in the Family Theater. Barton will appear {…}
“Dreamers,” an oratorio, composed by Jimmy Lopez, Libretto by Nilo Cruz, brought today’s immigration drama to the stage at Cal Performances, UC Berkeley. Composer and Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen led the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus, Volti, a professional vocal and new music ensemble, and soprano Ana-Maria Martinez in the world premiere of the work to an {…}
Opera San Jose has announced its 2019-20 season which includes four of the most popular operas in the repertoire. The company has yet to announce casting for its productions. The season kicks off with Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” with Michael Morgan, Music Director of Festival Opera in Walnut Creek conducting the operetta. Marc Jacobs will return to direct this production. Performance Dates: {…}
Roulette recently presented world-renowned vocalist and sound artist Joan La Barbara’s “What’s Left of Me Is Here,” from her opera-in-progress with librettist Monique Truong titled “Dreams of Water Beyond One’s Depth.” Pushing boundaries of thought and expression via singing and an emotionally vast range of design, La Barbara’s musical composition is reminiscent of Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw.” Together, {…}
This weekend is all about the stars. From Vienna to Germany to the United Kingdom, every cast has some of the world’s greats performing. Check out this weekend’s picks! Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci – Wiener Staatsoper, Austria Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s production continues at the Vienna house with a starry cast that includes Yonghoon Lee singing Turiddu and Fabio Sartori as Canio. Elina Garanca stars {…}
In our selections for this weekend’s top picks, we examine a few classic masterpieces with some solid casting as well as some new operas that are gaining some traction across the continent. Here is a look at our selections, in alphabetical order by company. La Bohème – Dallas Opera On Saturday evening, audiences will get a chance to check out {…}
The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago is set to showcase “Rising Stars in Concert” on April 7, 2019. The event, which will take place at the Lyric Opera House, will feature sopranos Whitney Morrison, Emily Pogorelc, and Ann Toomey; mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker; contralto Lauren Decker; tenors Eric Ferring, Josh Lovell, and Mario Rojas; baritones Christopher Kenney and Ricardo José Rivera; bass-baritones Alan {…}
Ojai Youth Opera will present the world premiere of its first original commissioned work “Nightingale & The Tower” this May. Rebecca Comerford, Mikael Jorgensen, and Jason Treuting’s new work is an electric chamber opera for six adult singers, 29 youth OYO members, synthesizers, chamber orchestra, and earth harp. Comerford, OYO Founder and Artistic Director, remarks that the opera’s story, which follows “a young boy’s odyssey {…}
