The Dallas Opera’s General Director has resigned. After seven-and-a-half years with The Dallas Opera, Keith Cerny, The Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO, has resigned The company announced that Cerny had been appointed General Director and CEO of Calgary Opera, where he will assume his duties in January. Cerny took the helm of The Dallas Opera in the spring of {…}
The Pittsburgh Opera has announced its second world premiere in two years. The company will present “Ashes & Snow” composed by Douglas J. Cuomo and directed by Jonathan Moore in February 2018. The opera will premiere at Pittsburgh Opera’s historic headquarters in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. The opera is based on Wilhelm Müller’s 24-poem cycle which was used as the text for Franz Schubert’s famous “Winterreise” and {…}
Beethoven only ever finished one opera – “Fidelio.” But this wasn’t the only work he attempted to create. In fact, the famed composer did intend to make a name for himself on the stage, but it never came to fruition outside of “Fidelio.” One other attempt was “Vestas Feuer.” With a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder,” Beethoven made his attempt at {…}
The Teatro Colón has announced its 2018 season presenting 11 operas. The season kicks off on March 13, 2018, with “Three Sisters” by Peter Eötvös. The opera based on a play by Anton Chekhov is set to star Jovita Vaskeviciute, Anna Laprovskaja and Elvira Hasanagić. On April 22, 2018, Scarlatti’s “Il Trionfo dell’onore” will be showcased for four performances with Victoria Gaeta, Cecilia Pastawski, Sofía Di Benedetto, {…}
James McCracken, born on Dec. 16, 1926, is known today as one of the great American tenors of the 20th Century. Shockingly, he wasn’t always viewed that way. In fact, a great portion of his early career, spent at the Metropolitan Opera, was spent in the shadows of other things. He sang a whopping 596 performances with the company, but {…}
“Bleakness” would be best used to describe the ambience of this by now well known Royal Opera House revival: David McVicar’s “Rigoletto”. Originally mounted in 2001, it was first publicized as an audacious, controversial exposé of sixteenth-century Mantuan aristocracy; the kind of risky spectacle of which Verdi – plagued chronically by problems with his censors – could have only dreamed. {…}
The Teatro Colón will present “Andrea Chénier” via live stream. The production by Matías Cambiasso is set to star José Cura in the title role, Fabián Veloz as Carlo Gerrard, and María Pía Piscitelli as Maddalena. The performance will mark the final of the season as the company gears up for its 2018 schedule, which it recently announced. Cura is recognized {…}
We are in the midst of holiday season and the opera houses in Europe are going as strong as ever. This week, we feature a company opening its season, among many other distinguished performances. Let’s take a look. Der Rosenkavalier – Vienna State Opera On Saturday, opera lovers in Vienna will get a chance to hear the Strauss masterpiece in {…}
Rolando Villazón is asking everyone to “Save the Children” this holiday season, his focus on those in need in East Africa. The tenor made a formal announcement via social media where he spoke to his fanbase and other viewers with the following message: “It is most important to give to those that need it the most,” he stated. “This year {…}
On Dec. 21, 2017, the Vienna State Opera continues its live streaming series with a performance of Richard Strauss’ “Arabella.” The production will be led by maestro Peter Lange with a cast that stars Anna Gabler in the title role and Christopher Maltman as Mandryka. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time and is slated to run until {…}
On Dec. 18, the Metropolitan Opera will open its production of “Hansel and Gretel.” The current production, directed by Richard Jones, made its debut in 2007, and will now get its 32nd performance. Here are some fun facts about the upcoming production and what fans can expect from these seven showcases of “Hansel and Gretel.” New Production When the work {…}