On Friday night the house was full and the atmosphere was one of great anticipation for the sixth edition of the Paris Opera Competition at the Theatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris. The event has taken place here every year since its founding in 2010 by the late Pierre Vernes, who died in 2017. Each competition has been held as a {…}
On Tuesday, January 22, the Tucson Desert Song Festival presented soprano Corinne Winters in recital at the University of Arizona in Tucson. On entering, audience members were presented with no only a program listing the songs, but they also received printed copies of each song in both English and its original language. The lights were also kept high enough so {…}
On January 25, 2019, Arizona Opera presented Giuseppe Verdi’s opera of love and death, “La Traviata” at the Phoenix Symphony Hall—a perfect vehicle for the debut of 2017 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Winner Vanessa Vasquez. Currently a recent graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Vasquez gave each note a beginning, a middle and a well planned {…}
For over 10 years, bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni has been the go-to Leporello in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” performing the role all over the world at such companies as the Teatro alla Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, Salzburg Festival, Baden Baden Festival, Wiener Staatsoper, and at Tanglewood, among others. His interpretation has been hailed by critics as “dynamic” and “youthful” and a number of performances {…}
Nico Muhly and Nicholas Wright’s “Marnie” will get a broadcast as part of PBS’s Great Performance series this Friday, Feb. 1, 2019. The broadcast, the second to showcase a performance from the 2018-19 season, will kick off at 9 p.m. EDT and Isabel Leonard as the complex heroine who constantly shifts her identity in order to run from a painful {…}
On January 31, the Metropolitan Opera will revive Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” The opera will run for seven performances between January and February before returning for another five in April. Here are some fun facts about the upcoming production. The first cast will showcase four prominent Met Opera debuts. Soprano Aida Garifullina will make her hotly anticipated house debut, taking on {…}
On Jan. 29, 2019, the Deutsche Oper Am Rhein will present Handel’s “Xerxes.” Those who are unable to attend the performance in Germany will luckily be able to watch it via OperaVision’s live streaming service and for several months thereafter. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time. That’s around 1 p.m. EDT and 10 a.m. PST for the {…}
On Jan. 30, 2019, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden will showcase its Richard Eyre’s famed “La Traviata” production in cinemas around the world. The production, known for its elegant style and visual elements, will feature Ermonela Jaho in the title role with Plácido Domingo and Charles Castronov as Germont and Alfredo, respectively. Antonello Manacorda conducts the production. To find {…}
The Met Opera will continue its Live in HD series this Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, with a performance of Bizet’s ever-popular masterpiece “Carmen.” The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, will showcase Clémentine Margaine in her first Live in HD performance for the company. The mezzo is the reigning Carmen interpreter of today, taking on over 15 productions {…}
Verdi’s final masterpiece “Falstaff” will be live stream to audiences worldwide from the Vienna State Opera on Jan. 30, 2019. The Italian comedy will feature a production by David McVicar with James Conlon as the musical director. Carlos Alvarez takes on the title role with the likes of Simon Keenlyside, Jinxu Xiahou, Olga Bezsmertna, Hila Fahima, and Monika Bohinec also {…}
The LA Opera has announced its 2019-20 season featuring six new productions, two company premieres, and one world pmiere. Here is a look at what to expect. Main Stage Barrie Kosky directs the first production of Puccini’s “La Bohème” in 25 years. Marina Costa-Jackson makes her LA Opera debut in the title role with Saimir Pirgu as Rodolfo. Erica Petroelli, {…}