Born on Feb. 25, 1873, Enrico Caruso was arguably the most important opera singer in the entire history of the art form. Maybe only Maria Callas rivals him in putting the art form into the collective consciousness of 20th century audiences. Caruso, who was beloved for his simple nature and brilliant voice, was a man capable of selling out any {…}
Dmitri Hvorostovsky has cancelled another set of performances due to ongoing treatment. A Facebook statement said, “Dmitri Hvorostovsky is postponing scheduled recitals in Kaliningrad and Minsk over the coming week and canceling his Wiener Staatsoper recital on March 7 after being advised by his doctors to continue treatment for his brain tumor during this period.” He added, “I had been greatly looking forward {…}
A new opera starts its life on Saturday while a rarity gets its premiere in a major city and a modern masterwork arrives in our nation’s capital. Yes, opera is finally starting to bloom around the States, with many smaller companies getting in on the act. Arizona Opera is showcasing the world premiere of Bohmler’s “Riders of the Purple Sage.” {…}
It’s Oscar Sunday this weekend and while it may seem irrelevant to the world of opera, the art form has been present numerous times at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In celebration of the Academy Awards, OperaWire takes a look at times when opera stars or films were nominated at the Academy Awards. 2016 Last awards season {…}
What are you seeing this weekend? Is it Verdi, Wagner, Mozart or more experimental composers like Jake Heggie and Kurt Weill? These are only some of the many composer’s the major theaters of the world will be showing this weekend. Austria The Wiener Staatsoper kicks off the weekend with two performances of “Die Zauberflöte” for kids, which is followed by {…}
It was a big week in the opera world, especially in Vienna where the Opernball took place. Jonas Kaufmann fans were delighted to see the tenor perform, while he got a chance to hang out with a number of old friends, including Anna Netrebko. Here is a pic of the two posing for cameras alongside Netrebko’s husband Yusif Eyvazov. Red {…}
Want to watch operas in Munich but don’t live anywhere near Germany? That will no longer be a problem starting this Sunday as the Bayerische Staatsoper has announced that opera lovers will be able to stream performances for free (!) from Munich live and in full online, by clicking on staatsoper.tv. The productions will utilize four to six cameras with up {…}
Renata Scotto needs no introduction. She is one of the greatest singers of the 20th century and she conquered many of the prima donna roles. On Feb. 24, Scotto will be 83 and at her age the Diva still continues to teach and give masterclasses as evidenced last month at the Opera Naples. In celebration of Scotto’s birthday, OperaWire looks {…}
Sonya Yoncheva will make her role debut as Tosca. As part of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2017-18 season, the Bulgarian soprano will sing her first Tosca in Puccini’s masterpiece under the direction of Yannick Nezet-Seguin. The event will also mark the soprano’s debut with the orchestra. In a statement for the Philadelphia inquirer Nezet-Seguin said, “I finally got the ‘Tosca’ that I’ve {…}
Those two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Those immortal words by Robert Frost might as well apply to almost anyone who takes on an artistic endeavor. But for bass Matthew Curran, the path to operatic success has been a truly unusual one, as {…}
Rain was pouring down for miles while composer Craig Bohmler was on a drive through the mountain region outside Phoenix. Everywhere he looked, visibility was low and he knew that due to the strong monsoon winds, staying out in this weather was probably not a wise proposition. He eventually stopped at “the second light.” “It’s important to note that it {…}