Will Liverman is set to make history at the Metropolitan Opera. The rising star baritone, who made his Met debut in 2018, will become the first African American to take on the role of Papageno at the Metropolitan Opera in the company’s 469th performance of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” “Being the first black Papageno at the Metropolitan Opera is so {…}
(Credit: Richard Termine) The Met Opera’s Live in HD series for the 2019-20 season continues on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019 12, 2019 with a transmission of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, stars Hui He in the title role, Andrea Carè as Pinkerton, Paulo Szot as Sharpless, and Elizabeth DeShong as Suzuki. Pier Giorgio {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced cast changes for Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The company announced that Elena Guseva will replace Ermonela Jaho in the role of Cio-Cio-San while tenor Ragaa Eldin will replace Migran Agadzhanyan in the role of B. F. Pinkerton. Guseva has appeared at the Wiener Staatsoper in “Otello” and “Aida” as well as “Madama Butterfly.” This season {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced that tenor Marc Laho will replace Tomislav Mužek on Nov. 8, 2019 in “Les Contes d’Hoffman.” Laho is a Belgian lyric tenor who made his Deutsche Oper Berlin debut in 2004 and has sung in such operas as “Don Pasquale” and “La Favorite,” among others. He has also appeared at the Opera Royal de {…}
(Photo: Paula Malone) “Cinderella” is a popular subject for operas, and has attracted its fair share of composers over the years. However, one of the lesser known compositions must be by the French composer, Pauline Viardot, who today, is largely remembered as a famous mezzo-soprano for whom Gounod and Meyerbeer created important roles. However, her influence went much further, for {…}
The National Theater in Belgrade revived the first ever Serbian opera “Na uranku” (“At Dawn”) after a 16 year hiatus. The opera, composed by Serbian composer Stanislav Binički with a libretto by writer Branislav Nušić had its world premiere in 1903 and has rarely been performed. The new production uses excerpts from Nušić’s plays, stories and texts (“The Deceased,” “Suspicious Person,” {…}
David Agler took his final bow on stage on Nov. 2, 2019, as Artistic Director at the National Opera House after the closing performance of the 68th Wexford Festival Opera. During his final bow, Agler thanked both the company and the audience for their loyal support throughout the years, before formally handing over the reigns to the incoming Artistic Director {…}
Giuliana Castellani has died at the age of 40. The mezzo-soprano died on Monday, Oct. 28 in a car accident alongside her dog while in Austria for an audition. Per reports, Castellani died instantly upon the crash. Castellani, born in 1979 in Locarno, studied at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi di Como and went on to garnered international recognition when she {…}
(Credit: LA Opera) This week the Metropolitan Opera will present the New York premiere of Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten,” the third Glass opera in the company’s repertoire. Among those appearing in the hotly anticipated Met premiere is rising mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges. Bridges has become one of the most important exponents of contemporary music, being featured in prominent productions of “Satyagraha” and {…}
(Credit: Richard Hubert Smith / ENO) When it opens this Friday, “Akhnaten” will be but the third Philip Glass opera to ever open at the Metropolitan Opera. In sum there will be eight performances of the opera, bringing the total of Glass opera performances at the famed house to 34. The first opera by the Academy Award nominated composer to {…}
(Credit: Fay Fox) OperaVision will showcase Rossini’s “Ermione” live from the Teatro di San Carlo on Nov. 9, 2019. The production will star soprano Angela Meade in the lead role with Teresa Iervolino, John Irvin, Antonino Siragusa, Filippo Adami, Guido Loconsolo, Gaia Petrone, Chiara Tirotta, and Christiano Oliveri among the major cast members. Alessandro De Marchi will conduct a production {…}