(Credit: Dario Acosta) Anna Netrebko will sing the title role in Puccini’s “Turandot” during the 2021-22 Metropolitan Opera season The New York Times confirmed the season in its review of the New Year’s Eve gala. During the 2016-17 season, Netrebko revealed that she was preparing to sing the role and later previewed the opera during the 2019-20 Metropolitan Opera New {…}
(Photo: Ken Howard / Met Opera) The 2019-20 Metropolitan Opera New Year’s Eve gala started at 5:30 p.m and was scheduled to end around four hours later, leaving plenty of time for pre-midnight festivities. However, throughout the performance, you often wondered if the audience, despite witnessing three short Puccini acts from “La Bohème,” “Tosca,” and “Turandot,” might actually welcome the {…}
(Credit: Michael Lewin Artists) German director Harry Kupfer has died at the age of 84. Born in Berlin, Kupfer studied at the Theaterhochschule Leipzig and became the assistant director at the Landestheater Halle, where he went on to direct his first opera, Dvořák’s “Rusalka.”After his debut the he worked at the Theater Stralsund, the Theater in Karl-Marx-Stadt, and the Nationaltheater {…}
(Credit: Dario Acosta/Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Music/Paola Kudacki / Met Opera) The year 2019 offered up its fair share of amazing opera experiences. As the calendar changes to 2020, OperaWire is taking a look at some of the most hotly anticipated performances that the New Year will have to offer for audiences. Without further ado, here are the top 10 {…}
The Opéra de Paris has canceled all performances of Preljocaj’s ballet “Le Parc” and Noureev’s ballet “Raymonda” scheduled for Dec. 30 and 31, according to the company’s official website. The national strike regarding the reform of the pension system has hit the Opéra de Paris hard, leading to a number of high profile cancellations, including Borodin’s “Prince Igor” with Ildar {…}
(© Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical) Jonas Kaufmann is set to make a surprise cameo appearance at the Vienna State Opera’s New Year’s Eve gala. The famed tenor will be among the “surprise guests” that appear during the second Act of “Die Fledermaus” at Prince Orlovsky’s part. Throughout the production’s history, the company has had a tradition of expanding the {…}
(Source: Vienna State Opera Live Stream) The Vienna State Opera will live stream Humperdinck’s “Hänsel und Gretel” on Jan. 5, 2020. The famed opera will star Boaz Daniel as Peter Besenbinder with Stephanie Houtzeel as Gertrud. In the title roles, audiences will see Margaret Plummer as Hänsel and Andrea Carroll as Gretel. Finally, the witch will be portrayed by Monika {…}
(Source: Maria Maksakova Facebook) Soprano Maria Maksakova will be represented by Spotlight Artists Management. Maksakova, a winner of the 2002 Elena Obraztsova Young Opera Singers Competition, has performed with such prominent companies as the Bolshoi Theater, Mariinsky Opera Company and National Opera of Ukraine. She is coming off her Carnegie Hall debut with the Talents of the World and has {…}
On December 22, 2019, Talents of the World returned to Carnegie Hall for their second annual Christmas Ball. Featuring a program of opera, musical theatre, traditional songs, and holiday favorites, Sunday’s concert saw the company and guest artists delight the audience through irresistible renditions of beloved works. Drinking Songs & More Opening the concert was company president and baritone David {…}
(Credit: Patrick Redmond) OperaVision will present “La Cenerentola” from the Irish National Opera on New Year’s Day 2020. The famed Rossini opera will star Tara Erraught in the title role with Andrew Owens as the Prince Ramiro. Riccardo Novaro, Graeme Danby, David Ostrek, Rachel Croash, and Niamh O’Sullivan will round out the cast. Fergus Sheil conducts a production directed by {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) The Teatro Real de Madrid presented Bellini’s rarely performed “Il Pirata” with three casts in an aesthetically powerful production by Emilio Sagi in what is likely to be one of the highlights of the 2019-20 season. While the headliners of the first cast were Sonya Yoncheva and Javier Camarena, it was the second cast of Yolanda {…}