(Credit: Marco Borggreve) San Diego Opera has announced that Yves Abel will be the company’s new Principal Conductor starting in 2020-21. The contract is set for three years with the maestro set to conduct a double bill opera in his first year, a French work in 2021-22, and another opera in 2022-23. “It is a great joy and honor for {…}
(Credit: Official Website) The Shed is set to present Verdi’s Requiem on Nov. 19-24, 2019. The performance will feature musicAeterna and conductor Teodor Currentzis in the organization’s North American debut. The production of the work will feature a specially commissioned cinematic artwork by avant-garde filmmaker Jonas Mekas. Mekas, who recently passed away at age 96, drew inspiration from text by {…}
(Credit: Cristopher Santos) Dead branches bend in the wind as the first notes of Schubert’s “Du bist die Ruh” palpitate softly. Suddenly a gentle soprano materializes as we get a birds eye view of soprano Julia Sophie Wagner, in a vibrant red dress, lying in the dark dirt around her, arms outstretched and moving gently up and down. This is how {…}
(Credit: Chris Singer) Anna Pirozzi has canceled her participation in “Aida” at the Gran Teatre del Liceu during the 2019-20 season. The soprano, who has been performing the role at the Arena di Verona, has noted that she will be retiring the role after the summer 2019 performances. Instead, Jennifer Rowley will be taking over the production as the titular {…}
(Credit: Brian Kuhlmann) Audrey Luna will make her Mostly Mozart Festival debut, stepping in for Christina Poulitsi as the Queen of the Night in “The magic Flute.” Luna will be performing on July 17 and 19. Per a press release, Poulitsi has withdrawn due to illness. Luna is no stranger to New York audiences, having appeared prominently in such Met {…}
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to experience a number of unique performance opportunities outside of the confines of opera’s mecca, Manhattan. After a glorious “La Traviata” at the Glimmerglass Festival, I headed over to Saratoga Springs for a matinee of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel.” It was remarkable and greatly unexpected. It was set in the stunning Saratoga State Park {…}
(Credit: Carli Kadel) I have learned that — outside the cultural mecca of Manhattan, in summer — amazing operatic performances can be found in what might be regarded as unlikely places. And my recent weekend in upstate New York confirmed that once again. I first experienced this with the new production at Glimmerglass of Verdi’s mid-career masterpiece, “La Traviata.” Revisiting {…}
(Credit: Gran Theatre del Liceu/Bayerische Staatsoper/Metropolitan Opera) This weekend is stacked with a number of new productions and revivals with some of the biggest stars. Here is a look at seven works we think are unmissable. Guillaume Tell – Chorégies d’Orange, France Nicola Alaimo takes on Rossini’s final opera, a work that has become his signature. He is joined by {…}
There are four operas that rarely get performances in North America, making them all the more essential viewing for the weekend. Here are our top five operas to see this weekend (in alphabetical order by company). Billy Budd – Central City Opera Britten’s masterwork kicks off on Saturday with a production conducted by John Baril and directed by Ken Cazan. {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has received a 2019 Telly Award for its HGOco web series “Star-Cross’d.” The first episode “Boundless” was the honored episode, gaining an award for Non-Broadcast General – Cultural. The story is based on “I Can Die Now,” a true story of Aryana Rose. The Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all screens. The {…}
Camilla Nylund has canceled her recital at the Festival de Peralada so that she can take on the role of Elsa in “Lohengrin” in Bayreuth. Per Scherzo, the recital, which was originally scheduled for August 3, 2019 was canceled as Nylund could not resist an opportunity to jump into a production of the Wagner opera when the famed festival came {…}