Nicola Alaimo has won the Ettore Bastianini Award. The biennial accolade was given to the baritone for his achievements on the international opera stage and as one of the few baritones in the world who continues in the line of Bastianini. The award will be handed out by the Ettore Bastianini Association on Feb. 22 in Bergamo at the Domus {…}
There is a wide variety of repertory in this weekend’s recommendations. They include two modern works, a 20th-century British piece, and two operas by Italian composers. Here is a look at what we recommend (in alphabetical order by company). Three Decembers – Fargo Moorhead Chamber Opera Yes, it is a third straight week of featuring Jake Heggie on this list. {…}
Born on Feb. 15, 1947, John Adams is one of the great American composers of the late 20th century. He grew up in numerous states throughout New England and began composing at the age of 10. At Harvard, he studied composition and in 1972, he was teaching at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He then kicked off his career {…}
This weekend, celebrate Valentine’s day with a plethora of dramatic works and tragedies. This weekend will not include repertory staples but rarely performed works that are getting revivals or new productions. Check it out. Salome – Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Italy Ausrine Stundyte takes on the title role in Strauss’ early masterwork. Gabriele Lavia directs a production, which also stars Doris Soffel, Tuomas Pursio, and Ian {…}
Originally “Il Sogno di Scipione” was written as a celebratory work for the Archbishop Schrattenbach of Salzburg in 1771, who was unfortunate enough to die before its first performance. Mozart, therefore, took the opportunity to add a new extended final aria and rededicate the work to his successor, Hieronymus Colloredo, which was then performed at his investiture the following year. {…}
Ian Page and The Mozartists will present the UK premiere of Hasse’s two-act opera “Piramo e Tisbe.” Th performance, which is scheduled for March 28, 2019 at the Cadogan Hall, will star Chiara Skerath and Gwilym Bowen, as well as Australian soprano Kiandra Howarth. Page will give a pre-concert talk to introduce Hasse’s 61st opera, which was first performed in Vienna {…}
Baritone Stéphane Degout has been named the Best Lyrical Artist of 2019 by Les Victoires de la Musique Classique, which took place on Feb. 13, 2019. Degout is coming off a tremendous 2018 that saw him star in the Opéra de Lyon’s production of “Don Carlo” in March. He then headed to the Royal Opera for “Lessons in Love and {…}
On February 12, 2019, the Metropolitan Opera opened this season’s run of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” Michael Mayer’s production transports this tragedy to 1960s Las Vegas, a setting which merges together the glamor of high society with its seedy underbelly, just as many of the characters exhibit traits of both nobility as well as depravity. Despite the connections one can rightfully {…}
The Atlanta Opera has announced its 2019-20 season. According to the press release, for its 40th anniversary season, The Atlanta Opera will present operas which fall under the overarching theme of “dangerous liaisons,” where the “protagonists share a propensity for self-destructive relationships that threaten to bring about their downfall.” Additionally, during this season four internationally acclaimed artists will return home to {…}
Renée Fleming, born on February 14, 1959, would become one of, if not the most, prominent American soprano in recent history. The Pennsylvania native grew up in New York and kicked off her studies at SUNY Potsdam. She would receive her Master’s Degree at the Eastman School of Music and subsequently earned a Fulbright scholarship to study with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf {…}
North/South Consonance, Inc. is set to celebrate mid-winter with a concert that features music by composers of the United Kingdom, Jamaica, and the U.S. Among these featured composers will be Peter Aviss, Mikhail Johnson, Edna Longoria, and Hilary Tann. Some of the pieces programmed include Peter Aviss’ Concerto for Viola, Mikhail Johnson’s Misereatur, and Edna Longoria’s Danzas Cautivas. Soprano Karen Coker-Merritt, baritone Jeremy Huw Williams, and violist Rita {…}