On the eve of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Red Square will host an operatic concert featuring some of the world’s greatest singers. Valery Gergiev will conduct the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra in a gala featuring Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov, Ildar Abdrazakov, Aida Garifullina and pianist Denis Matsuyev. They will also be joined by Roberto Alagna as a special guest and Albina Shagimurtova. {…}
Librettist often get overlooked in the opera world. A lot of it has to do with the perception of opera plots, in many cases, being lesser than the quality of the music attached to them. And the result is that the composer gets the credit for the work. This is what happened with Francesco Maria Piave. We don’t know “La {…}
There aren’t many well-known Croatian opera stars. But there is Zinka Milanov. Born on May 17, 1906, the Croatian diva would go on to one of the most stable careers at the Metropolitan Opera. She studied in Milan and Berlin during her youth, making her opera debut in Slovenia at age 21. Her role? Leonora in “Il Trovatore.” It was {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment, given the start of {…}
Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson is arguably the ultimate Wagnerian soprano. Born on May 17, 1918, Nilsson grew up on a farm with parents who had hoped she would grow up to perpetuate this lifestyle. But music came early to her at the age of three and she noted herself in interviews that she could sing before she could walk. She {…}
With the New York Opera Fest 2018 officially underway, OperaWire will be showcasing small previews for each major participant at the festival, as we did during last year’s event. However, we are doing things a bit differently this year and giving the floor directly to each company to speak to you, the reader, directly. Enjoy! Maybe you’ve had your fill {…}
With the New York Opera Fest 2018 officially underway, OperaWire will be showcasing small previews for each major participant at the festival, as we did during last year’s event. However, we are doing things a bit differently this year and giving the floor directly to each company to speak to you, the reader, directly. Enjoy! Nurturing young operatic writers is {…}
On May 14, the Kaufman Music Center’s 2018 Gala honored the legacy of long-time Kaufman Music Center Executive Director Lydia Kontos and raised nearly $1 million in support of Kaufman’s music education programs. The event, which took place at Guastavino’s in New York City saw the Kaufman Music Center present the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Kontos, who will retire nearly 40 {…}
“The crown! The crest! It’s the Attavanti’s!” Exclaimed the tempestuous diva Floria Tosca, as she paced about in a frenzied fit of jealousy after being led to believe by the scheming and lascivious Barron Scarpia that her lover, the painter and maverick Mario Cavaradossi, had been dallying with a Marchesa in the chapel. In fact, no such dalliance occurred, as {…}
The central drama in “Billy Budd” unambiguously rotates around the relationships between Seaman Billy Budd, Captain Vere, and the Master-at-Arms, John Claggart. However, the exact nature of the relationships and the psychological motivations upon which they are founded are shrouded in a white mist, opening up the possibility for directors to pursue a variety of valid interpretations. Many recent productions {…}
Tenor John Osborn, born on May 16, 1972, has enjoyed a prolific career specializing in opera repertoire that few other tenors venture to take on. The artist, who hails from Sioux Falls, Iowa, studied at Simpson College and made his professional debut at the Des Moines Metro Opera in 1993. He would then go on to win the Metropolitan Opera {…}