Joyce DiDonato, Lawrence Brownlee, and Pretty Yende will join an array of superstars for a new project “Hopes and Dreams: The Lullaby Project” for Decca Gold. The new CD which was inspired by the Lullaby Project, a program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute which pairs pregnant women, new mothers, and family members with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies {…}
The Glow Lyric Theatre has announced its 2018 season. Like every season the company puts an emphasis on showcasing one musical, one operetta, and one opera and that is what will happen this season as well. The season opens with “HMS Pinafore” by Gilbert and Sullivan. The 1878 operetta, which has delighted audiences for years, will showcase such popular songs as “He is an {…}
María Bayo has won her case against the Bilbao Opera. The soprano, who was fired from a production of “Don Giovanni” without explanation, will get a sum of 3,366 euros. The win comes after Bayo had originally lost the case in October 2017 when the judge favored the Bilbao opera stating that the company had followed orderly procedures and had {…}
This Saturday, March 3, 2018, the Washington National Opera will be staging a four-act version of “Don Carlo” with a superstar cast. While many might turn to the likes of Leah Crocetto, Jamie Barton, or Eric Owens, for the star power, tenor Russell Thomas is poised to have a big night in his Washington National Opera debut. Thomas recently spoke {…}
Is Bizet’s “Carmen” the most famous opera in the entire universe? That is certainly a valid question given the fact that almost no opera company in the world can live without the perennial favorite in a single season of programming. While it’s rich and evocative melodies are certainly one of the major reasons for its enduring popularity, there is no {…}
Florence Quivar, born on March 3, 1944, is one of the great American mezzos of her time. She first came to love opera upon hearing the Met Opera on tour and then eventually launched on a mission to become a great opera singer in her own right. Her journey took her through the Julliard School, Philadelphia Academy of Music, and {…}
The Boston Baroque has announced its 2018-19 season featuring some of the greatest baroque artists of our generation. As with our past season announcement articles, we will focus solely on the vocal elements of the season. The company will celebrate the holiday season with Handel’s Messiah featuring the Boston Baroque orchestra and chorus, with the debuts of soprano Layla Claire, {…}
Famed conductor Jesus Lopez Cobos has passed away today, March 2, 2018, in the city of Berlin; the cause of death is given as complications due to cancer. Throughout his career, Cobos was music director with a number of prominent orchestras, such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, with which he would become their Conductor Emeritus; Deutsche Oper, where he served {…}
Sonya Yoncheva has canceled tonight’s performance of “La Bohème.” The Metropolitan Opera announced on Twitter that due to illness Yoncheva would not sing the performance. As a result, Elizabeth Caballero will sing Mimì. Caballero made her Met debut as Frasquita in 2009 in “Carmen” and recently sang Donna Elvira in “Don Giovanni” at the Seattle Opera, a performance of Carmina {…}
Richard Strauss’ “Elektra” returned to the Metropolitan Opera on Thursday, March 1, 2018, in a hotly anticipated revival of Patrice Chéreau’s production. Last time out, the production was a smash hit, its stripped-down sets allowing for the audience to focus on the violent drama put before us. It continues to work in that vein, though its overall stillness might not {…}
Simon Estes, born on March 2, 1938, did not have an easy career path. While the bass-baritone succeeded in Europe in his early years, the United States didn’t take too well to him. He was only accepted for minor roles at most prominent theaters and it wasn’t until 1981, 16 years after his professional debut, that the Metropolitan Opera offered {…}