Sondra Radvanovsky, Christine Goerke, Iestyn Davies Among Stars of Edinburgh International Festival

The Edinburgh International Festival has announced its 2019 slate, which will feature a wide range of performances across opera, classical music, theatre, dance, and contemporary music. For this article, we will place focus solely on opera productions. The first of these is Barrie Kosky and the Komische Oper Berlin’s production of “Eugene Onegin,” which will feature Günther Papendell and Michael {…}

Mar 28, 2019

Aviva Fortunata, Chad Shelton To Star In Calgary Opera’s 2019-20 Season

The Calgary Opera has announced its 2019-20 season, which will feature a number of operatic classics and a few rarities as well. The season kicks off with “La Bohème,” which will star Miriam Khalil and Antoine Bélanger as Mimì and Rodlfo, respectively. Jonathan Brandani conducts a production by Brenna Corner. Performance Dates: Nov. 9-15, 2019 Aviva Fortunata will star in {…}

Mar 28, 2019

Artist Profile: Samuel Ramey, A Versatile Bass

Samuel Ramey is one of the most versatile singers of his time. The bass was born on March 28, 1942, and studied at Kansas State University. From there he studied further at Central City and was an apprentice artist at the Santa Fe Opera. He had a major breakthrough in 1973 at the New York City Opera in “Carmen.” From {…}

Mar 28, 2019

Opera Meets Film: How ‘Ombra Mai Fu’ Gives ‘Girl’ Emotional Closure & Context

“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 we will take a {…}

Mar 28, 2019

Interview: Opera Fayetteville’s Founders On Producing Nico Muhly’s ‘Dark Sisters’ in Northwest Arkansas

Opera Fayetteville is a small opera company with a big mission. Situated in a college town with a crackling cultural scene, the company brings cutting-edge operatic programming to an opera-starved corner of Northwest Arkansas. For Tamara Ryan, Boston-based soprano and Opera Fayetteville founder, bringing opera to her hometown is a labor of love and a source satisfaction. Creating An Opera {…}

Mar 27, 2019

Anne Sofie Von Otter, Esa-Pekka Salonen Among Major Stars of Finnish National Opera’s 2019-20 Season

The Finnish National Opera has announced a new season that includes the first two installments of a new Ring, a major co-production of “Ariadne auf Naxos” and a revival of a new Swedish opera. The company also continues to offer free live streams on its website. To open the season, Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct the new production of “Das Rheingold” {…}

Mar 27, 2019

Q & A: Composer Iain Bell & Librettist Emma Jenkins on ‘Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel’ for English National Opera

British composer Iain Bell and librettist Emma Jenkins previously collaborated on their opera “In Parenthesis” in 2016 and their new work, “Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel” opens at English National Opera on March 30, 2019. In a recent talk with OperaWire, the duo commented on storytelling, Ripperology, and opera’s answer to “Ocean’s 8”. OperaWire: Tell us about how the {…}

Mar 27, 2019

Pocket Opera 2019 Review: The Two Widows

Pocket Opera’s “The Two Widows” was a treat. A Smetana rarity, Pocket Opera performed the work with gusto. The opening performance at Berkeley’s historic Hillside Club provided an intimate setting for this charming production directed by Nicholas A Garcia, Pocket Opera’s current Artistic Director. Donald Pippin’s English version of the original Czech libretto by Emanuel Züngel, aptly enhanced the music. {…}

Mar 27, 2019

Carmela Remigio & Salome Jicia Headline Donizetti 2019 Festival

The Donizetti Festival has announced its 2019 lineup featuring three operas with star-studded casts. Roberto De Candia headlines a new project of Donizetti’s “Pietro il Grande” with Loriana Castellano, Paola Gardina, Francisco Brito, and Marco Filippo Romano. Rinaldo Alessandrini conducts Ondadurto Teatro – Marco Paciotti e Lorenzo Pasquali’s new production. Performance Dates: Nov. 15-Dec. 1, 2019 Jean-Luc Tingaud conducts the first-ever production of {…}

Mar 27, 2019

Cast Changes At Semperoper Dresden’s ‘Il Barbiere Di Siviglia’

The Semperoper Dresden has announced cast changes to tonight’s performance of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” The company announced that Rafael Fingerlos will perform Figaro, replacing Davide Luciano; moreover, Diana Haller will step in as Rosina. Fingerlos will also sing the March 29 performance, which Luciano was originally slated to perform. Haller has performed at the Staatsoper Stuttgart and is set {…}

Mar 27, 2019

Opera Profile: Puccini’s Lesser-Known ‘La Rondine’

Of Puccini’s operas, “La Rondine” is among the least-known, despite its own melodic invention. The work had its world premiere in Monte Carlo on March 27, 1917, with a cast that included soprano Gilda dalla Rizza and tenor Tito Schipa. The opera has never had an easy time, often seen as “lesser” Puccini; his editor Tito Ricordi dismissed it as {…}