After collapsing at a town council meeting Wednesday night, Welsh baritone Karl Daymond was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital, where he passed away. A beloved member of his Chepstow community, Daymond is described by family friend Glyn Jones as “a shining light in Chepstow and the whole area and was the star leader of five singing clubs.” Daymond is {…}
Opera Australia is set to bring “Evita” to the Sydney Opera House. the company announced that it will continue its tradition of partnering with commercial producer John Frost for its annual musical. Opera Australia and Frost will be joined by UK producer David Ian to present a re-creation of the original West End and Broadway productions of the musical, directed {…}
Washington National Opera’s new production of “Aida” will not be a traditional approach. But that isn’t to say that it will be a completely radical approach. According to a press release WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, who will direct the new version of Verdi’s late masterpiece, is inspired by the street artist RETNA, whose work uses calligraphy, hieroglyphics, and striking {…}
It’s festival season and many artists are performing in high profile concerts and productions while other are simply enjoying vacation time. This week on social media we’ll focus on Salzburg and Pesaro. Salzburg While Michele Mariotti is working hard on “I Due Foscari,” his wife Olga Peretyatko is enjoying vacation time after a fabulous season. She visited rehearsals of “Foscari” {…}
It’s a star-studded weekend with Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Sonya Yoncheva, Plácido Domingo, and Nino Machaidze headlining major concerts and productions around the world. Find out where you can catch them this weekend right here. Australia Jonas Kaufmann returns to Australia for a run of Wagner’s “Parsifal” at the Sydney Opera House with Michelle DeYoung. Verdi’s Requiem will also get {…}
It will be another busy weekend in the US on the opera front. The Glimmerglass Festival continues its run of performances with “Oklahoma!” on Friday, “Xerxes” and “The Siege of Calais” on Saturday, and “Porgy and Bess” and “Scalia / Ginsberg” closing out the weekend on Sunday. There will also be a showcase of “Robin Hood” on Friday. Over at {…}
“Aida” at the Salzburg Festival has been sold for months with many opera lovers left without tickets. However, this weekend those not at Salzburg or without a ticket are in luck because the performance on August 12, 2017, will be presented by radio and on TV around the world. “Aida” will be recorded by ORF, NHK, ZDF and UNITEL in collaboration {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts Opera has announced its 2017-18 season. The season will begin with New Artist Recitals on Sept. 19 and 21 at Helen Corning Warden Theater, AVA. It will be followed by the Giargiari Bel Canto Competition on Oct. 7 at the Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. On Nov. 4 audiences will be able to see Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” with Christofer Macatsoris {…}
Seven years. The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Berlin State Opera, Royal Swedish Opera and Metropolitan Opera. Those are just some of the companies that have featured spinto tenor Riccardo Massi. Seven years. Now in his 30s, the tenor is slowly stealing the spotlight as one of the most exciting tenors on the rise, his vocal artistry matched by his {…}
“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 features Werner Herzog’s “Fitzcarraldo.” {…}
Salzburg Festival audiences will get an advanced release of Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov’s new album “Romanza.” On August 14, the couple will sign their new CD at the Musik Jathlnigg at 1 p.m. local time. “Romanza” marks the first crossover album for Netrebko and her second duet album for Deutsche Grammophon. The set includes new songs by Igor Krutoy, who composed {…}