We have just entered the Winter season, but the Aspen Music Festival is already getting people pumped for the season, announcing its performance slate for the months of June, July and August. Opera aficionados will find a lot to marvel at including a number of recitals. Michelle De Young will give a concert on July 25, 2017 featuring “Timothy Collins’ {…}
Sonya Yoncheva has returned to the stage. After having cancelled her run of Massenet’s “Manon” at the Opera de Monte Carlo due to back pains, the soprano returned to the stage for “Les Victoires de la musique classique.” The soprano performed “Vissi d’Arte” from Puccini’s “Tosca.” Yoncheva has yet to perform the complete opera but based the on the frequency with which {…}
How does one discover opera? Is it through recordings, family or through music in schools? The answer is never a simple one and at times it is merely by coincidence. For some it is about discovery and curiosity. That’s Michele Angelini’s story. Discovering Opera “It was the movie ‘Amadeus.’ Specifically June Anderson singing the Queen of the Night,” Angelini revealed {…}
What do Renata Tebaldi, Puccini’s “La Bohème” and his “Manon Lescaut” have in common? They were all “born” on the same day – Feb. 1. The great soprano came into the world on Feb. 1, 1922 in Pesaro, Italy, the land of Rossini, but ironically not one of the featured composers in her repertoire. She did sing two of his {…}
It is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of the black community and how they have affected change around the world in all areas. The opera world is no exception with many great black artists dominating around the globe in the biggest theaters there are. As a month-long celebration, OperaWire will provide weekly features that embrace the {…}
Jamie Barton is the 2017 winner of the Beverly Sills Artist Award, given to extraordinarily gifted singers between the ages of 25 and 40 who have already appeared in featured solo roles at the Met. Barton made her Met debut in 2009 as the Second Lady in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte.” She would return in 2013 to take on the role {…}
After a surprising Metropolitan Opera debut, Rafael Davila will step in once again for Marcelo Alvarez, who is ill. Davila will sing the Jan. 31 and Feb. 3 performances of Bizet’s “Carmen” at the Metropolitan Opera. The tenor, who was covering the role of Don Jose stepped in during the opening night performance when Alvarez cancelled an hour and a {…}
The Royal Opera has announced the world premiere of George Benjamin’s new opera “Lessons in Love and Violence.” The company announced that the opera will be presented in May 2018 and is inspired by an Elizabethan drama. According to the Royal Opera “the new opera considers what space, if any, exists for love and human affection inside the dangerous machinery of power.” The story centers {…}
Philip Glass is one of the most acclaimed composers of our time. The composer’s minimalist approach to composition balances the melodic with the arpeggiated rhythm. Most will say that his music all sounds the same but if you listen closely, you’ll discover the intricate melodies within the rhythmic structure. On Jan. 31, 1937 Phillip Glass turns 80 and OperaWire takes {…}
Roberto Alagna is now an artist for Sony Classical. The record company announced via Twitter that Alagna had signed a long-term, multi-album deal. In the press statement the company announced that “after a highly acclaimed international career spanning more than thirty years, Alagna had built a huge and dedicated following around the world. Acknowledged as Frances most important classical artist and {…}
Dvorak’s “Rusalka” makes a much-anticipated return to the Metropolitan Opera this Thursday, Feb. 2 in a brand-new production by noted director Mary Zimmerman. The Director Zimmerman made a splash at the Met with her work on three operas from the Bel Canto three – Donizetti, Rossini and Bellini. Her work in “Lucia di Lammermoor” was universally hailed for gothic style. Her {…}
