The Bayerische Staatsoper will live stream its new production of Wagner’s “Parsifal” on Sunday, July 8, 2018. The production, directed by Pierre Audi, will be led by Music director Kirill Petrenko and star Jonas Kaufmann, Christian Gerhaher, René Pape, Wolfgang Koch, and Nina Stemme. The stream kicks off at 5 p.m. local time. That’s around 12 p.m. EDT and 9 {…}
Soprano Nadine Sierra is having a 2018 to remember. The Florida-born artist, who turned 30 this past May, recently announced her first-ever solo album, is performing at the top theaters on the planet, has been garnering a plethora of accolades, and is set to perform in the opening night gala of the Festival Napa Valley, a leading performing arts organization that {…}
Gregory Kunde encored “Nessun Dorma” during is first “Turandot” at the Arena di Verona. The tenor, who was singing is first stage performance of Calaf, was asked to give an encore of the famous aria after receiving a huge ovation. The premiere performance starred Anna Pirozzi in the title role of Turandot, Vittoria Yeo as Liù and Giorgio Giuseppini as Timur. Daniel Oren conducted the production {…}
Massimo Cavalletti has been awarded the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship. The baritone announced via social media that he was awarded the prize by the Lions Club Lucca for his commitment against Parkinson’s disease. In a statement, he said, “I never pull back from giving my time and resources to important humanitarian causes.” Since the Lions Club’s founding in 1968, the organization {…}
So much is Don Juan’s tale the stuff of legend that it lends itself as easily to various interpretations as Greek myths. For every legendary story that encounters many incarnations – be it Tristan and Isolde’s love, Medea’s filicide or Romeo and Juliet – there comes a time when it is not only acceptable, but fascinating to encounter the familiar {…}
Beverly Sills once said the most challenging part of playing Baby Doe was making her likable from the start. The same might be said of the other main characters in Moore’s opera, all of whom are profoundly flawed and selfish. At the opener of this year’s Opera in the Ozarks production an excellent cast reveals all the good in what could {…}
Race and ethnicity continue to vex the opera world in the same manner as they do the rest of society. If events at last week’s Opera America Conference are indicative of the industry, it’s a topic that requires further discussion at future conferences with no easy answers in sight. There were no fewer than five panels related to race and {…}
Wagner’s “Die Walküre” recently had its anniversary celebration of its world premiere on June 26, 1870. Of the four operas in Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” it is probably the most well-known and popular. The simple fact that the Metropolitan Opera has picked it to be the sole representative of its upcoming cycle for the Live in HD broadcast is {…}
The strike continues at the Opéra National de Paris and as a result, will affect tonight’s performance of “Il Trovatore.” The company announced that the concert version of the famed Verdi opera will feature the chorus and soloists in a single costume with no sets. This is the fourth performance that has affected the company as numerous showcases have been canceled and {…}
Roberto Alagna has withdrawn from Wagner’s “Lohengrin” at the Bayreuth Festival. The festival announced that the tenor, who was set to make his festival debut and sing his first Wagner role, withdrew due to overload. The statement also noted that Alagna was unable to spend enough time with the role. The festival has yet to announce a replacement, but the {…}
The Opéra National de Paris’s strike will affect tonight’s performance of “Boris Godunov.” The company announced that due to the strike, tonight’s performance of “Boris Godunov” will be replaced by a concert version (chorus and soloist singers in a single costume, no sets). The news comes after the ongoing strike that has affected numerous performances. As a result of the change, the {…}