On May 7, 2018, audiences at Carnegie Hall were treated to not one, but two world premieres by The Oratorio Society of New York. The first work, “We Are One,” comes from composer Behzad Ranjbaran. It is described as “an expression of our shared desire for respect, justice, freedom, and peace… ‘We Are One’ employs a unified musical tone throughout {…}
German soprano Evelyn Herlitzius, scheduled to make her San Francisco Opera debut as Brünnhilde in Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” has withdrawn from the upcoming engagement due to health reasons. In a personal statement from her home in Dresden, Evelyn Herlitzius wrote, “I regret very much that due to unforeseen health reasons, I am forced to withdraw from my Ring {…}
The Den Norske Opera has announced its upcoming 2018-19 season featuring a wide range of repertoire and rising stars as well as some of the leading Norwegian singers in the world. Here is a look. Productions The season will open with Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and Enrique Mazzola conducting Richard Jones’s production. Johannes Weisser, Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Brigitte Christensen, and Anthony Gregory star {…}
The Santa Fe Opera has announced its 2019 season. While the 2018 season has yet to begin, the upcoming 2019 edition will showcase five productions, including one new world premiere. Here is a look Productions Vanessa Vasquez and Mario Chang lead Puccini’s “La Bohème” with a stellar cast that also includes Kirsten Mackinnon and Zachary Nelson. Jader Bignamini conducts the production {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has announced its 2018-19 featuring 40 new programs and a total of 69 performances. The season will include some of the best conductors and singers in the world leading the world’s finest orchestras, the concentration of orchestral talent appearing at ROHM this season is impressive. Here is a look at the operatic and vocal events {…}
Spanish baritone Carlos Álvarez is set to return to the Metropolitan Opera. The baritone told Platea Magazine in an interview that he will return to the New York stage in the title role of “Simon Boccanegra” and in “La Bohème.” During the interview, he also said that it was on the Met stage that he started to have issues with {…}
Screen Media has acquired the North American rights to “Bel Canto,” Paul Weitz’s adaptation of the acclaimed Ann Patchett novel. The new film, about a hostage crisis, stars Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe with Opera legend Renée Fleming contributing vocals to the film. “Bel Canto” tells the story of Roxane Coss (Moore), a famous American soprano, who travels to South {…}
With the New York Opera Fest 2018 officially underway, OperaWire will be showcasing small previews for each major participant at the festival, as we did during last year’s event. However, we are doing things a bit differently this year and giving the floor directly to each company to speak to you, the reader, directly. Enjoy! The New York Opera Fest {…}
This spring, the French Institute Alliance Française, New York’s premiere French cultural center, and the American Friends of the Paris Opera & Ballet will present HD screenings of opera and ballet performances from the Paris Opera & Ballet for the first time in New York City. New Yorkers will have the opportunity to see “Millepied/Robbins/Balanchine” on Sunday, May 20, and “Samson et Dalila” {…}
The Glyndebourne Festival has announced its 2019 season featuring six productions, of which two are new. Here is a look at what the festival will present. Productions The season opens with Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust” conducted by Robin Ticciati and directed by Richard Jones in a new production. Allan Clayton, Julie Boulianne, and Christopher Purves headline the production. Performance {…}
Mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter has enjoyed one of the richest and most diverse careers of any opera star. Born on May 9, 1955, in Stockholm, she would grow up in Bonn, London, and her native country due to her father’s status as a diplomat. She would study in both London and Stockholm before making her opera debut in 1983 {…}