Mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick is synonymous with Verdi. She’s been the leading Azucena at the Metropolitan Opera house over the last few years, singing the role a whopping 58 times since her debut on October 8, 1988, also in that very role. In Verdi’s “Aida,” she has performed the role of Amneris 80 times at the house. Throw in 17 performances {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced its 2017-18 season and with it, there are numerous exciting stars that will be performing in varying repertoire. This season, which includes 35 operas, will definitely present some gems that should be highlighted. The following are six artists that should not be missed when they perform. Joseph Calleja – L’Arlesiana Calleja began his career {…}
Back in the 1960s, a psychotherapist brought a chimpanzee to live in with his families. His experiences inspired an opera called “Lucy,” a monodrama for Baritone and orchestra. Now audiences will get a chance to listen to the world premiere of that work, which took place in Milwaukee in 2014 as a recording will be released on April 7. Moreover, {…}
The well-reviewed “Roméo et Juliette” from the Metropolitan Opera will be showcased on PBS on Friday, April 14 starting at 9 P.M. EDT. The opera, which featured Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo in the lead roles, is an adaptation of the famous Shakespeare play. The performance that will be showcased on PBS took place on Jan. 21, 2017 as part {…}
Diana Damrau is no longer singing all four heroines in Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” in Los Angeles this week. The soprano was originally slated to take on all four characters, a feat that is growing rarer and rarer these days, but recent casting details established that the German soprano will only take on Antonia and Stella in her LA Debut. {…}
With the 2017 Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions having been announced, the spotlight has shifted solely onto these young artists. Who are they? What have they done? And what are they up to next. OperaWire previously answered the two first questions on a previous article, but this one will focus solely on where these artists are headed next. Here is {…}
Anton Coppola is the luckiest guy in the world. At least that is how he views the life he has led and continues to lead. The maestro, born on March 21, 1917, and who determined his given career path during the first decade of his existence, is slated for “one last hurrah” when he conducts a final concert on March {…}
Last week, conductor Fiora Corradetti Contino left us forever, leaving a massive gap in the artistic community. The Italian-American was one of the most important figures of the 20th century, even if her profile was not given the exposure it often deserved. Contino, who passed away in Carmel Indiana on March 5 at the age of 91, founded the Amherst {…}
Ever wanted to share something with Jessye Norman? Well, you might get that chance on March 29, 2017, when Doyle sells off the famed soprano’s “White Gates” collection. The live bid will start at 10 AM EDT. The soprano is leaving her country home, White Gates, and has put up the contents of the property on auction through Doyle. Among {…}
The Teatro Colón will be live streaming its performance of Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, starting at 8 P.M. local time. The performance will feature soprano Virginia Tola in the lead role. Tola opened the production on March 14, stepping in for famed Soprano Angela Gheorghiu, who canceled the production after a public dispute with the company. {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced its 2017-18 season, a showcase of a whopping 35 operas featuring the biggest stars in the world. The season will kick off with Verdi’s “La Traviata” on August 30, 2017, in a production by Götz Friedrich. The diverse casts will showcase Olga Peretyatko, Maria Agresta, Salome Jicia, Benjamin Bernheim and Leo Nucci among others. {…}
