On Dec. 27, 1888, Raffaele Attilo Amedeo Schipa, better known as Tito Schipa, came into the world. Over the span of his 77 years, he would give the world glorious music in many forms. He was of course best known as a tenore di grazia, though he managed a number of Verdi and Puccini operas while conquering Italian roles by {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper kicks off the New Year with a performance of Johann Strauss II’s popular “Die Fledermaus.” The performances gets going at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. EST) and ends around 9:20 p.m. with only one intermission. The New Year’s Eve performance is already sold out. The run, which features three additional performances on Jan. 2, 5 and {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced its Winter season for 2017 and it has packed many great operas with some of the leading singers in the world. The following is a look at the most exciting performers to look forward to this upcoming season. Andriana Chuchman in Adam’s “Nixon in China” A few years ago Chuchman made her Metropolitan Opera {…}
Zubin Mehta is retiring from the Israel Philharmonic, ending a lengthy relationship. The announcement, according to The Jerusalem Post, was made Monday and confirmed that Mehta would end his nearly 50 years with the ensemble in October 2019. The 80-year-old Indian-born conductor made numerous recordings with the group throughout his tenure, including a legendary recording of a live performance of {…}
On Dec. 25 the pop star George Michael passed away at 53 and with it the music industry lost an icon. The English-born singer may have been known for his hit songs “Careless Whisper” and “One More Try,” but he also dedicated his life to charity work. This included appearances at several concerts for charity. He joined Luciano Pavarotti during {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced the second half of its 2016-17 season, which kicks off in January with the 30th anniversary of John Adams’ “Nixon in China.” The opera originally made its world premiere with Houston Grand back in 1987, though this new production is slated to play up the media and technology themes of modern-day. The opera, which {…}
The Cuban Hebrew Congregation-Temple Beth Shmuel of Miami Beach is slated to showcase a gala tribute concert honoring the late legend Robert Merrill for his 100th birthday on Jan. 8, 2017. The performance will feature Rabbi / Cantor Stephen Texon and Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi. The former is of the Cuban Hebrew Congregation while the latter is from the Anshe Emet {…}
Amore Opera is back in full swing as the company puts out two productions to close out the year. The company will bring back Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” on Dec. 27 through Jan. 1, 2017 after presenting the work on Dec. 17 and 18. The new run of performances will start at 7:30 p.m. EST every single day of the week {…}
December 26 marks the premiere of three major operas of the Bel canto repertoire. Donizetti’s “Anna Bolena” premiered the day after Christmas in 1830 while his “Lucrezia Borgia” premiered in 1833 of that same date. Meanwhile, Bellini’s “Norma” premiered on the 26th of December in 1831. All three works share similarities in that they are some of the most difficult works {…}
Johannes Martin Kränzle is slowly becoming a recognized artist in the world of opera. After studying violin and composition for years, the baritone turned to opera and has not looked back ever since. Even after a setback from Bone Marrow Disease, Kränzle’s return to the stage has had critics raving. This week, with many artists taking a break, Kränzle will {…}
Fans will get a chance to meet with Placido Domingo at the Metropolitan Opera Store on Jan 4, 2017 at 3 p.m. The legendary singer will be on hand to sign CD’s and DVD’s from his massive recording library. The tenor-turned-baritone releases new recordings every year. His most recent arrivals include a DVD of Verdi’s “I Due Foscari” at the {…}