Famed Italian conductor Alberto Zedda passed away on Monday, March 6, 2017, at the age of 89. The conductor was born on Jan. 2, 1928. The conductor famously studied under Antonino Votto and Carlo Maria Giulini debuting in Milan in 1956. The opera of that occasion was Rossini’s “Il Barbiere Di Siviglia,” establishing him as a Rossini specialist for the {…}
Tulsa Opera has announced its 2017-18 season, which will feature two classics from the international repertoire. The season opens on Oct. 20 and 22 with a production of Gounod’s “Faust.” Tenor Martin Piskorski, who made waves at La Scala last season, will make his US debut in the title role while Turkish bass Önay Köse, will play Mephistopheles, making his {…}
This review is for the premiere on opening night of the run, March 6, 2017. Mozart’s “Idomeneo” has accrued quite the history at the Met since its premiere in 1982. It has been sung by major singers that include the likes of Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Ileana Cortrubas, Hildegard Behrens, Frederica Von Stade and Carol Vaness among many others. Safe {…}
Back in 2007, baritone Thomas Hampson gave a Distance Learning Voice Master Class at the Manhattan School of Music. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of that event, the American singer and the renowned conservatory are rejoining forces for the same program. In a press release on Monday, the Manhattan School of Music announced that its program, which counts among {…}
The Olivier Award nominations have been announced with numerous operas earning recognition. In the Best New Opera category, Jan Philipp Gloger’s production of Mozart’s “Così fan Tutte” for the Covent Garden has been nominated alongside Philip Venables’ “4.48 Psychosis,” which was staged at the Lyric Hammersmith and won a UK Theatre Award in October 2016. English National Opera’s “Lulu” and “Akhnaten” round out the nominees in {…}
Denyce Graves is regarded as one of the great mezzos of the 20th century. For years she dominated the stage in many leading roles and after her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1995, became a household name around the world. Born on March 7, 1964, the mezzo-soprano has built an extensive repertoire throughout her career and she continues to find interesting roles that {…}
Sonya Yoncheva revealed she might just be interested in singing “Carmen” During a Facebook Live at the Metropolitan Opera, the Bulgarian soprano jokingly said that she would be interested in performing the title role of Bizet’s “Carmen.” She joked and said that it would have to be “now.” But Yoncheva has performed several arias from the opera in concert most recently {…}
Kurt Moll has passed away at the age of 78. The German bass was recognized as one of the finest singers of the 20th century and was known for his work in the German repertoire. Before becoming a singer, Moll trained to become a professional cellist. At the time he was also in the school choir and the conductor encouraged {…}
Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” is one of the most popular operas in the Bel Canto repertoire and one that many coloratura sopranos have embraced on stage. On March 6, 1831, the opera had its world premiere with Giuditta Pasta in the title role. Pasta was known as a soprano sfogato which is designated to a contralto who is capable—by sheer industry or natural {…}
“I have always felt like the odd one out. The way I put my voice together. No one knows what to do with me. In terms of my height, I was a six-foot girl since I was 10-years-old. I have always been the outsider.” This was Elza Van Den Heever’s response to my question regarding how she relates to the {…}
This week sees the release of a world premiere recording as well as a DVD of one of Verdi’s most popular operas. It also sees another Verismo album. Check it out! Telemaco Simon Mayr’s “Telemaco” will be released by Naxos with members of the Bayersiche Staatsoper. Conducted by Franz Hauk, this marks the world premiere recording of the rarely performed {…}