(Photo: Evan Zimmerman / Met Opera) Metropolitan Opera debuted John Adams’s “El Niño,” with libretto based on original sources by Peter Sellars and John Adams, to a sold out house of past, present, and future opera goers on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024. “El Niño” is unlike anything John Adams has done before and the historical timing of this debut is {…}
The Royal Opera House is set to present Bizet’s “Carmen” in cinemas on May 1, 2024. The company will showcase the new production by Damiano Michieletto and will star Aigul Akhmentshina in the title role. She will be joined by Piotr Beczala as Don José, Kostas Smoriginas as Escamillo, and Olga Kulchynska as Micaëla. The cast will be rounded out by Blaise {…}
The Curiosity Cabinet is set to premiere “In the Throes of Death” this June. The radio drama by Whitney George and Bea Goodwin will get its first performance on June 19, 2024 at The Cell Theatre in New York and will remain on stage through the 30th for a total of eight performances. The show is comprised of several different {…}
Regents Opera has announced some major personnel updates. The organization revealed that Joe Harper is the company’s new Chief Development Officer. Additionally, Harper, who is also a professional oboist will also join the orchestra as an oboist in performances of “Das Rheingold.” Per an official release issued by the company, Harper will joins the organization on a freelance, one day {…}
North Carolina Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. First up is “Ernani” in Concert. The Verdi opera stars Leah Crocetto, Carl Tanner, Andrew Manea, and Anthony Robin Schneider. Jakob Lehmann conducts. Performance Date: Nov. 10, 2024 Then comes “Florencia en el Amazonas” with a cast starring Vanessa Vasquez, Richard Ollarsaba, Marlen Nahhas, Jason Karn, Levi Hernandez, and Claudia Chapa. Joseph Mechavich conducts and John Hoomes directs. Performance Dates: Jan. 31 {…}
“Speaking Personally: Louis Quilico in Conversation with Christina Petrowska Quilico” has been released on Spotify. The 23-episode podcast series features “unedited and unfiltered” conversations between the famed baritone and his wife. Each conversation has a duration of 35 minutes and sees the famed singer reflect on his career, including his affinity for the role of Verdi’s Rigoletto, which he sang {…}
With the NHL playoffs underway, Edmonton Opera is doing its utmost to pump up its Edmonton Oilers as the team sets out on its quest for the Stanley Cup. In order to do so, the company released a rendition of “La Bamba,” which has become an anthem for Oilers fans everywhere. Additionally, this rendition honors Joey Moss and Ben Steler, {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences get a world premiere recording of a new opera, a legendary recording of Strauss’ work, and a rarely performed Tchaikovsky opera. The Shining Pentatone releases “The Shining,” the world-premiere recording from the Lyric Opera of Kansas City of the opera {…}
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has announced that Vasily Petrenko will extend his contract as Music Director through to 2030. Petrenko will lead the RPO into its next artistic chapter, further strengthening its position as one of the world’s great orchestras in London, across the UK, and internationally. The contract extension recognizes the profound artistic leadership that Vasily Petrenko has brought {…}
The Staatsoper Berlin is set to present “Einfach Mozart” on April 26, 2024. The children’s show will follow the travels of Wolfgang and his sister Nannerl as they travel to Paris, London, and Vienna. Mozart’s “La finta semplice” serves as the musical foundation for the showcase; this opera was written when Mozart was 12 years old in 1768. It is {…}
The New York Choral Society is set to celebrate its 65 years with a performance of “The Unicorn.” The performance, scheduled for May 3o, 2024 at the NYU Skirball Center, will feature an intertwining of choral music, dance, narrative, and an exploration of gender roles and LGBTQIA+ themes. The program includes Bernstein’s “The Lark” and Menotti’s “The Unicorn, The Gordon, {…}
