( Photo: © SF/Monika Rittershaus) All sinful things come wrapped in fascinating aesthetics. You know the feeling: something that is extremely beautiful and appealing, but disquieting—too pleasurable to be ethically good. That is Salzburg Festival’s “Don Giovanni”: a spectacular dramatic installation, a grandiose musical project, a lustful conception; yet sinfully wrong. First things first. This is a revival of Romeo {…}
(Photo credit: Daniel Lin) American composer Harold Meltzer passed away at 58, due to complications from a stroke. Meltzer was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1966, and grew up in Long Island, where he studied piano and had instruction in music theory from Morton Estrin. He studied composition, piano, and bassoon at Amherst College, where he graduated summa cum {…}
Reykjavik’s Óður ensemble will break a world record during this year’s Culture Night by presenting three full-length operas in succession. Soprano Sólveig Sigurðardóttir, tenor Þórhallur Auður Helgason, baritone Áslákur Ingvarsson, and bass Ragnar Pétur Jóhannsson will present back-to-back performances of Adam’s “Le postillon de Lonjumeau,” and Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale,” and “L’elisir d’amore.” They are joined at the piano by Sigurður {…}
A debut album from the new darling of the opera world: Aigul Akhmetshina, the young mezzo soprano from Bashkortostan. While training with the Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Artists Programme in London, Akhmetshina has performed the role of Carmen in Peter Brooks’ condensed version of Bizet’s opera and later understudied the titular role in the main house while performing the {…}
(Photo credit: Amanda Tipton) Central City Opera (CCO) resurges in 2023-24, the institution entering the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, installing Alison Moritz as Artistic Director and bouncing back from a turbulent 2023 marked by labor strife, now buoyed by the new leadership of CEO Scott Finlay. With a reinforced endowment, CCO’s ambitious 2024 summer festival season programmed Gilbert and {…}
Rebecca Richardson, a music researcher and digital producer at All Classical Radio, Portland, Ore. has been named a 2024 “Rising Star” by Current. The trade publication for public media Current’s “Rising Star” initiative recognizes public media’s up-and-coming talents. This year, it received a record number of 171 nominations of early- to mid-career professionals. A panel of judges reviewed each honoree’s {…}
(Photo credit: © SF Marco Borrelli) Is it possible to be merciful with fascists? In Robert Carsen’s reading of Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito” the answer must be a reverberant “No”—otherwise, the moment one turns their back, they will not miss the opportunity to stab it. Robert Carsen often enjoys updating opera plots, making them reflections of current politics—often achieving {…}
UPDATE: This article has been updated to reflect cast announcements and the change of the original production. Originally, per a season announcement, the company was supposed to present Richard Wagner’s “Twilight of the Gods” in an adaptation by Jonathan Dove and Graham Vick. But now the company is presenting “Don Giovanni” instead. The original piece was published on Feb. 5, {…}
(Credit: Caroline Tompkins) Omaha’s Common Senses Festival in a co-production by VisionIntoArt and Beth Morrison Projects will present the world premiere of Paola Prestini and Brenda Shaughnessy’s “Sensorium Ex.” The world premiere of the opera, which features predominantly disabled performers and explores the question of what it means to have a voice, is set to take place May 22-25, 2025, {…}
Philadelphia’s Tempesta di Mare has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a breakdown of the vocal performances on offer. Soprano Rebecca Myers headlines the “Neapolitan Christmas” showcase which will be presented at Christ Church Christiana Hundred in Wilmington, DE, Trinity Center for Urban Life, and Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. The performance features music by Scarlatti, Falconieri, and Mancini. Performance {…}
On August 12 2024 German Opera Director Christof Nel died at the age of 80. Born on April 7, 1944, in Stuttgart, Nel’s parents were both musicians. He went on to study art history and theatre in Munich and began his theater career as an actor working with Peter Stein. In 1970, he began directing. His first plays were produced {…}