Marble City Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. First up is “Tenors, Tuxedos, and Stalactites.” The showcase will take place inside the Historic Cherokee Caverns in Knoxville, Tennessee. This is the third year the company presents a concert in the cave. Performance Date: August 17, 2024 Then comes the Tennessee premiere of Susan Kander and Roberta Gumbel’s “dwb (driving while {…}
Knoxville Opera has unveiled its 2024-25 season. The first performance of the season will be an “Opera’s Greatest Hits” concert that honors conductor Robert Lyall. Performance Dates: Sept. 22, 2024 On the opera side of things, first up on the slate is Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance.” The production is directed by Dean Anthony and conducted by Joseph {…}
The XXIV Pergolesi Spontini Festival will honor the work and memory of composer Gaspare Spontini in “Spontini Days.” In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth, “Spontini Days” will take place in his hometown of Maiolati Spontini, between July and Sept. Events will feature original and contemporary reinterpretations of the composer’s operas and arias performed by soprano Khatia {…}
(Photo: Studio B12) The advertising poster for the Cremona Monteverdi Festival’s production of “L’Orfeo” included the picture “Happy Hours” by Jean Lecointre. It depicts a woman with continuous streams of tears pouring from her eyes into a glass of wine, or does it? Could it be the reverse situation? Maybe the streams are moving in the opposite direction from the {…}
(Photo credit: Pacific Chorale) Pacific Chorale’s 16th Annual Choral Festival will culminating in a free performance of Haydn’s “Mass in Time of War.” Conductor Robert Istad leads the Pacific Chorale’s Festival Choir in the final concert. Also on the program is the world premiere of Dr. Jung-a Lee’s new work “Hommage à Haydn.” The composer gives the premiere at the {…}
The Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne has announced its 2024-25 season which features Renaud Capuçon as the Music Director. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Hossein Pishkar conducts a program of Haydn and Martin with bass-baritone Johan Reuter. Performance Date: Dec. 11 & 12, 2024 Barbara Hannigan conducts and sings a program of music by Khayam, Haydn, Stravinsky, and {…}
(Photo: Zani-Casadio) One of the most fascinating people associated with the city of Ravenna is Galla Placidia, a woman born into the imperial family in Constantinople around 390 AD. Daughter of Emperor Theodosius I, sister of Emperor Flavius Honorius, wife of Emperor Constantius III and mother of Emperor Valentinian III, hers was a life lived at the centre of power. {…}
Saioa Hernández announced she was canceling her performance on July 15, 2024 of “Madama Butterfly” at the Teatro Real. The soprano took to social media and said, “Dear friends. I’m very sorry, I’ve had to cancel my participation in today’s performance. I would like to briefly explain to you what has happened to me during the last few days, as {…}
It was a Jonas Kaufmann special. At least in Munich. At least in Kaufmann’s home opera house. The place was packed. The outfits were designer specials and tee shirts, “Herren,” even in highly colorful shorts, and “Damen,” in extravagant lamé skirts with high slits and gilded shoes. Kaufmann, and Helmut Deutsch, reknowned pianist and accompanist, walked onto the stage in {…}
Jonas Kaufmann is set to celebrate Puccini with a tour dedicated to the composer. The tenor took to social media and said, “‘Viva Puccini!’ is a personal tribute to the 100th anniversary of the great composer’s death. From October 10th to November 9th, I will be dedicating a series of concerts to Puccini’s genius, together with the sopranos Maria Agresta {…}
In 1924, Giacomo Puccini was indisputably the most renowned, successful, wealthy, and frequently performed living composer in the world. However, the maestro had a big vice: he was an avid smoker. This habit took its toll on him when, after visiting his doctor for a persistent cough and various respiratory issues, he received the devastating diagnosis of an inoperable throat {…}