The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its production of “Orgia” The company said that baritone Christian Miedl will join the production of “Orgia,” scheduled for next April, replacing Jonathan McGovern, who for personal reasons has left the production. Miedl has appeared on the opera stage at the Wiener Staatsoper, Teatro alla Scala, Stuttgart State Opera, {…}
The Des Moines Metro Opera has announced casting updates and an additional performance for the company’s 2024 Festival Season. The company noted that due to strong early ticket sales, there will be an additional performance of Damien Geter and Lila Palmer’s world premiere opera, “American Apollo.” The added performance will occur on Friday, July 19 at the Blank Performing Arts {…}
Ars Lyrica Houston is set to present three public performances of “Maria’s Magical Music Adventure.” The performances are scheduled for March 3 at the Campbell Learning Center, March 23 at Heights Kids’ Day of Music, and April 6 at Rothko Chapel. “Many young Houstonians speak Spanish as their first language and have limited access to music education at their schools,” {…}
Göteborg Opera is set to present Rameau’s “Platée” in a new production by Andreas Kriegenburg. The new take on the Rameau work will open on March 16 and runs through April 18, 2024. It stars Kristian Lindroos, Wiktor Sundqvist, Carolina Sandgren, Hannes Öberg, Mia Karlsson, Anders J Dahlin, Mattias Ermedahl, Sofie Asplund, and Ann-Kristin Jones. Kriegenburg’s production will feature set {…}
(Photo: DR Rideau de fer) In theory, few programs are more proper for a Valentine’s Day that falls on Ash Wednesday than “Winterreise” in Opéra Comique. The romantic idealism of Valentine’s Day blends well with the bitter aftermath of carnival when all pleasures must be delayed for Lent. After a long run singing a scenic and orchestral version of Schubert’s {…}
The New York Choral Society has announced the resignation of Patrick (“Pat”) Owens from his position as Executive Director after their spring concert The Unicorn on May 30 at NYU Skirball Center. Owens was appointed to the role in 2017 as the organization’s first professional Executive Director and has been instrumental in guiding NYCHORAL through a period of unprecedented growth {…}
This is the second major opera based on the writings of British neurologist Oliver Sacks, whose case study “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” was adapted by Michael Nyman in 1986. “Awakenings,” by American composer Tobias Picker, is inspired by Sacks’ 1973 account of treating victims of encephalitis lethargica. Nicknamed the “sleeping sickness,” this coma-like condition is {…}
The Teatro Regio di Parma has announced the four finalists for its directorial project for Puccini’s “La bohème” for its 2024-25 season. The competition is promoted by the OperaLombardia circuit in coproduction with the Fondazione Teatro Regio di Parma and Fondazione I Teatri di Reggio Emilia, in collaboration with Opera Europa. The Teatro Regio di Parma announced that there were {…}
Conductor Cliff Colnot has died at the age of 76 after a long illness. The orchestra announced the news, noting that he had passed on Feb. 12, 2024 in Chicago. Throughout his career with the CSO, he served in numerous capacities, most notably as a conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the MusicNOW series for more than 20 {…}
Michael Schade is one of the leading tenors of our times who has appeared at many of the greatest theaters in the world including the Wiener Staatsoper, Metropolitan Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Hamburg State Opera, and the Berlin State Opera, among others. Throughout his career, he has performed a diverse repertoire that includes the music of Strauss, Rossini, Wagner, and {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard) The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its production of “Madama Butterfly.” The company said that Aleksandra Kurzak will sing the title role replacing Eleonora Buratto for performances on Feb. 27, March 2, 6, 9, and 14 2024. Kurzak performed the first six performances of the run in January. She scored rave reviews with critics {…}