Anna Netrebko, Peter Mattei, Juan Diego Flórez, Regula Mühlemann & Rolando Villazón Lead Philharmonie de Paris’ 2023-24 Season

The Philharmonie de Paris has announced its 2023-24 season. Here is a look at the vocal highlights of the season. Klaus Mäkelä conducts Orchestre de Paris with soloists Bertrand Chamayou, Olga Peretyatko, Pavel Petrov, Alexey Markov, and Bertrand Mandico. The program includes music by Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff. Performance Dates: Sept. 6 & 7, 2023 Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Mass in {…}

Apr 3, 2023

CD Review: Sonya Yoncheva’s ‘The Courtesan’

Amid the controversies surrounding her response to the New York Times’ review of “Norma” at the Met, the latest CD release of Sonya Yoncheva has gone strangely unnoticed. It is a shame really, as “The Courtesan” (as it is called) offers a very worthwhile retrospective of some 25 years of professional singing in which she revisits role favorites like Thaïs {…}

Apr 3, 2023

Chatham Baroque to Honor Don O. Franklin with ‘The Joy of Bach’

On April 22 and 23, Chatham Baroque will perform in “The Joy of Bach,” a concert honoring the late Bach scholar Don O. Franklin. The organization will be joined by some of Franklin’s favorite collaborators for this musical homage. Franklin was a pillar of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Music and served as president of the American Bach Society {…}

Apr 3, 2023

Cecilia Bartoli, Gábor Bretz, Sally Matthews & Ed Lyon Lead La Monnaie’s 2023-24 Season

Belgium’s La Monnaie du Mont has announced its 2023-24 season with world premieres, a new Ring Cycle, and many classic works. The season opens with the world premiere of Bernard Foccroulle and Matthew Jocelyn’s “Cassandra.” Kazushi Ono conducts the work with a cast that includes Katarina Bradic Jessica Niles Susan Bickley, Sarah Defrise, Paul Appleby, Joshua Hopkins, and Gidon Saks. {…}

Apr 3, 2023

Boston Lyric Opera to Present New England Premiere of ‘Omar’

Boston Lyric Opera is set to present the New England premiere of “Omar,” a new opera by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels. The work is set to be performed on May 4-7, 2023 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theater with a cast led by tenor Jamez McCorkle in his BLO debut as Omar, mezzo-soprano Cierra Byrd in her BLO debut {…}

Apr 3, 2023

Resonance Works’ to Perform Bach’s Mass in B Minor

Resonance Works’ tenth anniversary season will continue with Bach’s Mass in B Minor. The work will be performed by sopranos Katy Shackleton Williams, Charlene Canty, Amelia D’Arcy, and Lara Lynn McGill, mezzo-sopranos Timothi Williams and Thespina Christulides, tenor Javier Abreu, and bass-baritone Matthew Scollin. In a statement, Maria Sensi Sellner, Resonance Works’ Artistic and General Director said, “Although the complete {…}

Apr 3, 2023

Vicenza in Lirica Announces 2023 Season

The Vicenza in Lirica has announced its 10th anniversary season. The season opens with the concerto “Finale” del Concorso lirico Tullio Serafin. Performance Date: June 7, 2023 The festival will present a Concerto Benefico in honor of Assi Gulliver. Performance Date: June 10, 2023 Next up is the rarely performed opera Malipiero’s “Ecuba.” The Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto {…}

Apr 3, 2023

Opéra de Paris Announces Paris Opera Play

The Opéra de Paris has launched POP, Paris Opera Play, a new streaming platform, play.operadeparis.fr. The new streaming platform will offer its audiences the opportunity to discover its shows online. The POP will also give its subscribers the opportunity to discover live performances and a catalog of 80 titles, regularly enriched, composed of recordings, documentaries, master classes, and other exclusive {…}

Apr 2, 2023

Obituary: Legendary Tenor Pedro Lavirgen Dies at 92

On April 2, 2023, Legendary Spanish tenor Pedro Lavirgen died at the age of 92. The tenor, who was born in Bujalance, Córdoba on July 31, 1930, started his musical journey at the hospital de Hermanos de San Juan de Dios in Córdoba, where he was part of the chorus and at the parish in Bujalance where he also performed {…}

Apr 2, 2023

Katherine Goforth Awarded the First “True Voice Award” on International Transgender Day of Visibility

Photo credit: Dallas Symphony In recognition of International Transgender Day of Visibility, Washinton National Opera announced Katherine Goforth as the first recipient of the “True Voice Award.” The new award was created specifically for transgender or nonbinary opera artists by the creators of “As One,” Kimberly Reed, Laura Kaminsky, and Mark Campbell in collaboration with Washington National Opera. The “True {…}

Apr 2, 2023

Royal Opera House Wins 2023 Olivier Award

The 2023 Olivier Awards were held on April 2 at the Royal Albert Hall. The award for Best New Opera Production went to “Alcina” by Richard Jones at the Royal Opera House. Reacting to the news, Lisette Oropesa said, “‘ALCINA’ wins the Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production!!!! Congratulations to our fabulous team at the Royal Opera House for {…}