The Metropolitan Opera has responded to Anna Netrebko’s lawsuit. The company told the New York Times, “Ms. Netrebko’s lawsuit has no merit.” The response comes a few hours after the soprano filed a lawsuit for “damages for lost performance and rehearsal fees.” It also claimed that the Met caused Netrebko ”severe mental anguish and emotional distress” that included “depression, humiliation, embarrassment, {…}
For many, Kathryn Lewek IS the Queen of the Night. She holds the record for most performances of the role at the Metropolitan Opera and has taken her interpretation of the famed villain to opera houses such as the Royal Opera House, the Vienna State Opera, and the Gran Teatre del Liceu, among many, many others. This summer, she will {…}
David Daniels and his husband Scott Walters have pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting Samuel Schultz in Houston in 2010. The plea deal was announced just as the trial was about to begin. Daniels pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual assault of an adult, a second-degree felony and will face eight years of probation, a lifetime requirement to register as a {…}
(Credit: tim osipov) Anna Netrebko has filed a lawsuit against Peter Gelb and the Metropolitan Opera. The soprano is alleging defamation, breach of contract, and other violations related to the institution’s decision to fire her following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan and is asking for at least $360,000 in {…}
Photo credit: Cory Weaver The original film of the world-premiere production of “The Factotum” by Grammy award-winning baritone Will Liverman, DJ King Rico, and Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj is now available for free streaming through Sept. 5 on Lyric Opera of Chicago’s YouTube channel. The film version of “The Factotum,” which premiered in the spring of this year, features the full {…}
The Festival Castell de Peralada has a cast change for its performance on August 5. The company said that Jonah Hoskins will replace Xabier Anduaga who is indisposed. Hoskins will sing alongside soprano Serena Sáenz and pianist Maciej Pikulski in a concert that will close out the festival in Perelada. Hoskins has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Pensacola {…}
Opera Rara has announced the launch of the Donizetti Song Project on Sept. 9, 2023. The project will feature Donizetti’s entire song output, around 200 in total, showcased in performance and recordings. First up is “Donizetti & Friends” at Wigmore Hall, starring tenor Lawrence Brownlee and Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi. This event will include songs by Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, {…}
Lyric Opera of Chicago is set to present “Sunday in the Park with Lyric” on August 20, 2023. The showcase, which will be led by Enrique Mazzola and the Lyric Opera Orchestra, will feature music from “The Flying Dutchman,” “The Daughter of the Regiment,” “Jenufa, “Cinderella,” “Aida,” and “Champion.” The performance will be headlined by the singers in the company’s {…}
Countertenor David Daniels and his husband Scott Walters are set to go on trial on Friday, August 4 over charges that they sexually assaulted singer Samuel Schultz after a performance in 2010. According to the New York Times opening arguments will begin in Houston and Daniels and Walters face one felony count of aggravated sexual assault. Daniels and Walters are accused {…}
This week audiences will get to experience classic recordings as well as some new solo recitals and complete recordings of rarely performed operas. AMASS GRAMMY-nominated conductor Eugene Rogers brings to life Jocelyn Hagen’s setting of the Roman Catholic Mass in AMASS. This work stands apart from the Mass settings of other composers who have practiced this centuries-old genre, including Johann {…}
The east coast premiere of Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell’s “The Shining” serves as the season opener for both Atlanta Opera and Alliance Theatre. “The Shining” which is part of Atlanta Opera’s “Thriller Three” series will takr place at the Woodruff Arts Center Sept. 15 – Oct. 1. Brian Staufenbiel directs the new opera based on Stephen King’s 1977 bestselling novel {…}