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Special Features

Best of 2025: OperaWire’s Top 10 Performers of 2025

https://operawire.com/best-of-2025-operawires-top-10-performers-of-2025/

It is time to wrap up the year and look back at our favorite moments and performers. After releasing our favorite performances of 2025 and showcasing our rising stars of the year, it’s time for OperaWire’s annual tradition of naming our top singers of the year, honoring the opera stars that had major, and in some cases, career-defining, years. So without further ado {…}

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Opernhaus Zürich Appoints New Music Director

https://operawire.com/opernhaus-zurich-appoints-new-music-director/

(Credit: Gaetan Bally) The Opernhaus Zürich has appointed Lorenzo Viotti as its new General Music Director for the 2028-29 and 2029-30 seasons. The initial contract term is set for two years and is aligned with the current tenure of Artistic Director Matthias Schulz. Viotti will succeed Gianandrea Noseda, who has shaped the orchestra with artistic clarity, passion, and the highest {…}

Special Features

Best of 2025: OperaWire’s Staff Selects Their Favorite Performances of the Year

https://operawire.com/best-of-2025-operawires-staff-selects-their-favorite-performances-of-the-year/

The New Year is upon us, which means it’s time to look back and reflect at what was and what will remain in our memories. As per usual, OperaWire has compiled the favorite performances of the year from many of our contributors. We won’t keep you waiting, here’s a look at the Staff Picks for the best performances of 2025. {…}

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Paris Opera Competition Announces 2025 Winners

https://operawire.com/paris-opera-competition-announces-2025-winners/

The Paris Opera Competition has announced its 2025 winners. The first prize winner was Welsh baritone Steffan Lloyd Owen, a member of the International Opera Studio at Zurich Opera while second prize went to Russian soprano Elene Gvritishvili, a graduate of the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire and of the Bolshoi Young Artist Programme The Audience prize was awarded to {…}

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Joélle Harvey Announced for Washington National Opera’s ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’

https://operawire.com/joelle-harvey-announced-for-washington-national-operas-le-nozze-di-figaro/

Soprano Joélle Harvey is set to join the cast of the Washington National Opera’s production of Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro.” In her house debut, the soprano will take on the role of Susanna, joining a cast that stars Rosa Feola, Will Liverman, Le Bu, John Holiday, and Elizabeth Bishop. Robert Spano conducts the production, which opens on Nov. 14, {…}

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Cast Change: Ewa Plonka Joins ‘Aida’ at Opéra de Paris

https://operawire.com/cast-change-ewa-plonka-joins-aida-at-opera-de-paris/

The Opéra de Paris has announced a cast change for its Oct. 10, 2025, performance of “Aida.” The company said that “Saioa Hernandez, who is ill, has canceled the performance on October 10, 2025. The role of Aida will be performed by Ewa Plonka for this performance.” This is the second performance that Hernandez canceled following the Oct. 7 performance, {…}

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Ukrainian Ambassador to Switzerland Attempts to Cancel Anna Netrebko at Zürich Opera

https://operawire.com/ukrainian-ambasaador-to-switzerland-attempts-to-cancel-anna-netrebko-at-zurich-opera/

After Ukraine’s Ambassador to Switzerland Irina Venediktova sent letters to members of the Zürich Cantonal Council demanding that performances by Anna Netrebko and other artists at the Zurich Opera House be canceled, the Zürich Opera has noted that it will move forward with performances. According to Die Weltwoche, Venediktova expressed “deep concern” and also noted that a “personal exchange” took {…}

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Sondra Radvanovsky, Freddie De Tommaso, Anastasia Bartoli, Elīna Garanča & Huw Montague Rendall Lead International Opera Awards Nominees

https://operawire.com/sondra-radvanovsky-freddie-de-tommaso-anastasia-bartoli-elina-garanca-huw-montague-rendall-lead-international-opera-awards-nominees/

The International Opera Awards have announced its 2025 nominees. The nominees for Opera Company of the Year are Deutsche Oper Berlin, GöteborgsOperan, Houston Grand Opera, MusikTheater an der Wien, Opernhaus Zürich, and Teatro alla Scala.  Meanwhile, in the Female Singer category, Anastasia Bartoli, Elsa Dreisig, Véronique Gens, Asmik Grigorian, Sondra Radvanovsky, and Adela Zaharia are the nominees.  In the Male Singer {…}