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Opera Wiki

Composer Profile: George Walker, A Historic Pulitzer-Prize Winner

https://operawire.com/composer-profile-george-walker-a-historic-pulitzer-prize-winner/

George Walker was one of the great Black composers of all time. Born on June 27, 1922, in Washington D.C., his mother Rosa King supervised his first piano lessons when he was but five years of age. By the time he was 14-years-old and a student of Howard University, Walker hosted his first recital. He was then admitted into the {…}

DVD and CD Reviews, Reviews

DVD Review: The Rossini Festival’s ‘Ricciardo e Zoraide’

https://operawire.com/dvd-review-the-rossini-festivals-ricciardo-e-zoraide/

The Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro has long championed the operas composed by Rossini, including many of his forgotten works. Among those forgotten is “Ricciardo e Zoraide,” which was first performed in 1846 before disappearing from the stage until 1990 and then 1996. The festival revived the work in 2018, promptly releasing a DVD of the production; all of these {…}

News

Luciano Pavarotti to Get Star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame

https://operawire.com/luciano-pavarotti-to-get-star-on-hollywoods-walk-of-fame/

Iconic tenor Luciano Pavarotti will receive a star on Hollywood’s famed Walk of Fame. Per several reports, the famed tenor will receive the posthumous honor in 2021. In 1982, the tenor appeared in the film “Yes, Giorgio” alongside Kathryn Harrold. The film, about a famed opera singer who loses his voice during an American tour, was directed by Franklin J. {…}

News

Will Liverman, Emily Fons, Emily Pogorelc Headline Valhalla Media’s New Live Stream Program

https://operawire.com/will-liverman-emily-fons-emily-pogorelc-headline-valhalla-medias-new-live-stream-program/

Valhalla Media will launch a brand new streaming platform aimed at providing live opera performances to audiences worldwide. On June 26, the company will feature baritone Will Liverman alongside pianist Paul Sanchez in a program centered on African-American composers including Leslie Adams, Margaret Bonds, Damien Snead, and Robert Owens. There will also be a world premiere by Shawn Okpebholo. On {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Mezzo-Soprano Arlene Belli Provides a Young Singer’s Perspective on Establishing a Career Under Lockdown

https://operawire.com/q-a-mezzo-soprano-arlene-belli-provides-a-young-singers-perspective-on-establishing-a-career-under-lockdown/

(Photo: Riccardo Scrocca) The coronavirus has had a huge impact on theaters and live performances, and opera has certainly not been immune from its consequences. With the theatres closed, singers, directors and musicians, set and costume designers and conductors, to name but a few, have all seen their work come to an abrupt halt. For the stars, this may be {…}

News

Obituary: Uruguayan Conductor Federico Garcia Vigil Dies, Aged 79

https://operawire.com/obituary-uruguayan-conductor-federico-garcia-vigil-dies-aged-79/

Uruguayan composer and conductor Federico Garcia Vigil passed away on June 4, 2020, at the age of 79. Born in Montevideo on January 5, 1941, Vigil attended the Elbio Fernandez school before studying piano at the Guillermo Kolischer Conservatory. In the 1960s, Vigil was hired to work at the Orchester de Ballet Alicia Alsono in Havana Cuba. Here, he met {…}

News

Jonas Kaufmann, Lucas Meachem & Juan Francisco Gatell Lead New CD/DVD Releases

https://operawire.com/jonas-kaufmann-lucas-meachem-juan-francisco-gatell-lead-new-cd-dvd-releases/

This week, four complete operas, as well as an oratorio recording, will be available to stream. Here is a look. Otello After long delays, Sony Classical will finally release the full studio recording of Verdi’s masterpiece opera with Jonas Kaufmann singing the title role and Antonio Pappano conducting the Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Soprano Federica Lombardi sings her {…}

Opera Wiki

Composer Profile: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Creator of ‘The Song of Hiawatha’ & ‘Thelma’

https://operawire.com/composer-profile-samuel-coleridge-taylor-creator-of-the-song-of-hiawatha-thelma/

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, born on August 15, 1875, would go on to become a prominent conductor and composer. Born in Holborn, London, he would be brought up in Croydon, Surrey by his mother and stepfather. His early musical interests were championed by his grandfather and his extended family would eventually arrange for him to study at the Royal College of Music {…}