The Longborough Festival Opera Finds An Artist Director

https://operawire.com/the-longborough-festival-opera-finds-an-artist-director/

Polly Graham will become artistic director of the Longborough Festival Opera. Graham, who is also a director, spent two years as Genesis assistant director at Welsh National Opera, mentored by David Poutney. She received the Independent Opera Director Fellowship 2016 and was nominated as Best Newcomer 2017 at the International Opera Awards. She recently directed “Le Vin Herbé” at the {…}

Artist of the Week, News

Artist Of The Week: Layla Claire Makes Her Long Anticipated Debut As ‘Alcina’

https://operawire.com/artist-of-the-week-layla-claire-makes-her-long-anticipated-debut-as-alcina/

Layla Claire has become one of the most promising lyric sopranos of her generation. Throughout the past years, she has specialized in the works of Mozart and Handel as well as Britten. And this week she will add yet another major role to her repertory, “Alcina.” After canceling her highly anticipated debut in the role earlier this year at the {…}

News

Barbara Hannigan, Cecilia Bartoli, Piotr Beczała & Joyce DiDonato Among International Opera Award Nominees

https://operawire.com/barbara-hannigan-cecilia-bartoli-piotr-beczala-joyce-didonato-among-international-opera-award-nominees/

The International Opera Award nominations have bee announced. The organization, which seeks to recognize the best of the industry recognizes 18 categories. This year the nominees for Female Singer are Malin Byström, Carmen Giannattasio, Barbara Hannigan, who recently won the Grammy, Hui He, Ermonela Jaho and Eva-Maria Westbroek. In the Male Singer category, Piotr Beczała is nominated alongside Günther Groissböck, Peter Mattei, Eric Owens, {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q&A: Samantha Hankey On Winning The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions & European Debut

https://operawire.com/qa-samantha-hankey-on-winning-the-metropolitan-opera-national-council-auditions-european-debut/

American mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey recently won the Grand Finals at the 2017 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and won First Prize winner of the Dallas Opera Guild Competition. Now after winning such prestigious competitions, she is slowly becoming one of the most acclaimed rising stars of the opera world. A recent graduate of the Juilliard School, Hankey has already performed {…}

Opera Wiki

Opera Profile: Rossini’s ‘La Cenerentola’

https://operawire.com/opera-profile-rossinis-la-cenerentola/

Aside from “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” there is perhaps no more popular opera by Rossini than his interpretation of the immortal Cinderella tale. “Cenerentola” premiered on Jan. 25, 1817, and while it became popular in its early life, it fell out of favor until a Rossini renaissance took place in the second half of the 20th century. Short Plot Summary {…}

Special Features

Ranking All of Sir David McVicar’s Met Opera Productions

https://operawire.com/ranking-all-of-sir-david-mcvicars-met-opera-productions/

Sir David McVicar has been directing opera for quite some time, working with such prominent companies as the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, La Monnaie, and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. He has also sustained a healthy relationship with the Metropolitan Opera, particularly in recent years where he has been given carte blanche to put together {…}

News

Lyubov Petrova Replaces Nadine Sierra At The Metropolitan Opera

https://operawire.com/lyubov-petrova-replaces-nadine-sierra-at-the-metropolitan-opera/

Nadine Sierra has canceled tonight’s performance of “Le Nozze di Figaro.” The Metropolitan Opera announced via Twitter that due to illness Nadine Sierra would not be singing. As a result, Lyubov Petrova would replace her. Petrova made her Met debut in 2011 as Zerbinetta in “Ariadne auf Naxos” and has since performed with the company in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” {…}

Artist of the Week, News

Artist of the Week: Venera Gimadieva Takes on ‘I Puritani’ At Vienna State Opera

https://operawire.com/artist-of-the-week-venera-gimadieva-takes-on-i-puritani-at-vienna-state-opera/

When the Vienna State Opera kicks off its production of Bellini’s “I Puritani” on Jan. 4, the work will feature a soprano that few people have heard of in recent years – Venera Gimadieva, alongside a cast that includes Adam Plachetka, Jongmin Park, and Dmitry Korchak. Gimadieva is no outsider to be sure. The 33-year-old Russian soprano trained at the {…}