Teatro Real de Madrid 2019-20 Preview: Sonya Yoncheva & Javier Camarena to Star in ‘Il Pirata’

https://operawire.com/teatro-real-de-madrid-2019-20-preview-sonya-yoncheva-javier-camarena-to-star-in-il-pirata/

(Credit: Javier del Real) The Teatro Real in Madrid is set to open Bellini’s rare “Il Pirata” on Saturday, Nov. 30. The opera premiered at the Teatro alla Scala in 1827 when the composer was only 26-years-old and became an overnight success. And while Bellini remained at the forefront of Bel Canto for the remainder of his short life, this {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Tenor Levy Sekgapane On Performing Bel Canto Repertoire, His Idol, & Plácido Domingo

https://operawire.com/q-a-tenor-levy-sekgapane-on-performing-bel-canto-repertoire-his-idol-placido-domingo/

Since tenor Levy Sekgapane won Operalia in 2017, he has been in great demand and with every subsequent performance he is quickly establishing himself as one of the best of his generation. It is no surprise that 2018 has been big year for Sekgapane as he has made major debuts in European stages from Baltic states to the U.K. and {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Cristina Pasaroiu On Singing Her First Baroque Opera & The Four Heroines In Les Contes d’Hoffmann

https://operawire.com/q-a-cristina-pasaroiu-on-singing-her-first-baroque-opera-the-four-heroines-in-les-contes-dhoffmann/

Cristina Pasaroiu is one of today’s most celebrated Romanian sopranos and has performed in some of the most prestigious opera houses, concert halls, and festivals. The soprano’s repertoire has ranged from spinto to lyric roles like “Adriana Lecouvreur,” “Manon,” “La Traviata,” “La Juive,” Magda in “La Rondine,” Leila in “Les Pêcheurs de Perles,” Mimì in “La Bohème,” Fiordiligi in “Così {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opera in the Ozarks 2018 Review – The Ballad of Baby Doe: Cast Soars in American Classic

https://operawire.com/opera-in-the-ozarks-2018-review-the-ballad-of-baby-doe-cast-soars-in-american-classic/

Beverly Sills once said the most challenging part of playing Baby Doe was making her likable from the start. The same might be said of the other main characters in Moore’s opera, all of whom are profoundly flawed and selfish. At the opener of this year’s Opera in the Ozarks production an excellent cast reveals all the good in what could {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Waldebuehne 2018 Review: Magdalena Kozena Dazzles Alongside Sir Simon Rattle & Berlin Philharmonic

https://operawire.com/waldebuehne-2018-review-magdalena-kozena-dazzles-alongside-sir-simon-rattle-berlin-philharmonic/

Sir Simon Rattle is retiring from the Berlin Philharmonic. Saturday night at the Waldbuehne, Berlin, was one of the farewell concerts. This one included his wife as guest artist – the superb mezzo-soprano, Magdalena Kozena. Despite the rain that drizzled on the 20,000+ people armed with blankets and ponchos, and its proximity to the concrete tower left over from the {…}

Behind the Scenes, Interviews

Q & A: Thea Musgrave On her Career Achievements & Her 90th Birthday

https://operawire.com/q-a-thea-musgrave-on-her-career-achievements-her-90th-birthday/

For years, British composer Thea Musgrave has been a major figure in the classical world. She has been a pioneer of the “dramatic-abstract” in the contemporary musical landscape and has composed over 160 pieces, including 13 operas, 11 choral works, and 21 orchestral works. Musgrave recently celebrated her 90th birthday with a concert that included many of her renown works {…}

Behind the Scenes, Interviews

Q & A: Kaufman Music Center’s Legendary Executive Director Lydia Kontos On Importance of Music & Opera Education, Working with Soprano Ailyn Pérez

https://operawire.com/q-a-kaufman-music-centers-legendary-executive-director-lydia-kontos-on-importance-of-music-opera-education-working-with-soprano-ailyn-perez/

We all know that the future of art in any country resides with the younger generations. Achieving that passing of the torch is far easier said than done and few embark fully on said commitment. Lydia Kontos, Executive Director of the Kaufman Music Center, is one such person who has made it her life to champion music education and develop {…}

Behind the Scenes, Interviews

Q & A: Kevin Puts & Mark Campbell On the Creation of ‘Elizabeth Cree’

https://operawire.com/q-a-kevin-puts-mark-campbell-on-the-creation-of-elizabeth-cree/

Murder, mystery, and mayhem are on offer in “Elizabeth Cree” when it opens this Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Chicago Opera Theater. Set in 1880s Victorian London, the opera begins with the hanging of Elizabeth Cree for the murder of her husband, John. The story then circles back to the trial for that murder and Elizabeth’s own narrative of her {…}

On This Day, Special Features

5 Roles That James Morris & Sherrill Milnes Both Interpreted

https://operawire.com/5-roles-that-james-morris-sherrill-milnes-both-interpreted/

James Morris and Sherrill Milnes were both born on Jan. 10, though Milnes is 12 years older than his American colleague. The two shared the stage on several occasions with Milnes taking on leading baritone roles and Morris championing the leading bass parts. Their voices usually aren’t categorized in the same manner, Milnes being a baritone and Morris a bass-baritone. {…}

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Teatro Real de Madrid 2019-20 Preview: Sonya Yoncheva & Javier Camarena to Star in ‘Il Pirata’

Q & A: Tenor Levy Sekgapane On Performing Bel Canto Repertoire, His Idol, & Plácido Domingo

Q & A: Cristina Pasaroiu On Singing Her First Baroque Opera & The Four Heroines In Les Contes d’Hoffmann

Opera in the Ozarks 2018 Review – The Ballad of Baby Doe: Cast Soars in American Classic

Waldebuehne 2018 Review: Magdalena Kozena Dazzles Alongside Sir Simon Rattle & Berlin Philharmonic

Q & A: Thea Musgrave On her Career Achievements & Her 90th Birthday

Q & A: Kaufman Music Center’s Legendary Executive Director Lydia Kontos On Importance of Music & Opera Education, Working with Soprano Ailyn Pérez

Q & A: Kevin Puts & Mark Campbell On the Creation of ‘Elizabeth Cree’

5 Roles That James Morris & Sherrill Milnes Both Interpreted