https://operawire.com/obituary-mezzo-soprano-josephine-veasey-dies-at-91/
On Feb. 22, Mezzo-soprano Josephine Veasey died at the age of 91. Born in Peckham in South London, Veasey studied with Audrey Langford and became a member of the Royal Opera House chorus in 1949. In 1955 she made her debut as a soloist at the British house in “Salome” and would eventually sing Cherubino in “Le nozze di Figaro,” {…}
https://operawire.com/theatre-du-capitole-toulouse-announces-cast-change-for-carmen/
The Théatre du Capitole Toulouse has announced a cast change for its performance on Jan. 29. The company noted that Michael Fabiano will sing the role of Don Jose joining a cast that includes Eva Zaïcik in the title role, Pierre-Yves Pruvot as Escamillo, and Anaïs Constans as Micaëla. The cast is rounded out by Julien Véronèse, Victor Sicard, Marie-Bénédicte Souquet, {…}
https://operawire.com/deustche-oper-berlin-announces-cast-change-for-elektra/
(Credit: © Anna Thorbjörnsson) The Deutsche Oper Berin has announced a cast change for its upcoming performances of “Elektra.” The company noted that Anna Larsson will sing the role of Klytämnestra on Feb. 3 and 16, 2022. Larsson has performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Opéra de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper, Royal Opera House in London, Teatro Maggio Musicale, La Monnaie, {…}
https://operawire.com/opera-de-dijon-announces-conductor-change/
The Opéra de Dijon has announced a conductor change for its production of Haydn’s “L’Isola disabitata.” The company informed audience members that Leonardo García Alarcón has been forced to cancel after testing positive for COVID-19 and will quarantine. As a result, Fayçal Karoui will replace Alarcón in rehearsals and for the performances on Nov. 27 and 28, 2021. Karoui is a {…}
https://operawire.com/gran-teatre-del-liceu-changes-die-zauberflote-production-due-to-technical-difficulties/
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a production change to its upcoming “Die Zauberflöte.” In a press release, Liceu noted that due to the difficulty of the production and a limited schedule with the technical team and soloists, the company has been obliged to change the production. As a result, the opera house will present a revival of Sir {…}
https://operawire.com/angela-gheorghiu-roberto-alagna-pretty-yende-sasha-cooke-piotr-beczala-headline-top-10-operas-to-stream-this-week/
Those yearning for a lot of big name opera gems will certainly be satisfied with this week’s offerings which include a bit of a deviation from our usual format – we included three productions from the same company. But there are still several other unique offerings from around the world. We hope you have a fulfilling week of operatic experiences. {…}
https://operawire.com/david-beucher-magda-beucher-release-new-la-traviata-music-video/
Tenor David Beucher and soprano Magda Beucher have released their second music video in a series inspired to give hope to opera lovers. The couple, who was left out of work due to the pandemic, released a music video to “Libiamo” from Verdi’s “La Traviata” and stated, “we want to give hope and sun for the new year 2021!” It {…}
https://operawire.com/conductor-esa-pekka-salonen-knighted/
(Credit: Palau de la Música Catalana official website) Famed Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen has received an Honorary Knighthood by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for services to music and to relations between the United Kingdom and Finland. “This is a true personal honor, but more than that, it is meaningful to have artists honored at a national – at a {…}
https://operawire.com/karita-mattila-awarded-order-of-the-lion-of-finland/
Credit: Marica Rosengard Celebrated Finnish soprano Karita Mattila has been awarded the Order of the Lion of Finland, First Class Commander Badge. The Order of the Lion of Finland is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. The famed Finnish soprano has {…}