https://operawire.com/obituary-soprano-elsa-kastela-dies/
Greek soprano Elsa Kastela has died. Born in Piraeus, Greece where her mother was a music professor and also gave her music lessons. The soprano went on to study and graduate from the National Conservatory of Athens, obtaining a number of awards for excellent performances in piano, monody, and opera singing. In May 1961 she won the third prize at {…}
https://operawire.com/q-a-tanja-ariane-baumgartner-on-klytamnestra-at-salzburg-the-new-normal-after-covid-19/
(Credit: Dario Acosta NY) German mezzo-soprano Tanja Ariane Baumgartner is one of the most sought-after opera singers of our time. Baumgartner has been a member of the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt since the 2009-10 season. During her time in Frankfurt, Tanja Baumgartner made appearances in numerous operas including “Carmen,” “Giulio Cesare in Egitto,” “Don Carlo,” “Medea,” “Die Frau ohne Schatten,” {…}
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 {…}
https://operawire.com/pavol-breslik-karita-mattila-highlight-janacek-brno-festivals-2020-season/
The Janáček Brno Festival has announced its 2020 edition and confirmed it will begin as planned. For the purposes of this article, we have only focused on the vocal performances. Robert Carsen directs Leoš Janáček’s “Destiny” with a cast that includes Alžběta Poláčková and Szilvia Rálik. Marko Ivanović conducts the opening night opera. “Destiny,” created especially for the Janáček Opera, {…}
https://operawire.com/q-a-composer-stuart-macrae-on-early-works-anthropocene-prometheus/
(Credit:Loudon MacRae Photography) Composer Stuart MacRae has established himself as one of the most distinctive composers of his generation. He has written a range of orchestral and opera works in his career, with his most recent orchestral work including the symphony “Prometheus,” which premiered in November 2019. He has also composed five operas to date – “The Assassin Tree,” “Remembrance {…}
https://operawire.com/obituary-nadezda-kniplova-dies-at-87/
International soprano Naděžda Kniplová has died at the age of 87. Born in Ostrava to a musical family, Kniplová began her vocal training from her father and later went on to study under Jarmila Vavrdová at the Prague Conservatory from 1947 to 1953. After conservatory she went on to make her professional opera debut in 1957 at the opera house {…}
https://operawire.com/obituary-renown-contralto-yeoryia-megremis-passes-away/
Greek contralto Yeoryia Megremis has died. The acclaimed singer graduated from the University of Indiana with a major in opera and won first prize in vocal and operatic studies at the Athens Conservatory in Greece. Following her studies in Greece, the singer competed at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions where she won the Regional Auditions and made a successful New {…}
https://operawire.com/sean-panikkar-anne-sofie-von-otter-leonardo-capalbo-lead-komische-oper-berlins-2019-20-season/
Komische Oper Berlin has announced its 2019-20 season. This season will celebrate Dionysus, the forefather and protagonist of Greek theatre, with new productions reflecting the entire spectrum of musical theatre. Chief Director Barrie Kosky comments, “. . . [O]nce we believe in the power of theatre and music, believe in their intoxicating, seductive, physical, emotional, and ultimately community-building impacts, once {…}
https://operawire.com/waiting-on-picture-q-a-dr-ronald-perlwitz-on-the-bayreuth-festival-in-abu-dhabi/
Over the last few months, one of the biggest headlines has been the announcement that the Bayreuth Festival would be taking its forces to Abu Dhabi for a couple of performances of Wagner’s “Die Walküre.” The Bayreuth Festival isn’t known for traveling abroad for its productions and Abu Dhabi is not among the recognized homes of opera. But this shift {…}