Queen Sonja 2025 Competition Announces 12 Semi-Finalists

https://operawire.com/queen-sonja-2025-competition-announces-12-semi-finalists/

The Queen Sonja Competition has announced its 12 semi-finals. The semi-finals, which will take place on August 17, will showcase mezzo-soprano Ekaterine Buachidze, Bass-baritone Vladyslav Buialskyi, mezzo-soprano, Maire Therese Carmack, soprano Hannah Edmunds, soprano Hedvig Haugerud, bass Pawel Horodyski, soprano Justyna Khil, baritone Sakhiwe Mkosana, soprano Kathleen O’Mara, tenor Jonghyun Park, mezzo-soprano Meridian Prall, and soprano Eirin Rognerud. The singers will be judged by a jur that {…}

News

Edgaras Montvidas Joins IMG Artists for General Management

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Lithuanian tenor Edgaras Montvidas has joined the roster of IMG Artists. He will be represented by Senior Vice President and Head of European Vocal, Sam Snook, from the company’s London office. In a statement, Snook said, “I first heard Edgaras at the Santa Fe Opera, of all places, and was immediately drawn to his singing and artistry. I’ve been following {…}

DVD and CD Reviews, Reviews

CD Review: Decca’s ‘Der fliegende Holländer’

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Drawn from two live performances in 2024, the Decca release of “The Flying Dutchman” arrives with no small sense of occasion. Its cast alone—Lise Davidsen, Gerald Finley, Stanislas de Barbeyrac—promises one of the most congenial pairings in recent memory. “The Flying Dutchman” has always occupied a somewhat ambivalent place in the Wagnerian discography: too early to be “Tristan,” too compact {…}

Business, News

Theater an der Wien Extends Intendant’s Contract

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The Theater an der Wien has announced it will extend intendant Stefan Herheim’s contract. The company said “We are pleased to announce that the city of Vienna, together with the Vienna Holding and the VBW, have decided to extend the contract of Stefan Herheim until fall 2030 and continue the much-regarded program line of his intent.” Herheim added, “It is {…}

News

Adam Hickox Named New Chief Conductor of Trondheim Symphony Orchestra

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(Photo credit: The Royal Academy of Music) British conductor Adam Hickox has been named the new Chief Conductor of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. Starting in 2025-26 season, Hickox will be responsible for planning and directing symphonic productions and contributing to overall strategic planning. Earlier this year Hickox visited the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, where he conducted Verdi’s “Requiem.” Since graduating from {…}

Artist of the Week

Artist of the Week: Edward Nelson

https://operawire.com/artist-of-the-week-edward-nelson/

This week, The Dallas Opera is set to open a production of “Pelléas et Mélisande,” a work that is rarely performed. The production will showcase rising stars in the opera world including one unexpected debut. Edward Nelson will make his house debut singing the title role after being announced only a week before performances. Nelson is well-known for his interpretation {…}

Interviews

Q & A: Evan LeRoy Johnson on How He Determines His Own Path by Listening to His Inner Voice

https://operawire.com/q-a-evan-leroy-johnson-on-how-he-determines-his-own-path-by-listening-to-his-inner-voice/

(Photo credit: Matt Madison Clark) Evan LeRoy Johnson is an American tenor who received the Barbara and Stanley Richman Memorial Award from the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he was a Gerdine Young Artist. He has performed widely in his home country and has made acclaimed debuts for numerous European opera houses, including Bayerische, Oper Frankfurt, Opernhaus Zürich and {…}

Business, News

Alexandre Desplat Joins Harrison Parrott for Classical Management

https://operawire.com/alexandre-desplat-joins-harrison-parrott-for-classical-management/

French Composer and conductor Alexandre Desplat has joined Harrison Parrott and Polyarts for global classical management Desplat is an Oscar-winning composer who has scored over 130 films and received numerous awards, including two Academy Awards, three BAFTAs, three César Awards, two Golden Globes, and two GRAMMY awards. He has worked with such acclaimed directors as Wes Anderson, Kathryn Bigelow, George {…}

Reviews, Special Features, Stage Reviews

Winning in Norway – The Experience of Taking in the Final of the 2023 Queen Sonja Singing Competition

https://operawire.com/winning-in-norway-the-experience-of-taking-in-the-final-of-the-2023-queen-sonja-singing-competition/

Finals for singing competitions are an interesting experience to cover. On one hand, everyone on stage is a winner. In the case of the 2023 edition of the Queen Sonja Singing Competition, the six singers who took the stage on August 26 were picked from an overall pool of 521 contestants from around the world; not mention that the competition {…}

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