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IndieOpera

The CheckOut to Present ‘Awake to Life’

https://operawire.com/the-checkout-to-present-awake-to-life/

Chicago’s The CheckOut is set to present “Awake to Life,” an evening of vocal works by composer Matthew Recio, on March 2, 2026. The showcase features songs written during Recio’s years in Chicago and is performed entirely by Chicago-based artists, including soprano Rachel Blaustein, tenor Karim Sulayman, baritone Nicholas Ward, and pianist Mark Bilyeu. Additional performers include cellist David Sands {…}

Reviews

Concerto Köln 2025-26 Review: St. Michael’s Oratorio

https://operawire.com/concerto-koln-2025-26-review-st-michaels-oratorio/

(Photo: Georg Lichtensteger in 1745) At St. Michaelis Church Hamburg, with its vast interior and long reverberation, opening concerts of the Bach Weeks often feature works that exploit the acoustic space—Biber’s 53-part “Missa Salisburgensis” was a perennial choice, and this year is no exception. Telemann’s oratorio “Komm wieder, Herr, zu der Menge der Tausenden in Israel,” written for the 1762 {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg 2025 Review: Arvo Pärt 90

https://operawire.com/elbphilharmonie-hamburg-2025-review-arvo-part-90/

(Photo: Daniel Dittus) In recent seasons, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie has turned curation into an act of composition — a series of small-scale but focused festivals exploring how contemporary music still speaks to the soul. Few composers suit its luminous acoustics better than Arvo Pärt, whose world depends on clarity and silence. For his 90th birthday, his music returned here in its {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Soprano Nicole Cabell On Her Return to Ravinia & Taking On Her Only Händel Role

https://operawire.com/q-a-soprano-nicole-cabell-on-her-return-to-ravinia-taking-on-her-only-handel-role/

(Photo by Devon Cass) On August 24, 2025, Ravinia, in collaboration with Haymarket Opera Company, will present a performance of Händel’s “Alcina.” The showcase will be headlined by Nicole Cabell, taking on the title role, the only one by Händel in her repertory. Cabell, the 2005 winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, is no stranger to Ravinia, {…}

Stage Reviews

Händel Festspiele Halle 2025 Review: Agrippina

https://operawire.com/handel-festspiele-halle-2025-review-agrippina/

(Photo credit: Matthias Horn) “Agrippina” from the Händel Festival 2025, is a glittering, cynical comedy of ambition, soaked in psychological warfare. This production plunges Agrippina into a dazzling contemporary world that is as intriguing as its Roman origins. Director Walter Sutcliffe and set designer Aleksandar Denic have boldly reimagined the Roman Senate as the glittering interior of a Las Vegas-style {…}

News

MidAmerica Productions Announces 2025 Concert Season at Carnegie Hall

https://operawire.com/midamerica-productions-announces-2025-concert-season-at-carnegie-hall/

MidAmerica Productions announces its 2025 concert season. For the purposes of this article, only vocal works are included. The New England Symphonic Ensemble accompanies all performances, unless otherwise noted. The world premiere of Paul A. Aitken’s “Missa Pro Terra: A Mass for the Earth” features soloists soprano Michele Sexton and baritone Eliam Ramos. Participating choirs are the Cantabile Singers of {…}

News

Shortlists Announced for 2025 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards

https://operawire.com/shortlists-announced-for-2025-royal-philharmonic-society-awards/

The Royal Philharmonic Society Awards have announced its 2025 shortlist nominees. This article only features those nominated for vocal works. The Awards will feature performances from a range of nominees and is hosted by BBC Radio 3 presenters Jess Gillam and Tom McKinney, with trophies presented by RPS Chair Angela Dixon. The Awards ceremony will be held for the first {…}

DVD and CD Reviews, Reviews

CD Review: Deutsche Grammophon’s ‘Adriana Mater’

https://operawire.com/cd-review-adriana-mater/

Eighteen years is far too long to go without recording an opera like Kaija Saariaho’s “Adriana Mater.” The Finnish composer’s 2006 follow-up to “L’Amour de loin” is a work of both hypnotic allure and harrowing immediacy. While it’s good of Deutsche Grammophon to put out this digital-only release, it’s a rather half-hearted tribute to the late Saariaho. There isn’t even {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Concerto Köln & Monteverdi Choir Hamburg 2024 Review: Jephtha

https://operawire.com/concerto-koln-monteverdi-choir-hamburg-2024-review-jephtha/

(Photo: Daniel Dittus) “Jephtha” at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg was nothing short of a revelatory experience, thanks to the exceptional artistry of Concerto Köln and the Monteverdi Choir Hamburg. Under the direction of Antonius Adamske, the orchestra breathed new life into Handel’s late masterpiece. The choir, equally impressive, delivered each passage with precision and emotional depth. While the soloists showed skill {…}