Renowned soprano Adrianne Pieczonka has been appointed the Vocal Chair and Head of the Vocal Department at the Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory. Per a press release, she is the school’s first ever Vocal Chair, a role that the Canadian soprano will assume in May 2019. “I am very excited and honoured to assume the role of Vocal {…}
Soprano Sara Schabas is the recipient of the International Resource Centre for Performance Artists’s “Career Blueprint” award. The announcement was made on Monday evening after the “New Singers” concert at the Zoomer Hall in Toronto. Schabas performed “Mir is die Ehre widerfahren” from Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier.” Among those in attendance were IRCPA founder and director Ann Summers Dossena and {…}
The International Resource Centre for Performing Arts has named ten singers that will perform as part of its “Ten Singing Stars: The Next Generation” on Nov. 5, 2018. Per a press release, the 10 singers were selected from a pool of 25 total applicants. The singers include seven sopranos, one mezzo-soprano, and two tenors. The sopranos include Tonia Cianciulli, Jocelyn {…}
The Vienna State Opera’s continues its hugely popular live stream series with Strauss’ “Ariadne Auf Naxos.” Two days after its “Der Freischutz” showcase, the company will present the final performance of “Ariadne auf Naxos” on Sept. 13, 2018. The cast includes such stars as Peter Matic, Stephen Gould, Daniela Fally, Adrianne Pieczonka, Sophie Koch, and Jochen Schmeckenbecher. Peter Lange conducts. {…}
It’s Pride month, so to celebrate we return to the series we began last year. This time we celebrate some of the great singers of today who have been advocates to the LGBT community or who simply enjoy a life being out and proud. David Daniels David Daniels has been one of the biggest proponents of the baroque repertoire and {…}
Excitement filled the air as the members of the Bayerisches Staatsorchester arrived on stage and Maestro Kirill Petrenko took to the stand. We were all still floating high after their outstanding debut performance the night before at New York City’s coveted Carnegie Hall, audience members began clapping even before they played the first note of Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier.” Their delicate {…}
The Théâtre Champes-Élysées has announced its 2018-19 season. Let’s break it down Staged Productions Jérémie Rhorer conducts a new production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” with Deborah Warner directing. Vannina Santoni stars in the title role alongside Saimir Pirgu and Laurent Naouri. Performance Dates: Nov. 28-Dec. 9, 2018 Katie Mitchell directs Strauss’ “Ariadne Auf Naxos” with Camila Nylund and Roberto Sacca. Kate Lindsey and Olga Pudova round out {…}
The Royal Opera House will present Puccini’s “Tosca” live in cinemas on Feb. 7, 2018. The performance will be broadcast around the world and stars Adrianne Pieczonka in the title role, Joseph Calleja as Mario Cavaradossi, and Gerald Finley as the villainous Scarpia. Regarding the showcase, OperaWire praised the production by Jonathan Kent noting, “It’s humorous to think that many {…}
There are instances in which it’s difficult for opera-lovers to remember “Tosca” is no comedy. From that perspective it is easy to recall the legend of a certain prima donna who once bounced back from the trampoline that was supposed to break her fall as Tosca killed herself. Floria Tosca is not one of opera’s most pitiable characters. She is {…}
The Vienna State Opera’s will showcase its “Un Ballo in Maschera” production this coming Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, as part of the company’s season-long live streaming service. The production will be led by conductor Jesús López Cobos, and star the likes of Piero Pretti as Gustaf III, Adrianne Pieczonka as Amelia, and Marco Caria as Ankarstrom. The production is directed {…}
San Francisco Opera’s “Elektra” is a powerhouse! From the minute the curtain rises on the “Museum Elektra,” filled with the artifacts of the Greek age and styled with an array of modern visitors, complete with cell phones and baseball caps, one strange dark-haired woman skulking around from this case to that, defying the Guards who monitor the whole scene until {…}