(Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic) I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t again mention this year that opera should always be more about the music and the singing than the staging. Alas, I find myself having to break that promise after sitting through the revival of Richard Jones’s 2022 production of “Samson et Dalila” at the Royal Ballet and Opera. {…}
The Polish National Opera has announced its 2026-27 season. New Productions Keri-Lynn Wilson conducts the world premiere of Maxim Kolomiiets’ “The Mothers of Kherson” in a production by Barbara Wysocka. The cast includes Izabela Matuła, Hanna Sosnowska-Bill, Weronika Wojtkowska, Elissa Pfaender, Małgorzata Walewska, Jadwiga Postrożna, Andrei Bondarenko, Katarzyna Wietrzny, Tomasz Rak, Ólafur Sigurdarson, Tadeusz Szlenkier, and Adrian Domarecki. Performance Dates: Oct. 16-27, 2026 Paweł Mykietyn’s {…}
The Tiroler Festspiele Erl has announced its 2026-27 season. Winter 2026 Julius Zeman conducts Bach’s “Weihnachtsoratorium” with Alina Wunderlin, Anita Monserrat, Manuel Günther, and Michael Nagl. Performance Date: Dec. 6, 2026 Asher Fisch conducts Verdi’s “Nabucco” with Gabriele Viviani, Anastasia Bartoli, Simon Lim, Emilia Rukavina, and Giorgio Berrugi. Performance Date: Dec. 13, 2026 Asher Fisch conducts “Ein Bauer namens Verdi.” Performance {…}
The Hungarian State Opera has announced a cast change for its recital on March 22, 2026. The company said that mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina will perform the concert alone instead of with Long Long, who was originally scheduled to sing with her. As a result, the program was changed and the mezzo will sing alongside Jonathan Papp in a program of {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2026-27 season. The company opens the season with a new production of Verdi’s “Macbeth,” starring Lise Davidsen, Quinn Kelsey, Freddie De Tommaso, and Ryan Speedo Green. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts a production by Louisa Proske. Performance Dates: Sept. 22-Oct. 20, 2026 The Metropolitan Opera will present the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s “Lincoln in the {…}
(Credit: Beata Nykiel) Aigul Akhmetshina has canceled upcoming February and March performances due to health issues. The mezzo-soprano took to social media and said, “Due to health reasons, I unfortunately have to step back from my upcoming performances of ‘L’Italiana in Algeri’ at Deutsche Oper Berlin, and to postpone the concert in Paris with my dear friends Kristina Mkhitaryan and {…}
Carnegie Hall has announced its 2026-27 season featuring a star studded lineup. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Jonas Kaufmann opens the season with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Kirill Petrenko in an all-Italian program that includes works by Verdi, Respighi, Cilea, Giordano, and Leoncavallo. Performance Date: Oct. 8, 2026 The Sphinx Virtuosi is joined by J’Nai Bridges for {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) There are operas that survive by turning into monuments–and others by remaining dangerously alive. “Carmen” belongs to the second category. It refuses preservation. It resists comfort. And every so often, a production appears that reminds one why this work still unsettles rather than reassures. Production Details Damiano Michieletto’s “Carmen” at Teatro Real is one of those {…}
Aigul Akhmetshina is speaking out against hate in the world and against the cancellation of artists. The mezzo-soprano took to social media and said, “In these times it feels deeply wrong that artists constantly stand under pressure – because of politics, religion, nationality or simply because society needs somewhere to unload its frustration. Too often the easiest target becomes art. {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard) The Metropolitan Opera is set to revive Carrie Cracknell’s production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” The work will be performed 13 times with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard taking on the lead role alongside tenor Michael Fabiano and Matthew Polenzani. The cast will also include soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan as Micaëla and bass-baritone Adam Plachetka as Escamillo. Fabien Gabel, in his company debut, {…}
Aigul Akhmetshina has canceled her remaining performances of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” at the Paris Opera due to visa issues. The mezzo took to social media and said, “I’m sad to announce that my visa situation is still not resolved. Because of this, I’ve missed rehearsal and the first performance, and unfortunately, I will also miss the second show. Together {…}