Mexican tenor Francisco Araiza will be the president of the jury of the VIII Alfredo Kraus International Singing Contest, which will be held from September 19 to 25, 2021. Initially, the president of jury was set to be the Italian baritone Leo Nucci, but he informed the organization of he was unable to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alfredo {…}
The Met has announced themed lineups for two weeks of its Nightly Met Opera Streams featuring such stars as Nadine Sierra, Anna Netrebko, Mirella Freni, René Pape, Renée Fleming, Joan Sutherland, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Diana Damrau. The first week’s theme will be “Unhinged Mad Scenes” while the second will shine a spotlight on “Rare Gems.” Week 62 – Unhinged Mad {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced week 16 of its Nightly Streams. This coming week’s streams feature a wide range of options including a showcase starring Beverly Sills, Shostakovich opera, a classic Ring performance, some Bel Canto magic, and a historic performance from the 2018-19 season. Monday, June 29 – Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment Conducted by Enrique Mazzola; starring Pretty Yende, Stephanie {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced Week 9 of its night streams. This coming week features some of opera’s greatest stars including Jonas Kaufmann, Plácido Domingo, Joan Sutherland, and Jessye Norman. Monday, May 11 – Massenet’s Werther Starring Lisette Oropesa, Sophie Koch, Jonas Kaufmann, and David Bižić, conducted by Alain Altinoglu. From March 15, 2014. Tuesday, May 12 – Thomas Adès’s The Tempest {…}
Few tenors can boast the vocal technique and agility of Alfredo Kraus. Born on Nov. 24, 1927, in the Canary Islands of Spain, he started piano lessons at age four and was in the school choir at age eight. He started off learning Zarzuela but eventually made his professional debut as the Duke in “Rigoletto” in Cairo in 1956. From {…}
Tenor Alfredo Kraus is undeniably one of the greatest artists in the history of opera. Born 90 years ago on Nov. 24, 1927, the tenor had a superlative technique that allowed him to become one of the prolific tenors of his era. He excelled in the bel canto repertoire and took on the French masters, but he also specialized in {…}
This week three star-studded DVD will invade markets. The first stars Joan Sutherland and Alfredo Kraus while the other stars Plácido Domingo in a signature role. Finally, audiences will get to see rising star Aida Garifullina in one of her early triumphs. Sutherland’s “Lucrezia Borgia” The premiere release of the week is Joan Sutherland’s acclaimed “Lucrezia Borgia.” Opus Arte is releasing the historic performance {…}
February 11, 1840. Donizetti was premiering his latest work, a French comedy known as “La Fille du Regiment.” Among his works, it was a true rarity in its approach to style. He had a lot banking on this work, looking to fully establish his reputation in the cultural capital of the world. But it was a disaster. One of the {…}
On Jan.3, 1843 Donizetti’s comic masterpiece “Don Pasquale” made its premiere with immediate success. It immediately became part of the standard repertoire and a piece that was translated into French, and performed all over the world. Since its premiere the opera has been performed more than 700 times and has been recorded by many great artists. To celebrate the works {…}
Gounod’s beloved “Romeo Juliette” returns to the Met on New Years Eve with a star cast that includes two singers that had electric chemistry in another great French work a few years ago. The Performers Diana Damrau and Vittorio were a dynamic duo when they took the stage for Massenet’s “Manon” back in March 2015. Their chemistry was revered by {…}
For many, 2016 was a tough year for many reasons. There were many lost political battles, violence exploded around the world and many beloved artists and celebrities saw their lives come to an end. The opera world was particularly devastated in 2016 with the loss of many major stars, some of them rather young. The following is a list of {…}