Leah Crocetto, Levy Sekgapane, Gaston Rivero & Selene Zanetti Lead Fondazione Petruzzelli’s 2023 Season

The Fondazione Petruzzelli has announced its 2023 season featuring eight productions. The season will open with Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Cecilia Molinari, Amira Elmadfa, Levy Sekgapane, Cesar Cortes, Markus Werba, Gurgen Baveyan, Gianluca Buratto, Nicolò Donini, Marco Filippo Romano, and Stefano Marchisio. Stefano Montanari conducts Davide Livermore’s production. Performance Dates: Jan. 22-29, 2023 Ian Storey, Elena Gabouri, Jane {…}

Mar 5, 2022

Teatro Real 2021-22 Review: Götterdämmerung

Teatro Real concludes Wagner’s epic tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” with nine performances of the fourth title, “Götterdämmerung,” after having presented one opera per season, beginning with “Das Rheingold” in 2019. Unfortunately, the production of this fourth opera, directed by Robert Carsen and Patrick Kinmonth, turned out to be repetitive, meaningless, and plain. Dull & Meaningless One of the main {…}

Mar 2, 2022

Adela Zaharia, Tuuli Takala, Rolando Villazón & Maria José Siri lead Semperoper Dresden’s 2022-23 Season

Semperoper Dresden has announced its 2022-23 season featuring 10 brand new and 30 returning productions in both opera & ballet and its Junge Szene program. Here is a look at the opera productions Premieres “chasing waterfalls Angus Lee/phase7/kling klang klong” makes its world premiere conducted by the composer Angus Lee and staged by Sven Sören Beyer. The cast includes Eir {…}

Dec 10, 2021

Okka von der Damerau Replaces Ekaterina Gubanova in Staatsoper Berlin’s ‘Lohengrin’

(Credit: Mathias Leidgschwendner) The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced that mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova will not be appearing in the role of Ortrud in Wagner’s “Lohengrin” for the final performance of the opera in 2021 on Dec. 12. As a result, mezzo-soprano Okka von der Damerau will take over the role. The mezzo will join a cast that includes Martin {…}

Dec 8, 2021

Anna Lapkovskaja Replaces Elīna Garanča in ‘Samson et Dalila’ at Staatsoper Berlin

(Credit: Achim Graf) The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced that mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča will not be appearing in the title role of Camille Saint-Saëns’ opera “Samson et Dalila” for the entire run ending Dec. 19, 2021. The mezzo-soprano already missed the opening night performance on Dec. 5 and was replaced by mezzo-soprano Anna Lapkovskaja. Lapkovskaja will now take over {…}

Dec 8, 2021

Andreas Schager, Scott Hendricks, Elena Guseva, Maria Barakova & Annalisa Stroppa Lead Bregenz Festival 2022 Season

(Credit: Bregenz Festival official website) The Bregenz Festival has announced its 2022 slate, featuring four operas and international stars. Here is the full slate. Operas Rossini’s “L’Italiana in Algeri” stars Maria Barakova as Isabella, Alberto Comes as Mustafa, Sarah Yang as Elvira, and Spencer Britten as Lindoro. The cast also includes Florence Losseau, Hubert Kowalczyk, and Pierpaolo Martella. Jonathan Brandani {…}

Dec 2, 2021

Anna Lapkovskaja Replaces Elīna Garanča for Opening Night of ‘Samson et Dalila’ at Staatsoper Berlin

(Credit: Achim Graf) The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced that mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča will not be appearing in the title role of Camille Saint-Saëns’ opera “Samson et Dalila” on Dec. 5, 2021. As a result, mezzo-soprano Anna Lapkovskaja will take over the role. The mezzo joins a cast that includes Michael Volle, Jongmin Park, Paul Gay, Magnus Dietrich, Benjamin {…}

Nov 2, 2021

Elīna Garanča, Andreas Schager & Michael Volle Lead Staatsoper Berlin’s ‘Samson et Dalila’

(Credits: Holger Hage / David Jerusalem / Carsten Sander) The Staatsoper Unter den Linden will present Camille Saint-Saëns’ and Ferdinand Lemaire’s “Samson et Dalila” in December 2021. Mezzo-soprano superstar Elīna Garanča and famed Austrian heldentenor Andreas Schager star in the title roles, while baritone Michael Volle appears as Le Grand-Prêtre de Dagon. The cast is rounded out by Jongmin Park, {…}

Oct 5, 2021

PBS Announces Broadcast for Met Opera’s ‘Wagnerians in Concert’

PBS has announced that it will start broadcasting “Wagnerians in Concert” from the Met Opera on Nov. 5, 2021. The showcase stars Elza van den Heever, Christine Goerke, Michael Volle, and Andreas Schager, accompanied by pianist Craig Terry. The quartet, which performed from Wiesbaden in Germany, took on music from “Tannhäuser,” “Parsifal,” “Die Walküre,” “Die Frau ohne Schatten,” and more, {…}

Jul 24, 2021

Bayreuth Festival Announces 2022 Ring Cycle Cast & 2023 ‘Parsifal’

The Bayreuth Festival has announced the cast and director of the new production of “Ring des Nibelungen” slated for 2022. Pietari Inkinen is set to conduct the new production by Valentin Schwarz with stage design by Andrea Cozzi and costumes by Andy Besuch. “Das Rheingold” will star Daniel Kirch, Christa Mayer, and Olafur Sigurdarson while “Die Walkure” Klaus Florian Vogt, Georg {…}

Jun 4, 2021

Anna Netrebko, Sonya Yoncheva, Roberto Alagna, Elīna Garanča, Saioa Hernández & Camilla Nylund Lead Staatsoper Berlin’s 2021-22 Season

(Credits: Dario Acosta / Sonya Yoncheva official website / © Gregor Hohenberg / Kasskara/DG / Operabase official website / Staatsoper Berlin official website) The Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas Beethoven’s “Fidelio” will open the season. The opera stars Roman Trekel, Matthias Goerne, Pavel Černoch, Andreas Schager, Simone Schneider, {…}

andreas schager