Opera’s biggest superstars (past and present) are featuring in this week’s edition. There are some new works, recitals, and some classical masterpieces on offer. And a notable Latin American composer, Daniel Catán, also gets his due. Here are the top 10 operas to stream this week. La Hija de Rappaccini – Chicago Opera Theater (Streaming Now) We did note that {…}
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has announced the official public opening of Restart Stages, a new outdoor performing arts center constructed on the Lincoln Center campus. The new initiative will welcome back audiences to reimagined community spaces and new outdoor venues and will feature Pop-Up performances in music, dance, drama, and more. For this article, we will only focus {…}
Soprano Angel Blue has become an operatic sensation. She recently had a stellar turn as Bess in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2019-20 season opener of “Porgy and Bess”. This year the recording won a Grammy for Best Opera Recording, with Angel Blue giving the acceptance speech onscreen. A natural on camera, she has also launched and hosted an online chat show {…}
LA Opera has announced the April 30, 2021 premiere of ‘let me come in,” a digital short film created by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and filmmaker Bill Morrison. Star soprano Angel Blue provided the vocals for the Lang/Morrison collaboration, for which Lang served as both composer and lyricist. The premiere will stream on LA Opera’s “On Now” platform as {…}
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden has announced new plans for its 2021-22 season, the first full season by the company since 2019. There will five world premieres from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera. The opera will open with a production of “Rigoletto” directed by Oliver Mears with Antonio Pappano conducting and Carlos Álvarez in the title role. He {…}
Grammy® Award-winning baritone Lucas Meachem and his wife, pianist, Irina, saw injustice up close this past summer. While many of us watched the aftermath of George Floyd’s death on television, the Meachem’s are Minneapolis residents. As calls for racial justice grew, and opera companies began taking stock of their own diversity, equity, and inclusivity, the Meachem’s knew they had a {…}
The Metropolitan Opera won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. The company won for its recording of “Porgy and Bess” which was conducted by David Robertson and starred Angel Blue and Eric Owens. The cast also included Latonia Moore, Ryan Speedo Green, Alfred Walker, Golda Schultz, Denyce Graves, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Sarah Brailey and {…}
LA Opera Chairman of the Board of Directors Marc Stern and his wife Eva have created a $ 50,000 annual award to support extremely talented artists in opera. The award will also help with major career expenses, including language studies, travel, training, and preparation. The Eva and Marc Stern Artist Award will recognize one or two artists each year, but {…}
PBS has announced that it will be broadcasting the Met Opera’s “Met Stars Live in Concert series” throughout 2021. All performances will be presented on PBS (check local listings for more details). Kicking off the year-long series will be Renée Fleming’s concert from Washington D.C., in which she performed music by Puccini, Massenet, Korngold, and Handel, among others. Broadcast Date: {…}
Broadway and opera star Zachary James is set to host a new, online talk show. Titled “What Happened Was…” the program will feature leading figures in the world of Broadway, opera, dance, film, television, and more. Inspired by shows such as “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” the series comes as part of The Dallas Opera Network, and will air {…}
Soprano Angel Blue has announced the upcoming guests for her “Faithful Fridays” series. First up will be a conversation with mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. In the episode, which can be viewed on Facebook Live at Blue’s official page, the American soprano will speak with Bridges about her activism, her transition from a basketball player to an opera {…}