Following controversy over the use of Blackface at the Arena di Verona, OperaWire reached out to Arena di Verona for comment on the situation and why it continued to use the maligned practice. In response, a spokesperson for the company told OperaWire, “The point is that as long as we do a historical Aida in the Arena, it is very {…}
(Disclosure: Out of respect for the sensitivity of our audience we will only link to images of blackface instead of showing them here) Following a performance of “Aida” at the Arena di Verona on July 8, several opera singers are calling out Anna Netrebko for the use of blackface. Jamie Barton took to Twitter and said, “It’s been a long {…}
Baritone Sebastian Catana is set to return to the Arena di Verona for productions of Verdi’s “Nabucco” and “Aida.” The baritone will sing the role of “Nabucco” on July 1 under Daniel Oren. He will be joined by Ewa Plonka as Abigaille in her Arena debut, Abramo Rosalen as Zaccaria, Francesca Di Sauro as Fenena and Samuele Simoncini as Ismaele. {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s “Aida.” The company noted that the Veronese baritone Simone Piazzola will sing the role of Amonasro replacing Roman Burdenko who is ill. Piazzola is a well-known baritone who has performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House, Opéra de Paris, Berlin State Opera, Teatro La {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced the casting for its 2022 season. The season will open with Bizet’s “Carmen” starring Elina Garanča, Clémentine Margaine, J’Nai Bridges, and Yulia Matochkina in the title role. The cast will also include Karen Gardeazabal, Gilda Fiume, Maria Teresa Leva, Lavinia Bini, Brian Jagde, Vittorio Grigòlo, Roberto Alagna, Luca Micheletti, Gëzim Myshketa, and Claudio Sgura. Performance Dates: June 17-August 27, 2022 Liudmyla Monastyrska, {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced the participation of tenor Plácido Domingo in “Verdi Opera Night.” The company announced that Domingo will perform excerpts from “Macbeth,” “Don Carlo,” and “Aida.” He will be accompanied by Clémentine Margaine, Maria José Siri, Ildar Abdrazakov, Gabriele Sagona, and Fabio Sartori. “Macbeth” will open the gala with Maria José Siri singing Lady Macbeth and Domingo {…}
The Fondazione Arena di Verona has announced its 2023 season, which will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Arena Opera Festival. To celebrate the occasion, the festival will present 50 unrepeatable performances in under three months. The season will open with Verdi’s “Aida” in a new production by Stefano Poda. Marco Armiliato and Daniel Oren conduct a cast that includes {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced that Anna Netrebko will return during the 2022 season. The company revealed that the soprano will return alongside Yusif Evyazov in Franco Zeffirelli’s “Turandot” on August 4, 7, and 10, 2022. The soprano will also sing the role of Abigaille in “Nabucco” for two performances on July 7 and 10, 2022. The performances will mark {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced its 2022 season which will celebrate the organization’s 99th year. The season will feature 45 evenings with five opera productions and three special events taking place between June 17 and Sept. 4. The season opens with Bizet’s “Carmen” the legendary production which was in fact the 1995 Arena debut of Franco Zeffirelli. Performance Dates: {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced a new Violetta for its production of “La Traviata.” The Arena announced that Zuzana Marková will sing the role of Violetta on the Sept. 2 performance of Verdi’s masterpiece replacing Aida Garifullina, who was forced to cancel due to surgery. Marková has performed at the Royal Opera House, Opera Royal de Wallonie, Gran Teatre {…}
(Credit: © Decca / Simon Fowler) Aida Garifullina has canceled her upcoming performance at the Arena di Verona. The soprano took to social media stating, “My dear friends, this decision was probably the most difficult in the last 10 years but, to my great regret – following a recent surgery and following the advice from the doctor – it has {…}