(Credit: Thomas Aurin/Arena di Verona) This weekend will feature the celebration of a major milestone for the living legend Plácido Domingo. But there are also a few fascinating productions around Europe (though to be fair, 80 percent of our choices are located in two countries) that you definitely have to check out if you have the chance. Médée – Salzburg Festival, {…}
The Teatro de la Maestranza has announced its 2019-20 season, featuring four operatic productions and numerous recitals and concerts. Opera Carlos Chausson, Joan Martín-Royo, Anicio Zorzi Giustaniani, Sara Blanch, and Francisco Escala star in Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale.” Corrado Rovaris conducts the production by Laurent Pelly. Performance Dates: Oct. 12-19, 2019 Saint-Saëns’ “Samson et Dalila” follows with Gregory Kunde and Nancy Fabiola Herrera starring {…}
The Palau de les Arts has announced a varied 2019-20 season featuring operas, zarzuelas, concerts, and recitals. Here is a look. Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” is set to be conducted by Christopher Moulds in a production by Emilio Sagi. The cast will be headed by Andrzej Filończyk, María José Moreno, Sabina Puértolas, Robert Gleadow, Cecilia Molinari, Susana Cordón, and Valeriano Lanchas. Performance {…}
(Photo Credit: Cory Weaver) Long before I arrived in Los Angeles, I read Edward Rothstein’s “New York Times” review of the LA Opera’s previous production in 1994 of Manuel Penella’s “El Gato Montès” and what he said there about LA Opera’s mounting of Zarzuelas as a “conscious effort to attract Hispanic audiences to the opera house.” Curious, I bought CDs {…}
Arturo Chacón-Cruz received the premio Plácido Domingo at the LA Opera. The award was given to the tenor by the Hispanics for Los Angeles Opera organization and by Domingo himself after a performance of “El Gato Montés.” “I am honored to receive an award from maestro Plácido Domingo, who has been my mentor and maetsro for so many years! I feel {…}
As the 2018-19 season comes to an end, the opera season continues with festivals and many companies opening new productions. With a ton of selections to choose from, we eventually whittled it down to the 10 Must-See productions, as we did internationally. Here is a look at the operas you cannot miss this summer in the U.S.. 10. Hérodiade – New Amsterdam {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced its 2019-20 season which includes seven operas, including five new productions, one world premiere, and one company premiere. The season kicks off with Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a new production by Tomer Zvulun. The famed Italian work will feature Brian Mulligan in the title role and Mané Galoyan and Arturo Chacón-Cruz as Gilda and the {…}
Even though 2018 is coming to an end, there is a lot of opera to look forward to in 2019. There will be even more stars, world premieres, new productions, and rarely performed works that will be showcased throughout the world. In celebration of the new year, let’s take a look at the operas OperaWire believes are not be missed {…}
Tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz released a Mariachi album for Sony Music. The Mexican tenor announced that his new Mariachi album entitled “De Mexico Para el Mundo” is now available on digital platforms as well as in stores. The album includes 11 popular mariachi songs including “El Rey.” This is the second album Chacón-Cruz dedicates to his homeland. In 2014, he released {…}
The weekend is here and many productions have just opened. This week, we see a number of standard pieces being performed in new productions as well as some rarely performed contemporary works. We also leave the opera genre to showcase a major Zarzuela being performed in Spain. Here is a look. Satyagraha – Vlaanderen Opera, Belgium Rihab Chaieb and Peter Tantsits {…}
The last time I saw Plácido Domingo up close was the first time: “Andrea Chénier,” San Francisco, 1975. He was a dashing superstar and a tenor. On Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, he was General Director of the Los Angeles Opera, overseer of Operalia, The World Opera Competition, which he founded in 1993, conductor, divo, and baritone. What also changed was {…}
