Asmik Grigorian has signed an exclusive contract with Alpha Classics. After having triumphed on the stage, the soprano will release her highly anticipated first recording with pianist Lukas Geniušas. The album will be devoted to one of her favorite composers, Sergei Rachmaninov. In a statement, the soprano noted “Most of Rachmaninov’s romances really demand operatic power. In fact, he wrote {…}
(Credit: Algirdas Bakas) The Berliner Philharmoniker has announced that soprano Sonya Yoncheva has canceled her participation in the title role in Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta” for concert performances of the opera on Jan. 12, 14 & 15, 2022 due to flu. As a result, soprano Asmik Grigorian will take over the role, making her Berliner Philharmoniker house debut. Grigorian joins a cast {…}
After a year and a half of limited performances and shut downs, 2021 marked the year during which performers were able to bring their artistry to the stage and to the audiences. And now 2021 is bringing down its curtain. There were so any memorable moments in the year and there were truly some historical performances. Like previous years, OperaWire {…}
(Credit: Anne Zeuner) The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2022 season, featuring eight operas, concerts, and international opera stars. For the purpose of this article we will focus on the vocal works only. Operas The season opens with Romeo Castellucci’s production of Béla Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle.” The opera stars Mika Kares and Aušrinė Stundytė in the lead roles, alongside soprano {…}
CueTV is set to stream Dvorak’s “Rusalka” in a production from the Teatro Real de Madrid. The new production showcases Dvorak’s main character as a ballet dancer with injured feet who relies on crutches to aid her movement. Directed by Christof Loy, the production is set in the foyer of an opera house. Ivor Bolton conducted a cast that included {…}
(Credit: © Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pöhn) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that it will reopen its doors to the public with a performance of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” on Dec. 13, 2021 after a three-week closure due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19. The opera had its live online premiere on Dec. 5. “Don Giovanni” stars Hanna-Elisabeth Müller as Donna {…}
This week audiences can experience a new solo album by one of opera’s reigning divas, two new albums by a great coloratura, a world premiere and two new DVDs from recent productions. Here is a look at this week’s new releases. Amata dalle Tenebre Deutsche Grammophon releases Anna Netrebko’s new album “Amata Dalle Tenebre,” which marks the soprano’s first studio {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its upcoming revival of “Eugene Onegin.” The company noted that Asmik Grigorian will take over the role of Tatiana for the first two performances of the run on Oct. 15 and 18 while Elena Guseva will sing the role on Oct. 21, 24, and 26, 2021. Both sopranos will replace Nicole {…}
((c) ROH 2021) The Royal Opera House’s first new production of Leoš Janáček’s “Jenůfa” in over twenty years was one of the first casualties of the 2020 lockdown, shelved on the cusp of opening in March that year. A starry cast made it an especially hot ticket then, especially given the involvement of imaginative German director Claus Guth, and {…}
(Credit: Clive Barda / Royal Opera House / ArenaPAL) The Royal Opera House Covent Garden has announced an autumn streaming program as part of its 2021-22 season. The company will present productions of “The Magic Flute,” “Macbeth,” and “Jenufa” as well as such ballets as “Giselle,” and “The Dante Project.” Additionally, the company will also stream the Irish National Opera’s {…}
(Credit: T. Kolesnikov) Asmik Grigorian has clarified her vaccine status following comments she made during an interview with The Times U.K. The Lithuanian soprano took to social media and noted, “I’m vaccinated. I chose to get vaccinated. In my recent interview with ‘The Times,’ I said that I don’t like to be forced into getting vaccinated in order to do {…}