Happy New Year! With 2024 in full swing, OperaWire is breaking down 10 opera productions that are must-sees for all opera lovers from around the world for the winter and spring season. Ali – La Monnaie – April 21, 2024 La Monnaie continues bringing new operas to the world and this year the company will bring the true story of {…}
(Credit: © SF / Peter Rigaud) The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2024 Season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Opera Strauss’ “Caprricio” is set to be performed in concert form with Elsa Dreisig and Bo Skovhus as Countess and Count. The cast also includes Sebastian Kohlhepp (Flamand), Konstantin Krimmel (Olivier), Mika Kares (La Roche), Ève-Maud Hubeaux (Clairon), {…}
(Credit: Michael Pohn) ORF II is set to present Puccini’s “Turandot” in a new production by Claus Guth. The opera will be broadcast on Dec. 16, 2023 from the Wiener Staatsoper and will star Asmik Grigorian in the title role, Jonas Kaufmann, Kristina Mkhitaryan, and Dan Paul Dumitrescu. The cast will be rounded out by Jörg Schneider, Attila Mokus, Martin Häßler, Norbert Ernst, and Hiroshi Amako. {…}
It’s that time of the year again! The 2023-24 season is about to begin and audiences are getting ready to choose performances as they head back to the opera. With so much to choose from, OperaWire is breaking down 10 opera productions that are must-sees for all opera lovers from around the world. Aida – Berlin State Opera – Opens {…}
(Photo: © SF/Marco Borrelli) It is always good when a song recital does not include the usual suspects of the Lieder repertoire (you know who they are). This is nothing against “Die schöne Müllerin” or “Dichterliebe.” However, Asmik Grigorian and Lukas Geniušas’s recital was exciting because it featured Rachmaninoff songs, along with some small pieces by Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov for {…}
Photo credit: SF Bernd Uhlig In one of his literary excursions, the great Portuguese author Eça de Queiroz reviewed the premiere of Verdi’s “Macbeth” in Lisbon. He did not see the original Italian version of the opera, but the revised French one and quite likely with the same cast as in Paris. Eça insisted that Verdi was the greatest living {…}
(c: sf bernd uhlig) The Salzburg Festival will broadcast Verdi’s “Macbeth.” The production, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski and conducted by Philippe Jordan, will be showcased on ORF 2, Arte, Arte Concert, and BR Klassik on July 29 in a time-delayed broadcast. The cast will include Vladislav Sulimsky in the title role, Tareq Nazmi as Banco, Asmik Grigorian as Lady Macbeth, and Jontahn {…}
(Credit: (c) ROH 2021) This week, the Salzburg Festival is set to open its new production of Verdi’s “Macbeth” with a stellar cast that includes one of today’s most exciting artists at the festival, Asmik Grigorian. Ever since her debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2017 as Marie in “Wozzeck,” Grigorian has become a favorite of the festival. She has {…}
This week audiences cannot miss debut albums, a world premiere recording, and two acclaim DVD releases A Phoenix Rising Navona Records releases tenor Brian Smith Walters’ first album. The CD is a cross-section of chansons and Lieder spanning five centuries, and Walters navigates them with stunning bravado. Audiences will hear selections from Purcell, Copland, Schubert, Saint Saens, Tchaikovsky, Barber, Wagner, {…}
Opus Klassik Awards have announced the 2023 winners. The Female Singer of the Year was awarded to Asmik Grigorian for her debut album “Dissonance,” while the Male Singer of the Year saw Jakub Józef Orliński recognized for his CD release “Farewells.” Conductor of the Year went to Jakub Hrůša for “Hans Rott: Symphony No. 1” while Composer of the Year was given {…}
The Berlin Philharmonic has announced its 2023-24 Season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Iván Fischer conducts Michael Nagy in works by Jörg Widmann and Gustav Mahler. Performance Date: August 26, 2023 Alexander Rudin, Alexander Melnikov, Nadezhda Pavlova, and Olga Pashchenko perform works by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performance Date: August 27, 2023 Robin Ticciati conducts Wu Wei Sheng, Karen {…}
