The San Francisco Opera has announced that Atalla Ayan has won the 2018 Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Stars Competition. Ayan, who made his Company debut as Alfredo in Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata last fall, was named “2018 Emerging Star of the Year” based on a popular vote conducted online at sfopera.com from July 9–July 31, 2018. As {…}
The Teatro Colón has announced its 2018 season presenting 11 operas. The season kicks off on March 13, 2018, with “Three Sisters” by Peter Eötvös. The opera based on a play by Anton Chekhov is set to star Jovita Vaskeviciute, Anna Laprovskaja and Elvira Hasanagić. On April 22, 2018, Scarlatti’s “Il Trionfo dell’onore” will be showcased for four performances with Victoria Gaeta, Cecilia Pastawski, Sofía Di Benedetto, {…}
As is the case with a number of major opera houses around the world, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden is presenting Puccini’s “La Bohème.” And is often the case with all of these major companies, there are so many performances of this beloved opera, 25 in total spread across the fall and summer, that it can be tough to {…}
The Festival season continues with one of the most anticipated premieres slated to open. Austria That premiere, of course, is Anna Netrebko’s role debut as Aida at the Salzburg Festival. She will be accompanied by Riccardo Muti and Francesco Meli, who is also making his role debut as Radamès, with Ekaterina Semenchuk as Amneris. The festival will also continue runs {…}
The role of Violetta Valery in Verdi’s “La Traviata” is said to be one of the most complex soprano roles in the repertoire, requiring a soprano with musical versatility and acting skills. In the past few years, many sopranos have dominated the role and created memorable portrayals. One such soprano is Corinne Winters, the Maryland-born singer who is making a {…}
Yet another 2017-18 season was announced on Tuesday, with Oper Stuttgart taking its bow. The company will showcase five premieres, six revivals, 12 other repertoire works and even a special event opera. Premieres Starting on Oct. 22, 2017, a new production of “Hänsel und Gretel” will make its appearance. That will be followed by a “Medea,” which gets its start {…}
Franco Alfano’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” has never truly managed to establish a foothold in the operatic canon. The work only premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 2005 and Roberto Alagna, the opera’s most dedicated interpreter has stated that he struggled to find a company willing to take a chance on it. Despite its Italian composer, the music works very much {…}
On Tuesday, May 2, 2017, the Metropolitan Opera will revive Alfano’s “Cyrano de Bergerac.” The opera doesn’t have a massive history with the company, its first ever performance with the company coming only a decade ago. On May 13, 2005, Alfano’s masterwork got its Metropolitan Opera premiere, a rather shocking surprise considering the opera’s premiere took place in 1936. The Met {…}
Willy Decker’s production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” opens on Friday, marking the final revival of the acclaimed production. Sonya Yoncheva reprises her acclaimed Violetta which critics said, “was a creation full of searching details.” The soprano has been hailed as one of the great Violettas of our time and has sung the role in Munich, Paris, Zurich and London. Michael {…}