La Jolla Symphony & Chorus is set to kick off its 2023-24 season with “This Soil” on Nov. 4 and 5, 2023. The showcase will feature soprano Amanda Olea who will perform Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915.” The concert also includes a piano concerto by Florence Price, “Moxie” by Kristen Kuster, “Bravado” by Gala Flagello, Symphonic Dances from “West Side {…}
(Credit: Dario Acosta) Superstar soprano Pretty Yende is set to perform alongside the Princeton Symphony Orchestra this January at the Richardson Auditorium. Yende will take on Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915” as well as arias from Verdi’s “La Traviata” and Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” The orchestra will also play Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and music by Verdi and Rossini. {…}
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra has announced that it will present “Fridays on the Farm: American Masters” on July 2, 2021. The performance, which will take place at The Venue at Goebberts in Pinegree Grove, Illinois will feature soprano Joelle Harvey as she takes on Barber’s iconic “Knoxville: Summer of 1915.” Harvey is an internationally renowned soprano who has performed at {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts has announced that it will present a virtual concert on Feb. 6, 2021 entitled “A Celebration of American Composers.” As the title suggests, the showcase will feature works of some of the most prominent American composers and their corresponding vocal repertory. Mezzo-soprano Chelsea Laggan will perform selections from “Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson” by Aaron {…}
(Credits: Opéra National de Paris official website / Chen Reiss official website / Harlequin Agency official website) The Royal Opera House Covent Garden has announced its fall program schedule. For the purposes of this article, we will focus only on vocal works. “4/4” is an evening of opera that has been curated by Director of Opera Oliver Mears and features {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced that it will be releasing “Leontyne Price at the Met.” The two-CD collection features 34 live recordings of the famed soprano. It will be available for purchase starting on Sept. 18, 2020. The CD includes tracks from Price’s April 7, 1962 performance of “Tosca” alongside tenor Franco Corelli as conducted by Kurt Adler. Leonora’s Act {…}
Credit: Gregor Hohenberg/Sony Gramophone has announced the recordings that have advanced to the final round of the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2020. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on vocal, choral, and opera categories. The first contestant in the opera category is the Barber’s “Vanessa,” performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Glyndebourne Chorus, under the musical {…}
( Photo Credit: Chris Lee ) On Wednesday September 18, 2019, the New York Philharmonic launched their 2019-20 season with an exciting concert, titled “Kelli O’Hara Sings Barber.” The evening’s program included the world premiere of Philip Glass’ “King Lear Overture,” as well as selections from Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet, Suites No. 1 and 2.” Starting with Shakespeare First on {…}
Samuel Barber was one of the great American composers of the 1900s. Born on March 9, 1910, he grew up in Pennsylvania and expressed great interest in music from an early age. He composed his first work “Sadness” at age seven and at age 10 attempted his first opera “The Rose Tree.” He became even more serious about composition throughout {…}
On Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, audiences gathered in the Gilder Lehrman Hall of The Morgan Library for a performance from a duo of powerful, young artists. Since its founding, the George London Foundation has developed and supported singers who would go on to the world’s most prominent stages; Sunday’s soloists, baritone Will Liverman and soprano Michelle Bradley, joined by accompanist {…}
First premiering on January 15, 1958, Samuel Barber’s “Vanessa” draws inspiration from Isak Dinesen’s novella “Seven Gothic Tales.” At its premiere, “Vanessa” was praised for being a grand opera penned by an American composer, though later critics, comparing it to more famous works, insist that the work is American only insofar as Barber himself was born in the country. The {…}