Anna Netrebko will not sing in Russia for the time being. In a new interview with Zeit Online, the soprano made it clear that she has no plans to sing in her home country. She said, “I have no plans at the moment to sing in Russia, not even at the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, because I don’t {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper’s General Director Serge Dorny was tricked by a Russian comedian duo “Wowan and Lexus” into making comments about Anna Netrebko and Valery Gergiev on Russian state TV. During the interview, the duo, whose names are Vladimir Kuznetsow and Alexei Stolyarow, posed as the “Ukrainian Minister of Culture” to inquire about the current status of the “abolition of {…}
Susanne Moser was named the new chair of the Operkonferenz last weekend. Moser, who is the co-artistic director and managing director of the Komische Oper Berlin, will take over for Bernd Loebe of the Frankfurt Opera, who held the position since 2010. “I am very pleased about the election to chair the German-speaking Opera Conference and thank you for your {…}
(Credit: Simon Pauly) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s “Otello.” The company noted that Rachel Willis-Sorensen will replace Anja Harteros in the role of Desdemona. Willis-Sorensen has performed at the Royal Opera House, Bayerische Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Wiener Staatsoper, Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Opernhaus Zurich. Her repertoire {…}
Following the announcement of the Bayerische Staatsoper, General Director Serge Dorny addressed the question of Anna Netrebko in future engagements. The General Director said to BR Klassik, “I’ll wait and see. Also to be able to assess the contradictory statements made by these posts. So far, Anna Netrebko is not in our schedule. Let’s see how things develop. But I {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2022-23 season featuring 10 new productions. Premieres Benedict Andrews directs Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” with Vladimir Jurowski conducting a cast that includes Louise Alder, Avery Amereau, Konstantin Krimmel, Sebastian Kohlhepp, Sandrine Piau, and Christian Gerhaher. Performance Dates: Oct. 26, 2022-July 17, 2023 Wagner’s “Lohengrin” will be conducted by François-Xavier Roth and directed by film director {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its April 14 performance of “Parsifal” The company noted that due to illness Simon O‘Neill would not be performing the title role. As a result, Stuart Skelton will take over. Skelton is one of today’s most revered Wagnerian singers of his generation. He has performed the title role of Parsifal around {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has postponed an upcoming production of Georg Friedrich Haas’s 2016 opera “Koma” and Monteverdi’s “Combattimento” due to the war in Ukraine. In a statement, Serge Dorny said, “It is with great regret that we have decided, in consultation with Romeo Castellucci and Teodor Currentzis as well as our Munich and international co-production partners, to postpone the new {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has made a cast change for its upcoming production of “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Per OWL Artist Management, mezzo-soprano Rachael Wilson will be taking over the role of Cherubino for the March 15, 2022 performance; she will be replacing Samantha Hankey. She will join a cast starring Gerald Finley, Olga Bezsmertna, Katharina Konradi, Luca Pisaroni, Katja Pieweck, {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its upcoming revival of “Lucia di Lammermoor.” The company noted that Juan Diego Flórez and Charles Castronovo will replace Xabier Anduaga, who is ill. Flórez will sing performances on March 12 and 16 while Castronovo will sing performances on March 19 and 24, 2022. Flórez has sung the role of Edgardo {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has postponed the opening of “Peter Grimes.” The company noted that “due to several Corona cases in the technical and artistic departments and the associated high number of contact persons, the premiere of Peter Grimes will be postponed to Sunday, 6 March 2022.” The opera was originally set to open on Feb. 28 and there was also set {…}