Corinne Winter, Federica Lombardi, Alex Esposito, Freddie De Tommaso, Gregory Kunde, Angel Blue & Serena Sáenz Lead Palau de Les Arts’ 2025-26 Season

The Palau de les Arts has announced its 2025-26 season. Lorenzo Viotti conducts Gounod’s “Faust” in a production by Johannes Erath. Iván Ayón-Rivas, Alex Esposito, Ruth Iniesta, Florian Sempey, and Ekaterine Buachidze. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-15, 2025 Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s “La descente d’Orphée aux enfers” will star Josipa Bilić, Camille Chopin, Sarah Fleiss, Tanaquil Ollivier, Sydney Frodsham, Richard Pittsinger, Bastien Rimondi, Attila {…}

May 8, 2025

Christine Goerke, Norman Garrett, Raehann Bryce-Davis & Brandon Jovanovich Lead Boston Lyric Opera’s 2025-26 Season

The Boston Lyric Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. Norman Garrett headlines Verdi’s “Macbeth” with Alexandra LoBianco, David Junghoon Kim, and Zaikuan Song. David Angus conducts the production by Steve Maler. Performance Dates: Oct. 10 & 12, 2025 Christine Goerke and Morris Robinson lead Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” with David Angus conducting. Performance Dates: Nov. 12, 2025 Andris Nelsons conducts the {…}

Apr 7, 2025

Asmik Grigorian, Anna Netrebko, Brian Jagde, Saioa Hernández, Ermonela Jaho, Lisette Oropesa, Jakub Józef Orliński & Nadine Sierra Lead Teatro Real de Madrid’s 2025-26 Season

The Teatro Real de Madrid has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “Otello,” starring Brian Jadge, Jorge de León, and Angelo Villari in the title role. The cast includes Igor Golovatenko, Artur Ruciński, Gabriele Viviani, Airam Hernández, Asmik Grigorian, and Maria Agresta. Nicola Luisotti and Giuseppe Mentuccia conduct the production by David Alden. Performance Dates: Sept. {…}

Sep 17, 2024

Boston Lyric Opera 2024 Review: Mitridate

(Photo credit: Nile Scott Studios) What can one expect from an opera that the one and only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed when he was a mere fourteen years young? It is impressive considering the age of its composer and disappointing if we bear in mind what came next—like listening to Wagner’s “Die Feen,” Verdi’s “I Due Foscari” or even Puccini’s {…}

Aug 6, 2024

Opera Frankfurt Announces Cast Change for ‘Lulu’

Oper Frankfurt has announced a cast change for its production of Berg’s “Lulu.” The company said that Vera-Lotte Boecker has withdrawn from the production and will be replaced by Brenda Rae. Rae took to social media and said, ” Sometimes things fall into place in the most amazing ways. After a disappointing cancellation this coming fall, I got the call {…}

Aug 5, 2024

Lawrence Brownlee to Headline Boston Lyric Opera’s ‘Mitridate, Re di Ponto’

Boston Lyric Opera is set to open its new season with Mozart’s “Mitridate, Re di Ponto,” an early opera seria triumph. The work, which will be presented between Sept. 13 and 15 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, will showcase Lawrence Brownlee in the title role. The production will also include soprano Brenda Rae in the role of Mitridate’s fiancée {…}

May 13, 2024

Anna Netrebko, Juan Diego Flórez, Diana Damrau, Lise Davidsen, René Pape & Rachel Willis-Sørensen Lead Staatsoper Unter Den Linden’s 2024-25 Season

The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Luca Salsi and Anna Netrebko team up for Verdi’s “Nabucco.” Ivan Magrì, Marina Prudenskaya, and René Pape join them. Anastasia Bartoli also performs. Bertrand de Billy conducts the new production by Emma Dante. Performance Dates: Oct. 2-26, 2024 Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” receives a new production featuring multiple casts. {…}

Sep 1, 2023

Wiener Staatsoper Announces Cast Chage for ‘La Sonnambula’

(Credit: Kristin Hoebermann) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its performance of Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” on Sept. 6, 2023. The company said that Brenda Rae will sing the role of Amina replacing Pretty Yende. Rae has previously performed the opera at the Oper Frankfurt during the 2017-18 and 2014-15 seasons. This season she is set to appear {…}

Jan 24, 2023

Brenda Rae & Javier Camarena to Headline ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ at Opéra National de Paris

The Opéra National de Paris is set to present Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” starting on Feb. 18, 2023. The opera will be directed by Andrei Serban and conducted by Aziz Shokhakimov. The production features set and costume design by William Dudley with lighting design by Guido Levi. Ching-Lien Wu is the chorus master for the Paris Opera Chorus. Brenda Rae {…}

May 14, 2022

Metropolitan Opera 2021-22 Review: Hamlet

(Credit: Karen Almond / Met Opera) Back in 2017, The Guardian meditated on why, despite being one of the world’s greatest plays, “Hamlet” had no great corresponding operatic adaptation. The article notes that despite there being about 40 actual operatic adaptations, none have stood the test of time or held the stage. Perhaps the lone work with staying power is {…}

Mar 30, 2022

Saioa Hernández, Renée Fleming, Lisette Oropesa & Thomas Hampson Lead Ópera de Paris’ 2022-23 Season

Ópera de París has announced its 2022-23 season featuring numerous new productions and international stars. Gustavo Dudamel and Paolo Bortolameolli lead a revival of Puccini’s “Tosca” with Saioa Hernández, Elena Stikhina, Joseph Calleja, Brian Jagde, Bryn Terfel, Gerald Finley, and Roman Burdenko. Performance Dates: Sept. 3-Nov. 26, 2022 Dmitry Korchak, Vito Priante, Carlo Lepore, Gaëlle Arquez, and Luca Pisaroni star in Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” with Diego Matheuz conducting. Performance Dates: Sept. {…}