(PHoto: Marco Borrelli) The Salzburg Festival celebrated Cecilia Bartoli on August 8 with a surprise during a performance of Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims.” During the birthday gala, the Festival Directorate presented the famed mezzo with the Golden Festival Brooch with Rubies, the highest honor the festival bestows. The evening brought together a gathering of such artists as Pretty Yende, {…}
(Photo: Julia Milberger) Any disappointments from the previous two nights were completely swept away in this grand finale. The final evening of the festival wrapped up with a performance full of genuine dramatic tension, keeping the audience completely hooked throughout. This revival of Bartoli’s Salzburg 2023 production is based on Gluck’s 1769 Parma version. Originally compressed into a single act {…}
Welcome back as we explore the latest CD and DVD releases from around the opera world. This week audiences will get another “Maria Stuarda” recording and a new recording of “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.” There are also a number oratorios and world premiere recordings. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Deutsche Grammophon and C Major Entertainment release Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” {…}
The Salzburg Festival has announced three opera broadcasts. The first broadcast will be Bizet’s “Carmen” in a new production by Gabriela Carrizo and conducted by Teodor Currentzis. Asmik Grigorian, Jonathan Tetelman, Kristina Mkhitaryan, and Davide Luciano star. ORF and Mezzo will broadcast. Broadcast Date: August 8, 2026 Cecilia Bartoli, Marina Viotti, Mélissa Petit, Tara Erraught, Edgardo Rocha, Dmitry Korchak, Ildebrando {…}
(Photo: Julia Milberger) If the opening night of the Bartoli Trilogy left the audience with a lingering sense of minor omission, the second recital could only be described as a considerable disappointment. While one must naturally accommodate the inherently entertaining nature of a summer music festival in a holiday resort, a vocal program this broad demands a highly specialized keyboardist. {…}
(Photo: SF / Monika Rittershaus) Leaving enthusiastically the Grosses Festspielhaus and walking through the beautiful streets of Salzburg after the performance, I found myself asking a simple question: what exactly had I just seen? It was certainly not an opera, nor a recital, nor even a traditional gala. Instead, it felt like something far rarer: a living retrospective in which {…}
The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma has announced its 2026-27 season. Opera The season opens with Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress” with Michele Mariotti conducting a new production byRafael R. Villalobos.The cast includes Lawrence Brownlee, Jennifer Larmore,Daniela Barcellona, Alex Esposito, Rosalia Cid, Simone Alberghini, and Ya-Chung Huang. Performance Dates: Nov. 27-Dec. 5, 2026 Two cast will perform Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier.” Sonya Yoncheva, {…}
The Auditorio de Zaragoza in Spain has announced its 2026-27 season. These are the two vocal performances announced. Adam Fischer conducts the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 featuring the Amici Musicae. Performance Date: Oct. 19, 2026 Cecilia Bartoli and Lang Lang join forces for a recital. Performance Date: Nov. 26, 2026 The season will also include the {…}
The Palau de les Arts has announced its 2026-27 season. Opera “Estètica i massacre” will star Maria Patak, Carlos Varela, Pablo Meléndez, Álvaro Rodríguez, Claudia López, and Jorge Bosch. Carles Prat conducts the production by Oriol Pla. Performance Dates: Sept. 17 & 18, 2026 Vasilisa Berzhanskaya stars in Bizet’s “Carmen” with Charles Castronovo, Ruth Iniesta, and Davide Luciano. Michele Spotti conducts {…}
The Concertgebouw Amsterdam has announced its 2026-27 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. The Royal Swedish Orchestra and Alan Gilbert perform music by Wagner alongside Nina Stemme. Performance Date: August 17, 2026 The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra and Keri-Lynn Wilson perform music by Frolyak, Mahler, and Beethoven alongside soprano Julia Kleiter. Performance Date: August 19, 2026 The Seoul Philharmonic {…}
The Palau de la Musica Catalana has announced its 2026-27 season. Here are the vocal performances. Pianist Albert Guinovart leads concert with Cor de Cambra Femení Scherzo and conductor Esteve Nabona in music by A. Guinovart. Performance Date: Oct. 1, 2026 Alba Valdivieso, joins forces with instrumentalists Seungyeon Baik,Patricia Cordero, Noelia Cotuna, Jéssica Duarte, Gugg Piano Duo, Duo Jiménez-Berlinches, and Ot {…}