Placido Domingo, Jonas Kaufmann & Cecilia Bartoli Headline Salzburg Festival

The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2018 summer festival. This season the festival will showcase eight operas in concert and staged performances. “Die Zauberflöte” will be the festival’s sole Mozart offering starring Matthias Goerne as Sarastro, Mauro Peter as Tamino, Albina Shagimuratova in the role of the Queen of the Night, Christiane Karg as Pamina, and Adam Plachetka as Papageno. Constantinos Carydis conducts Lydia Steier’s new production. {…}

Sep 1, 2017

Cecilia Bartoli May Return To New York

Cecilia Bartoli may return to New York. According to a recent interview with the New York Times, the famed mezzo noted she wanted to return to the Big Apple. She said, “I hope to come back — it’s a long time now.” The mezzo-soprano last performed at the Metropolitan Opera in 1998 and gave 30 performances total over the course {…}

Aug 31, 2017

Cecilia Bartoli Announces New Album

Cecilia Bartoli has announced her new album, and it features cellist Sol Gabetta. In “Dolce Duello,” the two will be showcasing their talents in the baroque repertoire. The official announcement of the album was made on Bartoli’s website, with a trailer to boot. “Cecilia Bartoli and Sol Gabetta – two of the most captivating women in classical music – are joining {…}

Aug 18, 2017

Weekend Preview – International (8/18-20): Anna Pirozzi and Oksana Dyka Headline Macbeth At Edinburgh

The festival season is coming to an end with many performances and productions on their last weekends. That said, the schedule around the world is still slated to feature a ton of major opera stars. Austria The Salzburg Festival is in full swing with Rolando Villazón and Cecilia Bartoli performing on Friday in “Ariodante” and Anna Netrebko and Francesco Meli {…}

Jun 4, 2017

What Do Cecilia Bartoli & Fedora Barbieri Share In Common?

Fedora Barbieri and Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo-sopranos born on June 4, could not be more diametrically opposed from a vocal standpoint. Unlike the past few articles showcasing two birthday-sharing singers together to see how their careers feature numerous similar roles, this article, which features two Italian mezzos, has none. At all. Bartoli and Barbieri never sang the same roles. They only have {…}

Mar 6, 2017

Two Great Mezzo-Sopranos Who Sang Bellini’s ‘La Sonnambula’

Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” is one of the most popular operas in the Bel Canto repertoire and one that many coloratura sopranos have embraced on stage. On March 6, 1831, the opera had its world premiere with Giuditta Pasta in the title role. Pasta was known as a soprano sfogato which is designated to a contralto who is capable—by sheer industry or natural {…}

Feb 3, 2017

Weekend Preview – International (2/3- 2/5): Anna Netrebko And Roberto Alagna Headline A New Production Of ‘Il Trovatore’

The weekend kicks off with numerous companies performing some of Verdi’s timeless classics. There will also be Mozart, Wagner and some rare gems by Weill and Heggie. Check out what’s playing near you! Austria At the Vienna State Opera Puccini’s “Tosca” kicks off with Sae-Kyung Rim in the title role alongside Aleksandrs Antonenko and Marco Vratogna. On Saturday the company will {…}

Dec 9, 2016

News of the Week (12/5): Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Jonas Kaufmann Cancellations Steal Headlines

The past week was flooded with major news on the international stage. Here is a look back at some of the big headlines, in case you missed them. Major Premieres This week saw a plethora of premieres. The Berlin Staatsoper showcased “Manon Lescaut” which was showcased on online; the same happened for the Bayerische Staatsoper which showcased “Lady Macbeth of {…}

Dec 6, 2016

Grammy Award Nominations 2017: Anna Netrebko, Isabel Leonard, Cecilia Bartoli and Sonya Yoncheva Lead Nominees

The Grammy Nominations have been announced with many of today’s biggest stars shortlisted. In the Best Opera Recording category Pentatone Music led the field with two nominations as the record label was shortlisted for James Conlon’s recording of John Corigliano’s “The Ghosts Of Versailles.” The recording stars Joshua Guerrero, Christopher Maltman, Lucas Meachem, Patricia Racette, Lucy Schaufer and Guanqun Yu. The Los {…}