(Photo credit: Marco Borrelli) The Salzburg Festival has released the final report for its 2023 edition. In its 103rd year, the Salzburg Festival held 178 performances over 43 days at 15 venues. Directors of the Salzburg Festival, Kristina Hammer, Markus Hinterhäuser and Lukas Crepaz reported a “record quota” of 98.5% of seats filled at the 2023 festival. Over 241,000 visitors {…}
(Credit: Photo © SF/Bernd Uhlig) When Cecilia Bartoli enters the stage, all eyes are on her. The leading headliner in Salzburg has made herself a living legend. I know many music-lovers, of all ages, who have fallen in love with opera first and foremost because of Cecilia. Such talent has made legions of fans—myself included— to feel entitled to use {…}
Opéra de Monte-Carlo has announced its 2023-24 season. Opera First up is Verdi’s “Requiem” under the baton of Daniel Barenboim. Marina Rebeka, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Michael Spyres, and Ildar Abdrazakov are the soloists. Performance Date: Nov. 2, 2023 Jonas Kaufmann headlines “Caruso a Monaco.” The tribute to the great tenor will also feature actor Alfonso Antoniozzi and conductor Antonio Pappano. Davide Livermore {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced the 2023-24 season featuring new productions, revivals, and concerts. Premieres The company will showcase Tatjana Gürbaca’s production of “Il Trittico.” For “Il Tabarro,” audiences will hear Carlos Álvarez, Anja Kampe, and Joshua Guerrero. Headlining “Suor Angelica” will be Eleonora Buratto and Michaela Schuster. Finally, for “Gianni Schicchi,” the headliners including Carlos Álvarez, Serena Sáenz, Michaela {…}
Belgium’s La Monnaie du Mont has announced its 2023-24 season with world premieres, a new Ring Cycle, and many classic works. The season opens with the world premiere of Bernard Foccroulle and Matthew Jocelyn’s “Cassandra.” Kazushi Ono conducts the work with a cast that includes Katarina Bradic Jessica Niles Susan Bickley, Sarah Defrise, Paul Appleby, Joshua Hopkins, and Gidon Saks. {…}
Nachtigall Artists has announced concerts by Anna Netrebko and Cecilia Bartoli. Bartoli will first perform on May 7, 2023 at the Smetana Hall in Prague in a program entitled Farinelli and his Times. The performance is a new date following the cancelation of the 2022 performance. Then on Oct. 16, 2023, at the Smetana Hall of the Municipal Hall, Netrebko {…}
On February 22nd, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo inaugurated a new era under the direction of Cecila Bartoli. To open her first season, Bartoli chose to present Handel’s 1735 opera seria “Alcina,” in which she stars in the title role. “Alcina” has become one of the most frequently staged works by Händel. This past year alone has seen productions at Covent {…}
The Salzburg Whitsun Festival has announced its 2023 festival and it will feature a very heavy emphasis on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. “As a musician and singer, I firmly believe in the power of music and the human voice. Therefore, the Orpheus myth is naturally one of the ancient stories that fascinates me most. It heartens me when {…}
The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2023 season featuring operas, concerts, recitals, and Mozart programs. Opera Raphaël Pichon will conduct Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” in a new production by Martin Kušej. Andrè Schuen, Adriana González, Sabine Devieilhe, Krzysztof Bączyk, and Lea Desandre star. Performance Dates: July 27-August 28, 2023 Verdi’s “Macbeth” will be conducted by Franz Welser-Möst and directed {…}
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced a cast change for “Alcina.” The company said that Cecilia Bartoli will not be able to sing on the Oct. 20 performance due to laryngitis. As a result, Marie Lys will sing the title role. Lys is the first prize winner of the Competition for Baroque Opera Cesti 2018 and of the Concours International {…}
Opera Monte Carlo has announced its 2023 season featuring many of the greatest artists of our time. Cecilia Bartoli stars in Handel’s “Alcina” with Philippe Jarroussky, Sandrine Piau, Varduhi Abrahamyan, Maxim Mironov, and Peter Kalman. Gianluca Capuano conducts the production by Christof Loy. Performance Dates: Jan. 20-26, 2023 Gianluca Capuano conducts Rossini’s “Stabat Mater” with Maria Agresta, Varduhi Abrahamyan, Celso {…}