The Icelandic Opera has announced its 2019-20 season which will include a celebratory production of Richard Wagner “Die Walküre.” If you have not been to Iceland yet, it may be time to start planning your first trip and experience Norse mythology on site! Next season will open with Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro,” in a production by English director John {…}
“Dialogues des Carmélites” returns to the Metropolitan Opera for what will be its 58th performance on Friday, May 3. The opera is one of the beloved in the canon, even if its performances have not been as common at the Met over the ages. The work first premiered with the company on Feb. 5, 1977 and has only seen one {…}
The Metropolitan Opera’s first Ring Cycle of the 2018-19 season came to a glorious end with “Götterdämmerung” in a production featuring a tremendous cast. In some ways, this might have been the most satisfying evening of the entire cycle, with a luxurious cast of true singing actors against a production that, at times, had something to say. A Hero Above {…}
The BBC Proms has announced its 2019 festival featuring some of the great singers, performers and orchestras in the world. For this season announcement we will concentrate on the vocal performances. Omer Meir Wellber leads the BBC Proms Youth Choir and BBC Philharmonic in Haydn’s “The Creation.” He is joined by soloists Sarah-Jane Brandon, Benjamin Hulett, and Christoph Pohl. Performance Date: July 29, {…}
On April 14, The Metropolitan opera opened the third opera in Wagner’s tetralogy, “Siegfried.” Perhaps the least performed of the four operas due to its nearly impossible tenor role, the Metropolitan Opera landed one of the best performances of the season and with it saw a heroic and historical debut. A Heroic Performance In his Met debut, Stefan Vinke got {…}
One of the most exciting aspects of a new season is the fact that audiences will get an opportunity to encounter new artists for the very first time. This is also the case at the Wiener Staatsoper, which will feature a plethora of debuts in numerous major productions. Here is a look at five stars set to make headlines as {…}
The Edinburgh International Festival has announced its 2019 slate, which will feature a wide range of performances across opera, classical music, theatre, dance, and contemporary music. For this article, we will place focus solely on opera productions. The first of these is Barrie Kosky and the Komische Oper Berlin’s production of “Eugene Onegin,” which will feature Günther Papendell and Michael {…}
Wagner’s “Die Walküre” took center-stage at the Metropolitan Opera on Monday, March 25, 2019 to what is likely to have been the most enthusiastic audience of the season. After every act, the artists were showered with tremendous ovations, each more effusive than the last. It was emblematic of an evening that just seemed to grow in stature as the night {…}
The Philadelphia Orchestra has announced its 2019-20 season with Yannick Nézet-Séguin celebrating his eighth season as music director. Here is a look at the vocal highlights for the orchestra next season. Nézet-Séguin and the Fabulous Philadelphians launch the 120th season with an Opening Night Concert and Gala featuring legendary opera singer Plácido Domingo. The evening, which marks the start of Nézet-Séguin’s {…}
Initial casting for Washington National Opera’s 2019 WNO Gala has been announced. The event will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2019, and will celebrate local entrepreneur John J. Pohanka “for his outstanding contributions to the organization” over nearly 30 years on the Board of Trustees, according to the press release. Evan Rogister will lead “the WNO Orchestra and an {…}
The Metropolitan Opera revealed its 2019-20 season on Wednesday afternoon. Among the major announcements were the company’s schedule for its ever-popular Live in HD slate. Here is a look at the list of performances that will be broadcast to audiences around the world. Worthy of note is that of the 10 productions set to screen in cinemas, three will be {…}