(Photo credit Madeline Grey) Lacking public monies common in Europe, opera becomes ever harder to produce in the USA, but its enthusiasts are a determined lot. The Old Line State used to enjoy a typical American setup for presenting opera, an established twentieth-century organization, the Baltimore Opera Company, situated in a sizable venue in Maryland’s largest city, the Lyric Opera {…}
On Site Opera has announced its production of “The Immersive Coffee Cantata Experience—a reimagining of Bach’s Coffee Cantata.” Bach’s short comic opera, “Coffee Cantata” (“Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht,” BWV 211) is set in the Zimmerman’s coffee house in Leipzig, Germany. It tells the story of Lieschen, sung by soprano Christine Lyons, (cover, Teryn Kuzma) a spirited young woman who adores {…}
Teatro Nuovo is joining the Maria Callas Centenary Celebration with “CALLAS: PAST AND FUTURE.” The day-long event, scheduled for Dec. 2 at El Museo del Barrio in New York will feature numerous events spotlighting the famed opera icon. “Teatro Nuovo, like all performers and fans of Bel Canto, owes everything to Callas,” said company director Will Crutchfield in an official {…}
Closing out its the 2022-23 season, Toledo Opera will present “Celebrazione del Coro.” The concert, created especially for the greater Toledo community, will feature opera hits by Bizet, Verdi, Wagner, Rossini, and more. Soloists include sopranos Christine Lyons and Sara Mortensen, mezzo-soprano Lindsey Anderson, tenors Alex Richardson, Brendan Boyle, and baritones Corey Crider and Matthew Payne. The audience will also {…}
With opera companies returning in full force digitally, this week’s selections will highlight a mix of repertory staples with some unique and experimental new works. Before we kick off our list, don’t forget to check out important discussions taking place regarding issues of race and equality in opera with such programs as Karen Slack’s “KikiKonversations,” Kenneth Overton’s “Black Opera Live,” and Mark {…}
Teatro Nuovo has announced the release of Bel Canto in Thirty Minutes, premiering Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. on YouTube Live. The new video production is set to feature the first-ever complete recording of Nicola Vaccai’s “Practical Method of Italian Singing,” a delicious collection of miniature arias that has been a cornerstone of Bel Canto training for nearly two centuries. {…}
Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble has announced the casts for the two shows which will make up the company’s “Love for Truth” festival in August 2020. Opening the festival on August 21 will be the East Coast premiere of “Juana” by composer Carla Lucero and librettist Alicia Gaspar de Alba. The cast will feature Luisamaria Hernandez in the title role, with Anna {…}
(Credit: Steven Pisano) Bellini’s “La Straniera” is often cited as one of the composer’s unique works in his oeuvre. Composed in 1828 and based on the novel “L’Étrangère” by Charles-Victor Prévot, it was his third opera, coming just a few years before some of the more popular repertory staples that we have come to know today. Teatro Nuovo, which performed {…}