Ausrine Stundyte, Sara Jakubiak, Elena Guseva, Brian Jagde, Chiara Isotton Headline Opéra de Lyon’s 2023-24 Season

The Opéra de Lyon has announced its 2023-24 season. Opera The season kicks off with “Die Frau ohne Schatten” in a production by Mariusz Trelinski. Daniele Rustioni conducts a cast starring Sara Jakubiak, Josef Wagner, Ambur Braid, and Vincent Wolfsteiner. Performance Dates: Oct. 17 – 31, 2023 Daniele Rustioni conducts “Adriana Lecouvreur” with Elena Stikhina in the title role. The {…}

Mar 13, 2023

Metropolitan Opera 2022-23 Review: Falstaff

On Mar. 12, 2023, the Metropolitan Opera revived and gave the Robert Carsen-directed “Falstaff” its season premiere, marking the company’s 193rd performance that crackled with energy and verve. There was electricity in the crowd, as well. At times, an opening night can feel like a final dress rehearsal. This was not one of those times. The show was tight and {…}

Sep 9, 2022

Daniele Rustioni Named Music Director of Ulster Orchestra

Ireland’s Ulster Orchestra has announced that Daniele Rustioni will continue to work with the orchestra for a further two years and will change his title to Music Director. Of his appointment, Rustioni said, The Ulster Orchestra family welcomed me from my very first day, and it feels very special and natural to now become the Music Director of this cultural {…}

Jul 18, 2022

Royal Opera House 2021-22 Review: Otello

Photo: Clive Barda 2022 ROH This first revival of Keith Warner’s production of Verdi’s “Otello” (libretto by longstanding collaborator Arrigo Boito) comes with a frisson of contextual excitement. Warner’s expressionist production opened in 2017 starring Gregory Kunde and Jonas Kaufmann, and tried to give the piece a more existentialist reading that turned away from the problems that skin color presents {…}

Nov 30, 2021

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Withdraws From ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ at Metropolitan Opera

(Credit: Hans van der Woerd) The Metropolitan Opera House has announced that its Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will not be conducting a run of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” in January 2022. Per a press release, Nézet-Séguin will be taking a brief, almost four-week sabbatical from all conducting duties commencing Dec. 19, 2021. “This short break will allow time for {…}

Nov 22, 2021

Royal Opera House Review 2021: Macbeth

(Credit: © The Royal Opera / Clive Barda) Covent Garden has a good line in Verdi revivals – Richard Eyre’s “Traviata” has been running over a quarter of a century; David McVicar’s “Rigoletto” lasted nearly two decades; and now Phyllida Lloyd’s “Macbeth” returns too, also nearly 20 years old. It’s a production that has aged gracefully, with no signs of wear. Though chock {…}

Feb 16, 2021

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía Announces Cast Change for ‘Falstaff’

(Credit: © Davide Cerati) Conductor Daniele Rustioni will take over the musical direction of Verdi’s “Falstaff” at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia replacing conductor James Gaffigan. In a statement, the Spanish company noted that Gaffigan was unable to conduct the run due to scheduling issues. The opera was originally scheduled for January 2021 but was postponed due {…}

Sep 4, 2020

Sally Matthews, Gerald Finley & Mary Bevan Highlight London Philharmonic Orchestra 2020 Fall Season

(Credits: Sigtryggur Ari Jóhannsson / Sim Canetty-Clarke / Victoria Cadisch) The London Philharmonic Orchestra has announced that it will present 13 full-length concerts from September 30 to December 30, 2020. The concerts will be filmed live and will be broadcasted on the Marquee TV. All the concerts will be free to access for 7 days after the original broadcast date. {…}

Jun 27, 2020

Opéra de Lyon Announces Prelude Series

The Opéra de Lyon in France announced it is launching an early September series entitled “Prelude.” The series opens with Danser Encore featuring seven solos with 30 dancers. Performance Dates: Sept. 17-27, 2020 Stefano Montanari conducts and performs Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Performance Date: Sept. 20, 2020 Daniele Rustioni and Stéphane Degout team up to perform Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and {…}

Dec 16, 2019

Teatro dell’Opera di Roma 2019-20 Review: Les Vepres Siciliennes

(Photo: Yasuko Kageyama) Opera Roma rolled out the red carpet for the opening evening of its 2019-20 season, with a rare performance of Verdi’s grand opera “Les Vêpres Siciliennes” in its original French version. Overshadowed by his three preceding middle period operas, “Rigoletto,” “Il Trovatore” and “La Traviata,” and by the mature works which followed, it has struggled to gain {…}

Mar 14, 2019

Lisette Oropesa, Sabine Devielhe & Dorothea Röschmann Headline L’Orchestre de Paris’ 2019-20 Season

L’Orchestre de Paris has announced its 2019-20 season! For the purposes of this article, we will focus primarily on vocal performances. The season will kick off with a concert led by Karina Canellakis, newly appointed Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Dorothea Röschmann will be featured vocally, performing alongside the orchestra and chorus. The program is set to include {…}