Kazuki Yamada/courtesy of CBSO The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) has unveiled its 2023-24 season, and it’s full to the brim with opportunities to hear some of the world’s finest music and musicians. With over 12 months of programming, the Orchestra has something for everyone. The Orchestra will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the City of Birmingham Symphony {…}
Soprano Danielle De Niese has publicly spoken out against Meghan Markle’s comments on racism in Britain. De Niese, whose parents are from Sri Lanka and has mixed European heritage, is married to Gus Christie, the executive chairman of Glyndebourne who comes from a white, upper-class British family. “What I think is strange is to get your home country of America {…}
SkyArts in the U.K. will present a special holiday concert “The Nation’s Favourite Christmas Carols” on Dec. 22, 2022. The showcase, which takes place at The London Coliseum, will feature the English National Opera’ choir and orchestra as they present Britain’s favorite Christmas carols, as voted on by the public. The concert will be hosted by Myleene Klaas and Chris {…}
Photo: © Lloyd Winters Unlike ballet, which has “The Nutcracker” as a festive staple, there aren’t very many Christmas operas. “La bohème” opens on Christmas eve, and there is invariably snow, but yuletide is hardly the subject of the opera. ENO were scheduled to perform John Adams nativity oratorio “El Niño” during lockdown, but it sadly got canned. Along comes {…}
Luciano Pavarotti may have enjoyed the moniker “King of the High ‘Cs,” but the TRUE high “C” king of the 21st Century, having flitted effortlessly through a career filled with an abundance of top notes, finds himself the star of this Richard Jones revival, a production now in its fourth year. I WAS to have reviewed Juan Diego Flórez’s debut {…}
(Credit: Frances Marshall) Classical Everywhere will present a unique interpretation of Händel’s “Messiah,” on December 6, 2022 at the Theater Royal Drury Lane. The event will immerse audiences in a powerful and theatrical new stage, featuring world-class musicians and innovative and imaginative lighting design, visual effects, choreography and staging, under director Neil Connolly. Händel’s timeless oratorio will feature an internationally acclaimed {…}
The Glyndebourne Festival has announced its 2023 slate. New Productions Kicking off the proceedings will be a new production of “Don Giovanni” starring baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky as Don Giovanni, Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva as Donna Anna, and Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan as Donna Elvira. Mariame Clément directs with Evan Rogister conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Performance Dates: {…}
The English National Opera has announced its 2022-23 season featuring eight productions and seven operas. Leo Hussain conducts Puccini’s “Tosca” in a new production by Christof Loy. The cast will include Sinéad Campbell-Wallace, Adam Smith, and Noel Bouley. Performance Dates: Sept. 30–Nov. 4 2022 Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Yeomen of the Guard” will include Anthony Gregory, Neal Davies, Alexandra Oomens, Heather {…}
The London Philharmonic has announced its 2022-23 season. Here is a look at the vocal highlights. Edward Gardner conducts Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder with Lise Lindstrom, Karen Cargill, David Butt Philip, Robert Murray, and James Creswell. Performance Date: Sept. 24, 2022 Edward Gardner and soprano Jennifer France team up for Tchaikovsky, Dutilleux, Walker, and Dvořák. Performance Date: Sept. 28, 2022 Vaughan Williams’s {…}
(Credit: Frances Marshall) The Staatsoper Hamburg has announced a cast change for Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale.” The company noted that in all “Don Pasquale“ performances from May 29, Danielle de Niese takes over the role of Norina for Rosa Feola, who has canceled due to her pregnancy. De Niese has performed the role of Norina at the Glyndebourne Festival and the {…}
(Credit: Frances Marshall) The London Händel Festival has announced its 2022 lineup, which will be entitled “New Beginnings.” For the purposes of this article, our focus will be on vocal and operatic performances only. Opening Night will feature Laurence Cummings leading the Academy of Ancient Music and the National Youth Choir of Great Britten as well as the Chamber Choir {…}
