The International Classical Music Awards has announced the nominations for its 2025 Awards. The winners will be revealed on Jan. 14 and will receive their trophies at the gala at the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf on March 19. Here are the vocal nominees. Baroque Vocal Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Solo Cantatas for Alto and Bass: J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 56, BWV {…}
The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Opera Bas Wiegers conducts Michael Jarrell’s “Kassandra” with actress Dagmar Manzel and the Ensemble Modern. Performance Date: July 23, 2025 Salvatore Sciarrino’s “Macbeth” will be conducted by Vimbayi Kaziboni. Cody Quattlebaum, Alice Rossi, Leonardo Cortellazzi, Iris van Wijnen, and Davide Giangregorio. Performance Date: July 25, {…}
The Festspielhaus Baden-Baden has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Camilla Nylund, Andreas Schager, and Pietari Inkinen perform an evening of Wagner, Strauss, Kálmán, Lehar, Performance Dates: Jan. 12, 2025 Zum Rahmenprogramm des Festivals Gianandrea Noseda, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, and Philharmonia Zürich lead an all-Strauss program. Performance Dates: Feb. 22, 2025 Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler’s {…}
(Credit: Jonas Kaufmann, Otello, Sony Music) (Update: While in Verona, I unfortunately started experiencing cold like symptoms which turned into a rather awful flu. This forced me to reschedule my performance in Bratislava and cancel my performance in Hollywood. As you can imagine, this is a great disappointment, and I always feel badly letting down my fans. By resting this {…}
(Credit: Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical) Jonas Kaufmann and Diana Damrau are teaming up for a concert at the Hollywood Bowl alongside conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The concert on Sept. 12 will showcase the tenor and soprano in 19th-century Viennese waltzes from opera and operetta favorites by Lehár and the Strausses. The concert also features works by Richard Strauss and Suppe. {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its production of “Le Nozze di Figaro.” The company said that Diana Damrau will be stepping into the role of La Contessa di Almaviva on July 14 and 17, 2024. The soprano has performed the role at the Teatro alla Scala and is known for her many Mozart roles including the {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences get to hear a recital from the world’s most famous tenor and one of the great sopranos in the world. There will also be a new solo recital album from a great mezzo and several complete opera recordings. Czech Songs {…}
The Philharmonie Essen has announced its 2024-25 season. Here are the vocal performances of the season. Evelina Liubonko, Sarah Romberger, Thomas Hobbs, and Kresimir Strazanac perform works by Arcangelo Corelli, Francesco Durante, and Georg Friedrich Händel alongside Rias Kammerchor Berlin. Performance Date: Sept. 7, 2024 Graun’s “Adriano in Siria” will star Noah Hellwig, Valer Sabadus, Roberta Mameli, Maayan Licht, David {…}
A truly packed house, a cast of operatic luminaries and a program of works chosen and compiled by Maestro Pappano himself; a Gala, fit for a KING, surely? Which is just as well because His Royal Highness King Charles III was in the audience as a truly surprise guest of honor, courtesy of a massive covert security operation that even {…}
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Luca Salsi and Anna Netrebko team up for Verdi’s “Nabucco.” Ivan Magrì, Marina Prudenskaya, and René Pape join them. Anastasia Bartoli also performs. Bertrand de Billy conducts the new production by Emma Dante. Performance Dates: Oct. 2-26, 2024 Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” receives a new production featuring multiple casts. {…}
The Philharmonie de Paris has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Orchestre de Paris Klaus Mäkelä conducts music by Beethoven, Peteris Vasks, and Tchaikovsky. Lisa Batiashvili is the soloist. Performance Date: Sept. 11, 2024 Stanislav Kochanovsky conducts a program of music by Tchaikovsky, Ravel, and Alexandre Tcherepnine. Golda Schultz stars. Performance Date: Oct. 9, {…}