Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Sonya Yoncheva, Diana Damrau, Elīna Garanča, Asmik Grigorian, Nicole Car, Nicholas Brownlee, Michael Spyres, Nadine Sierra, & Simon Keenlyside Lead Bayerische Staatsoper’s 2026-27 Season

The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2026-27 season. Premiere Productions The first production of the season will be Wagner’s “Siegfried” with Benjamin Bruns, Matthias Klink, Nicholas Brownlee, Georg Nigl, Timo Riihonen, Wiebke Lehmkuhl, Simone Schneider, and Miina-Liisa Värelä. Vladimir Jurowski conducts the production by Tobias Kratzer. Performance Dates: Oct. 29, 2026-July 29, 2027 Nadine Sierra and Lisette Oropesa alternate as {…}

Oct 31, 2025

Opéra de Lyon 2025-26 Review: Boris Godunov

(Photo: Jean Louis Fernandez) From October 13 to 25, the Lyon Opera House staged Modest Mussorgsky’s big opera “Boris Godunov.” An opera of Shakespearean proportions, the murder tsar resembles Richard III, with the added burden of a guilty conscience and, in spirit, certain historical operas such as Verdi’s “Don Carlo” or Meyerbeer’s. Its strength lies largely in the interplay of {…}

Jun 6, 2025

Wiener Staatsoper 2024-25 Review: Il Trovatore

(Photo: Michael Poehn) “Il Trovatore” is one of Verdi’s most celebrated operas, forming part of his “popular trilogy” alongside “La Traviata” and “Rigoletto,” all composed in the mid-19th century. Among the three, it is the least innovative, with characters that lack psychological depth or introspection, often conforming to operatic stereotypes—the valiant tenor, the virtuous soprano, and the sinister baritone. A {…}

Mar 29, 2025

Komische Oper Berlin Announces 2025-26 Season

The Komische Oper Berlin has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres The children’s opera “Conrad or The factory-made boy” by Samuel Penderbayne will star Mengqi Zhang, Andreja Schneider, Philipp Meierhöfer, Ulrike Helzel, Johannes Dunz, and Junoh Lee. Anne Hinrichsen conducts the production by Ruth Brauer-Kvam. Performance Dates: Oct. 10-Dec. 26, 2025 James Gaffigan conducts a new production of Strauss’ “Salome.” The {…}

Aug 15, 2024

Salzburg Festival 2024 Review: Don Giovanni

( Photo: © SF/Monika Rittershaus) All sinful things come wrapped in fascinating aesthetics. You know the feeling: something that is extremely beautiful and appealing, but disquieting—too pleasurable to be ethically good. That is Salzburg Festival’s “Don Giovanni”: a spectacular dramatic installation, a grandiose musical project, a lustful conception; yet sinfully wrong. First things first. This is a revival of Romeo {…}

Dec 13, 2021

Wiener Staatsoper Announces Multiple Cast Changes For ‘Don Carlo’

(Credit: © Peter Mayr) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced multiple cast changes for its upcoming production of Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” Following the replacement of Asmik Grigorian in the role of Elisabetta di Valois; Ain Anger replaces Dmitry Ulyanov as the Grand Inquisitor; while René Pape replaces Anger in the role of Philippo II. The rest of the cast includes María {…}

Dec 7, 2021

Wiener Staatsoper Announces Reopening & Cast Changes for ‘Don Carlo’

(Credit: © Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pöhn) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that it will reopen its doors to the public with a performance of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” on Dec. 13, 2021 after a three-week closure due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19. The opera had its live online premiere on Dec. 5. “Don Giovanni” stars Hanna-Elisabeth Müller as Donna {…}

Feb 18, 2021

Sabine Devieilhe, Julie Fuchs, Florian Sempey & Aušrinė Stundytė Headline Streams from Opéra National de Paris

(Credits: Fabien Monthubert / Opera Online / Opéra National de Paris official website / Opéra National de Paris official website) The Opéra National de Paris will stream Jean-Philippe Rameau and Louis Fuzelier’s opera “Les Indes Galantes,” and Dmitri Shostakovich and Alexander Preis’ “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” on MEZZO TV. “Les Indes Galantes” stars Sabine Devieilhe in the roles of Hébé {…}

May 29, 2020

Plácido Domingo, Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Angela Gheorghiu, Dmitri Hvorostovsky Headline Vienna State Opera’s Star-Studded Streaming Slate for June 2020

(Credit: Gregor Hohenberg / Marius Baragan / Pavel Vaan & Leonid Semenyuk) The Vienna State Opera has announced its streaming slate for the month of June. Here is a rundown of the opera performances audiences can check on the company’s official website. June 1 – Die Frau Ohne Schatten Performance of Oct. 18, 2019 starring Stephen Gould, Camilla Nylund, Mihoko {…}

Mar 30, 2020

Simon Keenlyside, Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Michele Losier Headline Opéra de Lyon’s 2020-21 Season

The Opéra de Lyon has unveiled its 2020-21 season. It all kicks off with Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Le Coq d’Or” in a production directed by Barrie Kosky and conducted by Aziz Shokhakimov. Andrei Popov, Sabine Devieilhe, Dmitry Ulyanov, and Mischa Schelomianski star. Performance Dates: Oct. 10-22, 2020 Next up is Massenet’s “Werther” starring Simon Keenlyside, Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Jean-Sébastien Bou, and Marc Barrard. {…}

Jan 21, 2020

Christian Gerhaher, Anja Kampe, Magdalena Kožená Headline 2020 Aix-en-Provence Festival

(Credit: Sasha Vasiljev / Mathias Bothor, Deutsche Grammophon) The Festival Aix-en-Provence has just announced the program for 2020 season, which will include a total of six works. The season will open with Berg’s opera “Wozzeck,” starring Christian Gerhaher, Anja Kampe, Daniel Brenna, Peter Hoare, Brindley Sherratt, Evan LeRoy Johnson, J’Nai Bridges, Alexander Kiechle, Tomasz Kumięga, and Graham Clark. Sir Simon {…}