The New Year is upon us, which means it’s time to look back and reflect at what was and what will remain in our memories. As per usual, OperaWire has compiled the favorite performances of the year from many of our contributors. We won’t keep you waiting, here’s a look at the Staff Picks for the best performances of 2025. {…}
The Donizetti Opera Festival has announced has released the final numbers for the 2025 edition. The festival announced that there was an overall attendance at performances of more than 12,200 people, which was about 20 percent higher than in 2023. Added to all this are the attendance figures for the off-festival, with its rich program of more than 30 events, {…}
(Photo: Studio UV – Fondazione Teatro Donizetti) At the beginning of the 1840s, Gaetano Donizetti was the most celebrated Italian opera composer in Europe. After conquering Paris with adaptations of his Italian successes and new works such as “La fille du régiment” and “La favorite,” his life unfolded in constant travel between the continent’s principal musical centers. He composed with {…}
(Photo: Studio UV – Fondazione Teatro Donizetti) Presenting two comic titles by Gaetano Donizetti in the same program serves to underline that his genius was not confined to serious melodrama or grand opera. The production, conceived to showcase the students of the Bottega Donizettina, theDonizetti Opera Festival’s opera studio, offers a double bill featuring “Il campanello” (The Night Bell) and {…}
The Donizetti Opera has announced its 2026 season. The festival, which is set to take place between Nov. 13 and 29, 2026, will showcase three operas. In a statement, Music Director Riccardo Frizza said, “Today we present an edition in which Donizetti rarities take center stage. Donizetti Opera 2026 will, in fact, promote the rediscovery of lesser-known Donizetti works, starting {…}
Opera Rara has announced two new international partnerships at the start of its 55th season. The company’s newest partners are the Donizetti Opera Festival and Bloomsbury Publishing. This season launches the collaboration with Opera Rara and Bergamo’s Donizetti Opera Festival. Over the course of six concerts across three years, all of Donizetti’s solo songs will be performed by young artists {…}
The Donizetti Opera Festival has announced its 2025 season. The festival will open with “Caterina Cornaro” conducted by Riccardo Frizza and directed by Francesco Micheli. Carmela Remigio leads the cast with Fulvio Valenti, Enea Scala, Riccardo Fassi, and Vito Priante. Performance Dates: Nov. 14-30, 2025 “Il Campanello” will be conducted by Enrico Pagano and directed by Stefania Bonfadelli. The cast {…}
Ricardo Frizza has been named the new Artistic Director of the Donizetti Opera Festival. The news was announced following a Dec. 4 Board of Directors of the Fondazione Teatro Donizetti meeting. The Board unanimously voted to appoint Frizza as the new artistic director. The appointment marks a continuation of the festival’s ongoing success and stability, as Frizza has also served {…}
(Photo: Gianfranco Rota) An early gem by Donizetti is reborn as part of the #donizetti200 project during the Donizetti Opera Festival’s tenth anniversary. This festival reaffirmed its commitment to recovering lesser-known works from the Bergamo composer’s catalogue, presenting this year the second version of “Zoraida di Granata.” Originally premiered in 1822 and revised by Donizetti himself in 1824, this opera {…}
Every production at the Donizetti Opera Festival has its specialty and purpose. One (this year, “Roberto Devereux”) is a serious production of the highest quality, another is a rare piece (this time “Zoraida di Granata,” which also took a stand to bring the most serious and painful topics to the stage), and another is fun and delightful. So, when you {…}
(Photo: Gianfranco Rota) As part of the Donizetti Opera Festival (DOF), the stage came to life with “Don Pasquale,” the renowned opera buffa by Gaetano Donizetti, one of the last and most refined jewels of Italian bel canto. This production in Bergamo not only pays homage to the composer in his hometown but also celebrates the tenth anniversary of its {…}
