Musica Viva in Hong Kong is set to present Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda” this December. The opera, which opens on Dec. 9, 2022 and runs through the 11th, will take place at the Concert Hall at Hong Kong City Hall. The opera will feature two casts. Taking on the role of Maria Stuarda are Lee Sang-eun and Meryl Dominguez. As Elisabetta, {…}
On May 20, 2023, New Amsterdam Opera will preset Donizetti’s “Lucrezia Borgia” in a one-night-only performance at The Sanctuary Theater at The Center at West Park in New York City. Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Keith Chamber will lead the NAO Orchestra and Chorus in this seldom-staged bel canto work, with the last fully-orchestrated performance being done in 2000 by {…}
The Jerusalem Lyric Opera Festival has announced its 2023 Festival lineup, featuring works beloved by opera-goers. The Festival will run July 4-25, 2023. The Jerusalem International Opera Competition kicks off the season in July. Favorite arias are on tap as singers compete before a jury comprising conductors, singers, and casting directors from several of the world’s top opera houses. Performance {…}
Pentatone is set to release a new album featuring Lisette Oropesa this October. The album, entitled “Rossini & Donizetti: French Bel Canto Arias” will be available digitally and exclusively on Pentatone’s official website before going into wide digital release on Oct. 7, 2022 In the album, which features the famed soprano alongside Corrado Rovaris and the Dresdener Philharomonie and the {…}
Seattle summers are glorious, and Seattle Opera’s sunny production of Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” made this summer even more so. This tuneful comic diversion, originally mounted at the Santa Fe Opera, had just the right amount of sentimentality to put a smile on your face, and Donizetti’s hummable score goes down as easy as a bowl of pistachio gelato. Leaning into {…}
Opera Hong Kong is set to present Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” on August 13 and 14, 2022. The showcase, which will take place at Hong Kong City Hall’s Concert Hall, will star Apollo Wong in the title role with Candice Chung and Anna Zhang as Norina. Albert Lim and Alexander Chen will alternate as Dr. Malatesta, and Henry Ngan and Jiang {…}
The Guangzhou Opera House opened a new production of Donizetti’s “Rita” on June 30, 2022. The production will run through July 2, 2022. The production was originally premiered at the 2020 Italia Mia Festival in Hong Kong and was directed by Peter Gordon, who directed this new version remotely due to COVID border restrictions. “We had to direct it remotely {…}
(Photo: Pat Redmond) Irish National Opera continues to march forward. Although only in its fifth year, it has managed to establish itself as an innovative, forward-thinking company of high quality, which successfully mixes traditional productions with new works and modern presentation methods. Whereas many companies closed down during the COVID crisis, INO used it to showcase new short operas via {…}
ABAO Txiki is set to close out its 2021-22 season with “Allegro Vivace.” The showcase, which is set for May 14 and 15, 2022, will feature three performances for families in Bilbao, Spain. “Allegro Vivace” was created by Joan Font and tells the story of a young girl, who in her rush to find a locale for a party, ends {…}
(Photo credit: Marty Sohl) This review was written in collaboration with David Salazar. On April 23, the Metropolitan Opera opened a new production of “Lucia di Lammermoor.” This marked the second production of Donizetti’s masterpiece during General Manager Peter Gelb’s term. In 2007, the company brought a production by Mary Zimmerman which set the piece in Victorian times and {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) On the 30th of March the acclaimed American soprano Lisette Oropesa offered a solo recital at Madrid’s Teatro Real. She presented an interesting program, mostly in French, of six rarely performed arias and two encores. Being a lirico leggera soprano, half of her arias kept her voice in the middle register and showcased little coloratura and {…}