Lisette Oropesa, Asmik Grigorian, Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, Cecilia Bartoli & Sabine Devieilhe Lead Salzburg Festival’s 2025 Season

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, {…}

Sep 24, 2024

Piotr Beczała Headlines Royal Opera Muscat’s ‘Un Ballo in Maschera’

The Royal Opera House Muscat is set to open its 2024-25 season with Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera.” The opera will be performed on Oct. 3 and 5, 2024, and will showcase a stellar cast including Piotr Beczała and Elena Stikhina. They will be joined by LIAO Chaoyong and Agnieszka Rehlis. Hugo de Ana will showcase his production with the {…}

Aug 28, 2024

Royal Opera House Muscat’s Umberto Fanni Speaks on the 2024-25 Season

(Photo credit: Khalid Al Busaidi) General Director of the Royal Opera House Muscat, Umberto Fanni, led a media briefing on the company’s upcoming season. During the briefing, Fanni gave insight to the planning of the 2024-25 season, and beyond. He also spoke to the company’s mission and dedication to community and culture. The 2024-25 season titled “Timeless Tales and Fabulous {…}

Aug 18, 2024

Piotr Beczala, Jessica Pratt, Juliana Grigoryan & Joyce El-Khoury Lead Royal Opera Muscat’s 2024-25 Season

(Credit: Courtesy of Royal Opera House Muscat) The Royal Opera House Muscat has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera The season will open with Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” featuring The National Centre for Performing Arts Beijing. The cast will include Elena Stikhina, Piotr Bezcala, Liao Chaoyong, and Agnieszka Rehlis, and will be directed by Hugo de Ana. Giampaolo Bisanti conducts. {…}

Jun 28, 2024

Editorial: Russian Opera Through the Iron Curtain

There are not many editorials that I write and have a memory to start with. The opera industry changes fast as new world crises hit it again and again. Today, we cannot even say if Peter Gelb is the villain or a savior. One of my last memories from Russia, before I left it about ten years ago after Russia {…}

Jun 21, 2024

Francesco Meli, Katharina Konradi & Riccardo Chailly Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will get some Verdi and Monteverdi releases as well as the release of a world premiere album. Verdi Decca releases an album from the Teatro alla Scala which showcases Riccardo Chailly and La Scala as they maintain the gold standard {…}

May 28, 2024

Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Ludovic Tézier, Rosa Feola, Juan Diego Flórez, Camilla Nylund & Marina Rebeka Lead Teatro alla Scala’s 2024-25 Season

The Teatro alla Scala has announced its 2024-25 Season. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” starring Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Ludovic Tézier, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Alexander Vinogradov, and Marco Filippo Romano. Riccardo Chailly conducts the new production by Leo Muscato. The opera will also star Elena Stikhina, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Luciano Ganci, and Simon Lim in the second {…}

May 27, 2024

Anna Netrebko, Lisette Oropesa, Asmik Grigorian, Nicholas Brownlee, Juan Diego Flórez & Joyce DiDonato Lead Palau de Les Arts’ 2024-25 Season

Palau de les Arts in Valencia has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Gorges Ocloo’s “The Golden Stool” will star Nobulumko Mngxekeza-Nziramasanga and Nonkululeko Nkwinti. Performance Dates: Sept. 19, 2024 Lisette Oropesa sings the title role of Massenet’s “Manon” with Carles Pachon and Charles Castronovo. James Gaffigan conducts the production by Vincent Huguet. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-15, 2024 Elena Stikhina, Piero {…}

Apr 30, 2024

Pretty Yende, Sonya Yoncheva, Juan Diego Flórez, Allan Clayton, Lise Davidsen, & Lisette Oropesa Lead Royal Opera House’s 2024-25 Season

The Royal Opera House has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the season. Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” will open the season with a cast that includes Luca Micheletti, Ying Fang, Huw Montague Rendall, Jacquelyn Stucker, and Ginger Costa-Jackson. Performance Dates: Sept. 2-15, 2024 Verdi’s “La Traviata” will feature two casts. The first cast will be headlined {…}

Apr 14, 2024

Jonathan Tetelman, Aigul Akhmetshina, Aušrine Stundyte, David Butt Philip & Sondra Radvanovsky lead Deutsche Oper Berlin’s 2024-25 Season

The Deustche Oper Berlin has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Respighi’s “La Fiamma” will be directed by Christof Loy and conducted by Carlo Rizzi. The cast will include Aušrine Stundyte, Georgy Vasiliev, Vladislav Sulimsky, Martina Serafin, Sua Jo, Cristina Toledo, Martina Baroni, Karis Tucker, Caren Van Oijen, Doris Soffel, and Patrick Guetti. Performance Dates: Sept. 29-Oct. 18, 2024 Enrique Mazzola {…}

Mar 26, 2024

Brandon Jovanovich, Elena Stikhina, Anna Bonitatibus & Christian Gerhaher Lead Opernhaus Zürich’s 2024-25 Season

Opernhaus Zürich has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Samuel Penderbayne’s “Wir pfeifen auf den Gurkenkönig” will be conducted by Thomas Barthel and Ann-Katrin Stöcker. Claudia Blersch directs the production which will star Liliana Nikiteanu, Sylwia Salamonska, Irène Friedli, Philipp Mayer, Stanislav Vorobyov, Valeriy Murga, Gary Martin, Martin Zysset, Carl Hieger, Christian Sturm, Indyana Schneider, Céline Akçağ, Sylwia Salamonska, and Rebeca {…}