(Credit: Toni Suter) Few operas are as iconic or as enduringly popular as Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.” Since its 1875 premiere at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, the work has captivated audiences with its indelible melodies and its unsentimental, ground-level portrayal of passion, obsession, and freedom. Set in 19th-century Spain, “Carmen” charts the collision between a woman’s fierce independence and a man’s {…}
The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2026 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Franck Ollu conducts Pascal Dusapin and Rita de Letteriis’s “Passion” starring Sarah Aristidou, Georg Nigl, and Schola Heidelberg. Performance Date: July 23, 2026 Asmik Grigorian stars as Bizet’s “Carmen” alongside Jonathan Tetelman, Kristina Mkhitaryan, and Davide Luciano. Teodor Currentzis conducts the production by Gabriela {…}
The Fondazione Arena di Verona has postponed its upcoming “Aida” in Adelaide, Verona, which was being produced by TEG Live. Limelight is reporting that the production, which was scheduled for Feb. 5 and 6, was postponed “due to unforeseen challenges related to the international transport of artistic assets”, which have upended plans to ship the production’s vast inventory of sets, {…}
The Teatro alla Scala has announced that Ekaterina Gubanova will sing in the Verdi Requiem on October 28 and 30, 2026. The mezzo-soprano will replace the originally announced Elīna Garanča. In a statement via social media, the mezzo said, “Very happy to return to Teatro alla Scala for 2 exceptional concerts of Verdi Requiem in October 2026. With a magnificent {…}
(Photo: Gaetan Bally) On Sept. 19, the Zürich Opera opened its 2025-26 Liederabend series featuring Latvian mezzo Elīna Garanča and new General Director Matthias Schulz at the piano. The evening promised to be an enchanting one filled with rich musical journeys in lieder, song, and arias. The result was exactly that. A program of captivating qualities that showed why Garanča {…}
The Adelaide Oval is set to present Verdi’s “Aida” in Franco Zeffirelli’s monumental Arena di Verona production. The production will be shown on Feb. 5 and 6 with two casts. The first night will see super star tenor Jonas Kaufmann and superstar mezzo Elīna Garanča alongside two time grammy winner Angel Blue in the title role. Amartuvshin Enkhbat and Morris Robinson {…}
(Photo credit: Karina Schwarz / DG) On August 30, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival is set to perform Verdi’s Requiem. The concert will feature Eleonora Buratto as the soprano soloist alongside Elina Garanča, Joseph Calleja, and Roberto Tagliavini. Gianandrea Noseda will conduct the concert, which will feature the orchestra and chorus of the Zurich Opera House. In a statement, Buratto said, “Singing {…}
(Credit: © Julia Wesely, © Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Music, © Sarah Katharina) The Wiener Staatsoper is set to launch its 2025-26 season with an open-air gala concert on Sept. 7. The gala marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation from National Socialism and the establishment of the Second Republic and will also celebrate the 70 years of the State {…}
On July 14, the Concert de Paris will be held at the Eiffel Tower and will be broadcast on France 2. The Chœur de Radio France, Maîtrise de Radio France, and Orchestre National de France will be led by Cristian Măcelaru. Soloists this year will include Aida Garifullina, Julie Fuchs, Bruno de Sá, Elīna Garanča, Benjamin Bernheim, Florian Sempey, Gautier Capuçon, Dom La Nena, and Bomsori Kim. {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced the Film Festival on Vienna’s Rathausplatz. The company will present operas on 10 Sunday evenings at the Haus am Ring. Here is a look at the program: The festival opens with Puccini’s “La bohème” from 2022 featuring Vittorio Grigolo, Anna Netrebko, Günther Groissböck, and Nina Minasyan. Date: June 29, 2025 Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” from 2022 features {…}
Carnegie Hall+ is set to present a free, outdoor film screening in Bryant Park of Bizet’s “Carmen” from the Arena di Verona. The performance, which was filmed in 2022, features Franco Zeffirelli’s legendary production and stars Elīna Garanča in one of her signature roles. She is joined by Brian Jagde, Claudio Sgura, and Maria Teresa Leva. Marco Armiliato conducts the {…}