(Credit: Dario Acosta) The Staatsoper Berlin has announced a cast change for its performances of April 12 and 15 in Wagner’s “Parsifal.” The company said, “Elīna Garanča has had to cancel the first two performances of Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’ on 12 and 15 April due to illness – we wish her a speedy recovery and hope that she will sing the {…}
The Musikverein Wien has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances of the season. Herbert Lippert Joins the Philharmonia Schrammeln for “Das is’ die Wiener G’müatlichkeit.” Performance Dates: Sept. 29, 2025 Camilla Nylund and Helmut Deutsch perform lieder by Antonín Dvořák, Richard Strauss and Jean Sibelius Performance Dates: Oct. 1, 2025 Martin Haselböck conducts the {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Maurizio Benini conducts Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a new production by Barbara Wysocka. Bekhzod Davronov, Igor Golovatenko, Ludovic Tézier, Serena Sáenz, Nadine Sierra, Riccardo Fassi, and Elmina Hasan star. Performance Dates: March 7-24, 2026 & July 28 & 31, 2026 Lotte de Beer directs a new production of Gounod’s “Faust” with Jonathan {…}
The Festspielhaus Baden-Baden has announced the Easter Festival for 2026. Joana Mallwitz conducts a new production of Wagner’s “Lohengrin” by Johannes Erath. The cast includes Piotr Beczała in the title role, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, and Samuel Hasselhorn. Performance Dates: March 28 & 31, 2026 Klaus Mäkelä conducts Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion. Performance Date: March 30, 2026 Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem is {…}
The International Classical Music Awards has announced the 2025 winners which will be presented at Düsseldorf’s Tonhalle on March 19. For this article, we will only focus on the opera winners. For the complete list of winners click here. The Artist of the Year award was given to Leonardo García Alarcón, while Christoph Ehrenfellner won the composer of the year {…}
On Feb. 9, ORF III is set to present “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci” from the Wiener Staatsoper. The broadcast will feature superstars Jonas Kaufmann and Elīna Garanča in the double bill. Jonas Kaufmann sings the role of Canio in “Pagliacci” alongside a cast that includes Maria Agresta, Adam Plachetka, Jörg Schneider, and Stefan Astakhov. Meanwhile, Elīna Garanča stars as Santuzza {…}
The International Classical Music Awards has announced the nominations for its 2025 Awards. The winners will be revealed on Jan. 14 and will receive their trophies at the gala at the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf on March 19. Here are the vocal nominees. Baroque Vocal Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Solo Cantatas for Alto and Bass: J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 56, BWV {…}
(Credit: Paola Kudacki / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera is set to present a new production of Verdi’s “Aida.” The new production will open on Dec. 31, 2024, and will be directed by Michael Mayer, who has already been in charge of the Met’s productions of “Grounded,” “Rigoletto,” “La Traviata,” and “Marnie.” This will be the first new production of {…}
The Lucerne Festival has announced its 2025 summer season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. The Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Riccardo Chailly perform Mahler with Elīna Garanča. Performance Date: August 15, 2025 The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra and Keri-Lynn Wilson perform Strauss and Beethoven. Rachel Willis-Sørensen is the guest soloist. Performance Date: August 18, 2025 Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di {…}
Elīna Garanča will not perform during the 2024-25 season at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, Spain. In a letter obtained by Diario de Sevilla from the mezzo-soprano’s press team, Garanča clarifies that she never signed a contract for the performances of “Carmen” on June 13, 15, and 17, 2025 and that she has dates for another theater during {…}
The Philharmonia Orchestra has unveiled the second half of its 2024-25 season. (To check out the first half, click here.) Here is a rundown of the vocal and operatic performances on offer. Riccardo Muti will conduct Verdi’s Requiem with a star-studded quartet of singers. Soloists include Juliana Grigoryan, Elīna Garanča, Piotr Beczała, and Ildebrando d’Arcangelo. Performance Date: March 27, 2025 {…}