Natalie Dessay, Erin Morley, Benjamin Bernheim & Varduhi Abrahamyan Lead Opéra National de Bordeaux’s 2022-23 Season

The Opéra National de Bordeaux has announced its 2022-23 season featuring opera, ballet, concert, and great voices. Opera Paul Daniel conducts Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” with Yoshi Oïda directing. Karah Son, Virginie Verrez, Riccardo Massi, and André Heyboer. Performance Dates: Nov. 10-21, 2022 Roberto González-Monjas conducts Mozart’s Requiem in a production by Stéphane Braunschweig. The cast includes Hélène Carpentier, Fleur Barron, {…}

Jun 4, 2022

Eleonora Buratto, Magdalena Kožená, Ismael Jordi, Cecilia Bartoli & Juan Diego Flórez Lead Palau de Les Arts’s 2022-23 Season

The Palau de les Arts in Valencia has announced its 2022-23 season featuring opera, zarzuela concerts and inetrnational stars. Opera Jamie Man’s “Zelle” will be showcased with countertenor Steve Katona, Ryoko Aoki, Jackie Janssens, Asko|Schönberg, Wiek Hijmans, Joey Marijs, and Tatiana Rosa. Man conducts his work. Performance Date: Sept. 16, 2022 Alex Esposito, Eleonora Buratto, Silvia Tro Santafé, and Ismael {…}

Mar 24, 2022

Metropolitan Opera 2021-22 Review: Madama Butterfly

(Credit: Richard Termine) While there’s no doubt that Puccini’s operas bring with them a level of difficulty, perhaps none is more complex or challenging than the central role in his “Madama Butterfly.” Modern issues of interpretation aside (and this opera brings forth a great deal, many of which have been contended for decades and some that are now being questioned {…}

Mar 22, 2022

Elizabeth DeShong, Roderick Williams, David Portillo, Lauren Snouffer, Reginald Mobley Headline Music of the Baroque’s 2022-23 Season

Music of the Baroque has announced its 2022-23 season. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be solely on vocal and operatic performances for the Chicago-based company. The season kicks off with Händel’s “Jephtha” starring David Portillo, Lauren Snouffer, Clara Osowsi, Aryeh Nussbaum-Cohen, Neal Davies, and Katelyn Lee. Dame Jane Glover conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 18 & 19, {…}

Mar 17, 2022

Elizabeth DeShong, Lucas Meachem, Kangmin Justin Kim, Nicholas Brownlee, Ying Fang Headline The Dallas Opera’s 2022-23 Season

The Dallas Opera has announced its 2022-23 season. The season opens with Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” Emmanuel Villaume conducts a cast starring George Gagnidze, Madison Leonard, René Barbera, Nadia Krasteva, Raymond Aceto, Nicholas Newtown, Erik Earl Larson, Julius Ahn, Alison Bolshoi, and Malcolm Payne Jr., among others. The production will be directed by Tomer Zvulun and is presented in collaboration with Houston {…}

Mar 15, 2022

Eleonora Buratto Headlines Puccini’s ‘Madama Butterfly’ at the Metropolitan Opera

(Credit: Metropolitan Opera / Ken Howard) The Metropolitan Opera is set to revive Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The production by Anthony Minghella, will return for 11 performances from March 19 to May 7 and will star Eleonora Buratto in her role debut as Cio-Cio-San. This will mark her return to the stage of the Met and will be one of two {…}

Mar 4, 2022

Venera Gimadieva, Lise Davidsen, Barbara Hannigan & Franco Fagioli Highlight Concertgebouw Amsterdam’s 2022-23 Season

The Concertgebouw Amsterdam has announced its 2022-23 season. Here are the operatic, vocal, and choral highlights of the season. Michele Mariotti conducts the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest in Bellini’s “Norma” with Venera Gimadieva, Salome Jicia, Piero Pretti, and Riccardo Fassi. Performance Date: Sept. 10, 2022 Le Concert de la Loge will be led by Julien Chauvin and will feature soloists Emöke {…}

Jan 20, 2022

The Cleveland Orchestra Unveils 2022 Blossom Festival Lineup

Photo: Roger Mastroianni The Cleveland Orchestra has announced its 2022 Blossom Music Festival, presented by The J.M. Smucker Company. The Festival, which features 10 weeks of concerts from Fourth of July through Labor Day, comprises nineteen concerts, with programs ranging from Beethoven to film scores to Broadway. All concerts will take place at Blossom Music Center and attendance is free {…}

Dec 18, 2021

Opera Rara to Record ‘Il Proscritto’ with Ramón Vargas & Sally Matthews

Opera Rara Artistic Director and 19th-century opera specialist Carlo Rizzi is set to conduct and record Mercadante’s “Il proscritto.” This will be the first performance of one of Mercadante’s most daring and innovative scores since its Naples premiere in 1842. The restored version comes from its original manuscript, which weaves a tragic tale of lost love and political treachery during the {…}

Dec 18, 2021

Pretty Yende, Barbara Hannigan, Magdalena Kožená & Xabier Anduaga Lead Festival de Saint-Denis’ 2022 Season

(Credit: Festival de Saint-Denis official website) The Festival de Saint-Denis has announced its 2022 season. For the purpose of this article we will focus on the vocal works only. Soprano Selene Zanetti, mezzo-soprano Marianna Pizzolato, tenor Xabier Anduaga, and bass Gianluca Buratto perform Mozart’s “Ave Verum” and Rossini’s “Stabat Mater” alongside conductor Myung-Whun Chung, the Chœur de Radio France, and {…}

Dec 13, 2021

Elizabeth DeShong, Amanda Forsythe, Michael Sumuel Headline Music of the Baroque Winter/Spring 2022 Concerts

Photo credit: Elliot Mandel Chicago’s Music of the Baroque (MOB) has lined up five concerts as its season continues into winter and spring 2022. Here are the vocal performances MOB has slated. “Classical Heroines,” conducted by Nicholas Kraemer, features baroque specialist, soprano Amanda Forsythe singing Cleopatra’s aria “Da tempeste” from Händel’s “Giulio Cesare,” Haydn’s “Scena di Berenice,” Dido’s famous lament {…}