(Credit: Henry Fair) Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal has announced the appointment of Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare its new Music Director. Payare will start his five-year tenure during the 2022-23 season. The Venezuelan conductor will replace the famed conductor Kent Nagano, who has held the position since 2006. Payare graduated from the famous musical education program “El Sistema.” He won the {…}
(Credits: © Dario Acosta / Charles Castronovo official website / Deutsche Oper am Rhein official website / Kristian Schuller/Decca) The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2021 edition, featuring 8 operas and numerous concert performances. Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” will feature Mika Kares as Il Commendatore, Nadezhda Pavlova as Donna Anna, Michael Spyres in the role of Don Ottavio, Federica Lombardi as {…}
This week climaxes in World Opera Day on Oct. 25. So in leading up to that momentous celebration (which will feature half of the entries on this list), our recommendations will spotlight diversity in the opera world, offering up audiences a chance to check out works by and featuring BIPOC composers and performers as well as unique performance experiences that {…}
(Credits: Michael Cooper / Boston Symphony Orchestra official website / Jiyang Chen / Fay Fox OperaVision has announced, in collaboration with Opera Europa, Opera America, Ópera Latinoamérica, and Opera For Peace, the final program for the big World Opera Day Celebration concert on Oct. 25, 2020. The concert is structured in four acts, in four different time zones. The first {…}
October 25 marks World Opera Day 2020, and in celebrating the impact the art-form has had worldwide, Opera Europa has partnered with several international organizations to bring opera to audiences across the globe. The theme for their 2020 edition pays tribute to Beethoven on the 250th year since his birth. To that end, online platform OperaVision will stream three different {…}
(Credit: Monika Ritterhaus) Who would have thought that an opera could be staged in just a few weeks? Probably the fastest production in the world was the minimalist, but extremely lively production of Mozart’s opera “Così Fan Tutte” staged at this summer’s Salzburg Festival. The tension of times – pandemic, anniversary, unexpected project, opportunity to return to work, new roles, {…}
Earlier this season, rising star soprano Elsa Dreisig was set to make her role debut as Fiordiligi in “Cosi Fan Tutte” in Berlin. However, as was the case with most plans in 2020, COVID-19 canceled out that possibility. For the time being, it seemed that that auspicious debut would have to wait. But as fate would have it, Dreisig, a {…}
(Credit: SF/ Anne Zeuner) Mozart and Da Ponte’s opera “Così fan tutte” will make its way onto the big stage of the Grosses Festspielhaus at the Salzburg Festival 2020 starting on August 2, 2020. Given the complex nature of things due to continued concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the production was a daunting task for everyone, primarily the director Christof {…}
The Sinfónica de Tenerife has announced the first part of the 2020-21 season featuring one vocal performance and a number of international soloists around the world. Antonio Méndez conducts rising star Elsa Dreisig in R. Strauss’ “Metamorphosen.” The concert also includes Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. Performance Date: Oct. 18, 2020 The season will also include virtuoso cellists Pablo Ferrández performing {…}
The Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Spain has announced its 2020-21 season featuring zarzuela, opera, and recitals. Opera The Palau de les Arts opens with Romeo Castellucci directing a new production of Mozart’s “Requiem” with Stefano Montanari conducting. Anett Fritsch, Sara Mingardo, Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani, and Nahuel Di Pierro star. Performance Dates: Sept. 27-Oct. 8, 2020 Kurtág’s “Fin de {…}
While theaters are opening, more and more American opera companies are committing to the online presentation. So there is no doubt that there will be plenty of streaming options for the foreseeable future. And we will be here to spotlight 10 operas every week. But as we have done over the past few weeks, do not forget to check out {…}