(Photo: Jan Windszus Photography) With “Orlando,” Olga Neuwirth has not simply written an opera based on a Virginia Woolf novel, but a sprawling epic that seeks to be everything at once: a parable on gender, a cultural-historical chronicle, a political warning, a queer manifesto, a critique of the media, and a musical panorama of Western modernity. From the very beginning, {…}
The Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España has announced its 2026-27 season. Kent Nagano conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Jane Archibald and Christina Bock. The concert includes music by Mikel Urquiza. Performance Dates: Sept. 18-20, 2026 Kent Nagano conducts music by Debussy and Falla with soloists José Antonio López, Nuria Rial, and Maite Beaumont. Performance Dates: Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2026 Josep Pons {…}
The Staatsoper unter den Linden has announced a cast change for its March 20 performance of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” The company said that Ema Nikolovska will sing the role of Nicklausse, replacing Samantha Hankey, who is ill. Hankey took to social media and said, “With regret, I’m unable to perform in tonight’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann due to illness. Canceling is {…}
The Canadian Opera Company has announced its 2026-27 season. Verdi’s “La Traviata” opens the season with a cast that includes Kathryn Lewek, Lucia Cesaroni, Long Long, Luke Norvell, Russell Braun, and Reginald Smith, Jr. Paolo Carignani conducts Arin Arbus’ production. Performance Dates: Sept. 18-Oct. 17, 2026 Laurence Kilsby, Joel Alison, Daniel Okulitch, Lauren Fagan, Martina Myskohlid, and Tracy Dahl lead {…}
The BBC Proms has announced its 2025 season. Here is a list of the vocal performances. Sakari Oramo conducts the First Night of the Proms with soloists Lisa Batiashvili, Caspar Singh, and Gerald Finley. The program includes music by Arthur Bliss, Felix Mendelssohn, Jean Sibelius, Errollyn Wallen, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Performance Date: July 18, 2025 Tenor Allan Clayton gives {…}
(Photo credit: Christian Kleiner & Theo Williams) The Leeds Lieder Festival has announced the 2024 event schedule. For its 20th anniversary celebration soprano Nikola Hillebrand, Joseph Middleton and Oliver Casanovas Nuevo perform the “Schubertiade lunchtime opening recital.” Performance Date: April 14, 2024 The “Young Artists Schubertiade” features Richard Stokes and the Leeds Lieder Young Artists. Performance Date: April 14, 2024 {…}
(Copyright: Kaupo Kikkas) Mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska will make her Tippet Rise Art Center debut next season on August 18, 2024. Nikolovska will perform at the 12,500-acre working ranch and outdoor performance space alongside pianist Kunal Lahiry. The duo are set to give their program in the Olivier Music Barn. It will feature music by Rainier, Copland, Schubert, Prokofiev, Emily Doolittle, {…}
The Royal Conservatory has unveiled its 2023-24 season. For this article, our focus will be solely on classical vocal performances. First up is Chanticleer in concert. Performance Date: Oct. 27, 2023 The Los Angeles Master Chorale star in “Music to Accompany a Departure,” directed by Peter Sellars. The showcase will feature music by Schütz. Performance Date: Feb. 7, 2024 Students {…}
The Borletti-Buitoni Trust has announced the recipients of their 2022 awards and fellowships. The four award winners are cellist Anastasia Kobekina, violinist Geneva Lewis, baritone James Newby, and mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska; they will each receive a prize of 30k Pounds. The five fellowships winners are Consone Quartet ensemble, tenor Alessandro Fisher, cellist Zlatomir Fung, recordist Lucie Horsch, and baritone Theodore {…}
(Credit: Philip Vile) The Aldeburgh Festival has announced its 2022 season. The festival opens on June 3, and runs through June 26, 2022. For the purpose of this article we will focus on the vocal works. Here is the full slate. Baritone Kieran Rayner performs music by Schubert, Debussy, and Finzi alongside pianist Bradley Wood. Performance Date: June 4, 2022 {…}
(Credits: © Marie Staggat, Deutsche Grammophon / Bayerische Staatsoper official website / Gregor Hohenberg) The Staatsoper Unter den Linden will present the August Everding’s production of Mozart‘s singspiel “Die Zauberflöte” in December 2021. The opera stars Matthias Goerne and Grigory Shkarupa in the role of Sarastro; Siyabonga Maqungo and Peter Sonn as Tamino; Caroline Wettergreen as Die Königin der Nacht; {…}