(Credit: Karen Almond / Met Opera) On Sunday, March 17, the Met Opera hosted the grand finale of the Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. Out of an initial group of 1,500 hopefuls, ten standout singers got their chance to shine before their first Met audience. Denyce Graves hosted the event, featuring a special bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green performance. The afternoon {…}
The 2024 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition has announced the finalists. The finals will be held on March 17 at 3 p.m. and will be hosted by Denyce Graves and there will be a special performance from bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green. Finalists were chosen by a panel of judges comprising artistic leaders from the Met and other companies. {…}
The Pittsburgh Opera is set to present “Iphigénie en Tauride.” The opera, which opens on Jan. 20 and runs through Jan. 28, 2024, tells the the Trojan War-era tale of a sister whose duty requires that she kill a man who turns out to be her brother. The work will star Emily Richter, Brandon Bell, Fran Daniel Laucerica, Julia Swan Laird, {…}
The Pittsburgh Opera has announced its 2023-24 season. Opera Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” opens the season with Lunga Eric Hallam, John McCullough, Stephanie Lauricella, and Musa Nqungwana. Antony Walker conducts the production by Crystal Manich. Performance Dates: October 14, 17, 20, 22, 2023 Kyle Albertson, Marjorie Owens, Daniel O’Hearn, and Leah Heater lead Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman.” Antony Walker {…}
The Pittsburgh Opera has announced its 2022-23 Resident Artists. This season the artists are Brandon Bell, Darius Gillard, Julia Swan Laird, Evan Lazdowski, Daniel O’Hearn, Jazmine Olwalia, Emily Richter, and Haley Stamats. The Resident Artist Program is one of the country’s leading training programs for young singers. The program received more than 500 applicants from around the world and is a {…}
The Pittsburgh Opera has announced its 2022-23 season with six operas, performed across a total of four different venues—the Benedum Center, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Pittsburgh CAPA School Theater, and Pittsburgh Opera’s headquarters the Bitz Opera Factory. Dvořák’s “Rusalka” opens the season with Antony Walker conducting and Kristine McIntyre directing. Ekaterina Siurina stars in the title role {…}