The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for “Carmen” on Oct. 17, 2026. The company said that Étienne Dupuis will step into the role of Escamillo. Dupuis added, “I couldn’t say no when the Wiener Staatsoper asked me to step in as Escamillo in ‘Carmen’ tomorrow. It may not be my favorite role, but I love this house and {…}
The Copenhagen Opera Festival announces its city-wide programming for 2026. Part two of Niels Rønsholdt and director Louise Beck’s opera trilogy, “Right of The Strong – The Duty of the Weak” is held. Performance Dates: Aug. 13 – 17, 2026 Soprano Elisabeth Rosenberg, tenor Gustav Wenzel Most, and pianist Charlotte Thaning perform works by Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Schubert live along {…}
The Dallas Opera’s(TDO) and CEO Ian Derrer have announced that the recipient of The Dallas Opera’s “Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year” award is Canadian baritone Etienne Dupuis. The company awarded the prize to the Canadian baritone for his 2025-2026 season debut as Rodrigo in Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” The award is elected exclusively by TDO subscribers and is given {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced its 2026-27 season. Premiere Zemlinsky’s “Eine Florentinische Tragödie” and Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” will be performed in a new production with Dmitry Golovnin, Christopher Maltman, Florian Boesch, and Asmik Grigorian. Alain Altinoglu conducts the new production by Vasily Barkhatov. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-12, 2026 Barrie Kosky directs a new production of Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” with {…}
The Opéra de Montréal has announced its 2026-27 season. Puccini’s “Turandot” opens the season in Francesca Zambello’s production. Paolo Arrivabeni conducts a cast that includes Maida Hundeling, Andrea Shin, Joyce El-Khoury, Raymend Aceto, Nathan Keoughan, and Rocco Rupolo. Performance Dates: Sept. 26-Oct, 4, 2026 Julien Dran leads Massenet’s “Werther” with Julie Boulianne, Sophie Naubert, Hugo Laporte. Jacques Lacombe conducts Alain {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard) This week, The Dallas Opera opens a starry production of Verdi’s epic “Don Carlo.” The production showcases some of the lead interpreters of the opera as well as some house debuts. Among them is that of baritone Étienne Dupuis, who will make his Dallas Opera debut in one of his signature roles. The baritone first sang the role {…}
The etymology of the Italian word “maschera” (and its English equivalent “mask”) is rather obscure. It’s derived from the Arabic word “maskara,” meaning buffoonery and/or harsh derision. Indeed, a closer look at “Un ballo in maschera” reveals a higher degree of caustic bite far beyond the final act’s famous masked ball. Amelia seeks help from the soothsayer Ulrica to rid {…}
The Dallas Opera (TDO) is set to close its 2025-26 Season with a new production of Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” TDO first presented Don Carlo in 1988 and was set to present it in a semi-staged production in March 2020 but was unfortunately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new production will be directed by Louis Désiré who said, “It {…}
Opéra National de Paris has announced cast change for its production of “Un Ballo in Maschera.” The company said that Igor Golovatenko has withdrawn from the production and will be replaced by Étienne Dupuis on Jan. 27, 30 and February 2, 2026. Dupuis made his Paris debut in 2009 and has since performed in productions of “Pelléas et Mélisande,” “Don {…}
(Credit: Deutsche Oper) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Detlev Glanert ‘s “Die drei Rätsel” will be conducted by Dominic Limburg and directed by Brigitte Dethier. The production will star Martina Baroni, Philipp Jekal, Chance Jonas-O’Toole, Joel Allison, Padraic Rowan, Maria Vasilevskaya, and Alexandra Oomens. Performance Dates: Oct. 11, 2025-Feb. 15, 2026 Sir Donald Runnicles will {…}
The Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera Giampaolo Bisanti conducts Gound’s “Faust” in Thaddeus Strassberger’s production. The cast includes John Osborn, Erwin Schrott, Nino Machaidze, Markus Werba, and Elmina Hasan. Performance Dates: Sept. 12-20, 2025 Sieva Borzak conducts Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” with a cast that includes Francesca Dotto, Josè Maria Lo Monaco, Maxim Mironov, Vittorio Prato, {…}