Lawrence Brownlee, Lisette Oropesa, Nino Machaidze, Gregory Kunde, Simon Keenlyside, Leah Hawkins, Nicky Spence, Saioa Hernández, Michael Fabiano & Eve-Maud Hubeaux Lead Staatsoper Hamburg’s 2026-27 Season

The Staatsoper Hamburg has announced its 2026-27 season. Premieres Tomáš Hanus and Daniele Squeo lead Verdi’s “Macbeth” in a production by Tobias Kratzer. The cast includes Kartal Karagedik, Simon Keenlyside, Alexander Vinogradov, Aleksei Kulagin, Nino Machaidze, and Dovlet Nurgeldiyev. Performance Dates: Sept. 12-Oct. 20, 2026 Tohar Gil conducts Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” in a new production by Nils Voges. Aebh {…}

Oct 24, 2025

Opéra National de Paris 2025-26 Review: Aida

(Credit: Bernd Uhlig) “Aida,” as we know, was supposed to be Giuseppe Verdi’s last opera. At least, he thought so. Along with his powerful “Requiem,” and all its operatic overtones, his very final work to come, the moving and gentle “Quattro Pezzi Sacri” – “Aida” was supposedly the prolific master’s operatic swan song. But, well, that is certainly not what {…}

May 20, 2025

Joyce DiDonato, Corinne Winters, Nahuel Di Pierro, Stéphane Degout & Brenda Rae Lead Grand Théâtre de Genève’s 2025-26 Season

The Grand Théâtre de Genève has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera Mark Elder will conduct a new production of Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” starring Daniel Johansson, Samuel Sakker, Jennifer Davis, Victoria Karkacheva, Franz-Josef Selig, and Stéphane Degout. Tatjana Gürbaca directs. Performance Dates: Sept. 21-Oct. 4, 2025 Debussy’s “Pelléas & Mélisande” will star Björn Bürger, Mari Eriksmoen, Leigh Melrose, Nicolas Testé, Sophie Koch, {…}

Apr 2, 2025

Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Sabine Devieilhe, Piotr Beczała, Nicole Car, Saioa Hernández, Freddie De Tommaso, Thomas Hampson, Pretty Yende & Renée Fleming Lead Opéra National de Paris 2025-26 Season

The Opéra National de Paris has announced its 2025-26 season. The season opens with Puccini’s “La Bohème,” featuring Nicole Car, Yaritza Véliz, Charles Castronovo, Joshua Guerrero, Andrea Carroll, Étienne Dupuis, Xiaomeng Zhang, and Alexandros Stavrakakis. Domingo Hindoyan conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 12-Oct. 14, 2025 Cecilia Molinari leads Handel’s “Ariodante” alongside Luca Tittoto, Jacquelyn Stucker, Sabine Devieilhe, Rupert Charlesworth, Christophe Dumaux, {…}

Feb 5, 2025

Opéra National de Paris 2024-25 Review: Das Rheingold

(Photo: Herwig Prammer / OnP) A very promising night indeed: Paris Opera takes its first step toward its new Ring under the direction of Calixto Bieito—one of the most exciting artists in his field—and with a promising cast. The stakes are particularly high for the company president, Alexander Neef, who would crowd his tenure with a Wagner Ring in continental {…}

Dec 23, 2024

Best of 2024: OperaWire’s Top 11 Singers of the Year

It is time to wrap up the year and look back at our favorite moments and performers. After releasing our favorite performances of 2024 and showcasing our rising stars of the year, it’s time for OperaWire’s annual tradition of naming our top 11 singers of the year, performers that we thought stood out. Performers who had major breaks, headlined major productions or simply had {…}

Dec 20, 2024

Paris Opera Play Unveils Streaming Slate for January & February 2025

The Opéra National de Paris has announced the streaming slate for Paris Opera Play during the months of January and February. First up is “Vissi d’arte – Gala Maria Callas,” starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Pretty Yende, Kate Lindsey, and Eve-Maud Hubeaux. Eun Sun Kim conducted the gala, which was be directed by Robert Carsen. The event took place in December 2023. {…}

Nov 27, 2024

San Francisco Opera 2024-25 Review: Carmen

(Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera) Whether Nietzsche actually meant it when he declared Bizet’s “Carmen” to be the perfect opera, or whether it was merely a literary tantrum aimed at his once-beloved Richard Wagner, it matters not. The resounding overture to “Carmen” provides its own argument as to the opera’s justified and beloved place in the canon. Love is a {…}

Oct 30, 2024

Eve-Maud Hubeaux & Jonathan Tetelman Lead San Francisco Opera’s ‘Carmen’ Production

San Francisco Opera’s 2024 Fall Season concludes with the Bizet’s “Carmen.” The production by Francesca Zambello will be performed between Nov. 13–Dec. 1 at the War Memorial Opera House. Mezzo-soprano Eve-Maud Hubeaux is set to make her American debut in the title role alongside Jonathan Tetelman as Don José, Louise Alder as Micaëla, and Christian Van Horn as Escamillo. The {…}

Oct 28, 2024

NHK to Broadcast ‘La Gioconda’ with Anna Netrebko & Jonas Kaufmann

NHK Classic is set to broadcast “La Gioconda” on Oct. 28, 2024 from the Teatro San Carlo. The Japanese broadcasting company announced the news via social media. The recording which was made in April 2024 stars Anna Netrebko in the title role, Jonas Kaufmann as Enzo, Eve-Maud Hubeaux as Laura, Ludovic Tézier as Barnaba, Ksenia Nikolaeva as La Cieca, and {…}

Aug 6, 2024

Salzburg Festival 2024 Review: Capriccio

(Photo credit: SF/Marco Borrelli) The ending of “Capriccio” has often been praised; less has been said out loud about how never ending the rest of the opera is. Performed in a concert version, with little to no theatrical movement, it lasts for almost an eternity. Perhaps I am being too harsh. Although “Capriccio” is far from a magnum opus, it is {…}