Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Juan Diego Flórez, Eleonora Buratto & Vittorio Grigòlo Lead Arena di Verona’s Gala Broadcast

Rai Cultura is set to broadcast the Arena di Verona’s opening night concert “La Grande Opera Italiana Patrimonio dell’Umanità” on June 7. The concert is set to feature such artists as Anna Netrebko, Eleonora Buratto, Rosa Feola, Juliana Grigoryan, Jessica Pratt, Mariangela Sicilia, Aigul Akhmetshina, Jonas Kaufmann, Juan Diego Flórez, Vittorio Grigòlo, Brian Jagde, Francesco Meli, Galeano Salas, Nicola Alaimo, Luca {…}

May 24, 2024

Teatro La Fenice 2024 Review: Don Giovanni

(Photo credit: Michele Crosera) Having seen more versions of “Don Giovanni” than there are sands on the beach, I can attest that the greatness of the opera is seldom undermined by a less than optimum staging. However, when the staging is good—or even great—, one feels that there is no better opera than “Don Giovanni.” The revival of Damiano Michieletto’s {…}

Dec 18, 2023

Teatro Real 2023-24 Review: Rigoletto (Cast C)

It belongs in the past, the idea of gathering excellent singers for opening night and then choosing unknown young performers for alternative casts. Teatro Real, with the participation of Quinn Kelsey, John Osborn and Gianluca Buratto, proved how strong cast C was for its production of “Rigoletto.” Quinn Kelsey as Rigoletto Baritone Quinn Kelsey portrayed the titular role. He has {…}

Nov 21, 2023

Stéphanie d’Oustrac Leads ‘Agrippina’ at Dutch National Opera

(Credit: © Marta Syrko) The Dutch National Opera is set to present Händel’s “Agrippina” with conductor Ottavio Dantone. The opera will be presented in a production by Barrie Kosky, which is a Co-production with Bayerische Staatsoper (Munich), Royal Opera House (London), and Hamburgische Staatsoper. The cast includes Stéphanie d’Oustrac, John Holiday, Ying Fang, Gianluca Buratto, Tim Mead, Jake Ingbar, and {…}

Nov 7, 2023

Royal Opera House 2023-24 Review: Rigoletto

(©Tristram Kenton) The Royal Opera presented at their Covent Garden Theatre a revival of their new production of “Rigoletto” by the stage director, and artistic director of the Royal Opera, Oliver Mears. Oliver Mears’ production is austere and minimalistic. The first two acts have a back golden wall, with big paintings hanging on the palace’s scenes, and Gilda’s room for {…}

Oct 26, 2022

Riccardo Frizza to Lead Gran Teatre del Liceu’s ‘Il Trovatore’

The Gran Teatre del Liceu is set to open its 2022-23 season with Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.” Maestro Riccardo Frizza will lead the opera for 10 performances with two different casts and will mark his latest foray into Verdian repertory since the Festival Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra.” In an official statement, Frizza said, “Taking a look back over this year, it has {…}

Oct 21, 2022

Leah Crocetto, Raffaelle Pe & Levy Sekgapane Lead Fondazione Teatro Petruzzelli’s 2023 Season

The Fondazione Teatro Petruzzelli has announced its 2023 season. Here is a look at the operatic and vocal performances. Opera The season opens with Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Cecilia Molinari, Amira Elmadfa, Levy Sekgapane, Cesar Cortes, Marcus Werba, Gurgen Baveyan, Gianluca Buratto, Nicolò Donini, Marco Filippo Romano, and Stefano Marchisio. Stefano Montanari conducts teh production by Davide Livermore. Performance Dates: Jan. 22-29, {…}

Dec 18, 2021

Pretty Yende, Barbara Hannigan, Magdalena Kožená & Xabier Anduaga Lead Festival de Saint-Denis’ 2022 Season

(Credit: Festival de Saint-Denis official website) The Festival de Saint-Denis has announced its 2022 season. For the purpose of this article we will focus on the vocal works only. Soprano Selene Zanetti, mezzo-soprano Marianna Pizzolato, tenor Xabier Anduaga, and bass Gianluca Buratto perform Mozart’s “Ave Verum” and Rossini’s “Stabat Mater” alongside conductor Myung-Whun Chung, the Chœur de Radio France, and {…}

Dec 17, 2021

Royal Opera House Announces Cast Change For ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’

(Credit: Operabase official website) The Royal Opera House Covent Garden has announced that Italian baritone Davide Luciano is indisposed and has withdrawn from performing the role of Count Almaviva in all performances of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” from Jan. 9-27, 2022. As a result, Argentine baritone and former Jette Parker Young Artist Germán E. Alcántara will take over the {…}

Jan 24, 2021

Ambrogio Maestri, Ildar Abdrazakov, Saioa Hernández, Gregory Kunde Headline Rai5 Broadcasts for Next Week

(Credits: Opera Australia / Dario Acosta / © Sergey Misenko / Lourdes Balduque / Chris Gloag) Italian television channel Rai5 has announced broadcasts for the week of Jan. 25 – Jan. 29, 2021. The broadcasts will be dedicated to opera stagings by Davide Livermore. First up will be a production of Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia” with Chiara Amarù, Edgardo {…}

Jun 25, 2020

Carmen Giannattasio, Roberto Alagna & Aleksandra Kurzak Highlight Teatro Massimo’s ‘Sotto Una Nuova Luce’

The Teatro Massimo di Palermo has announced a summer season entitled “Sotto Una Nuova luce.” The concerts will take place at the Teatro di Verdura and will be streamed via the company Massimo TV. For this article, we will only focus on vocal performances. Omer Meir Wellber opens the festival with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Desirée Rancatore, Chiara Amarù, {…}