This week the Glimmerglass Festival will open in Cooperstown, New York presenting a month-long program of inventive productions and repertory staples. The season will also feature some of the world’s biggest stars including Eric Owens, who will work as the festival’s Artist in Residence for the Young Artist Program. He will also perform in two of the company’s highly anticipated {…}
For the first time since March 2020, the Kaufmann Concert Hall will open its doors for in-person events. Soprano Alyson Cambridge, along with members of the Glimmerglass Festival Young Artist Program, will take to the stage in front of a limited audience on May 3, 2021, at 7:00 P.M. EDT. The event, which is part of 92Y’s Almost Home: A Spring {…}
(Credit: Arielle Doneson) The Glimmerglass Festival has announced that it will be presenting a special virtual gala on April 7, 2021. The gala will be presented in partnership with Broadway Unlocked and will be hosted by superstar soprano Christine Goerke. Audiences will get a chance to see performances by Glimmerglass artists and other special guests. Finally, there will also be {…}
In partnership with New York’s flagship classical radio station, WQXR, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival kicked off on Monday, August 10. The annual summer festival has been a fixture of the New York art scene since 1966, and the organization forged a path to keep the tradition in a safe way as COVID-19 continues battering the United States. This Friday, August {…}
On June 17th, the Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA) announced “Blue” as the winner of its Fourth Annual Award for Best New Opera. “Blue,” composed by Jeanine Tesori with libretto by Tazewell Thompson, premiered at the Glimmerglass Festival in July 2019 and tells the story of an African American couple residing in Harlem, New York City. The couple’s {…}
The recording of “Pepito,” a comedic opera in one act with music by Nicolas Lell Benavides and libretto by Marella Martin Koch, is set to release on May 1, 2020 and it is an amusing, quick-hit of delightful opera worth a listen. This compact, 20-minute chamber opera tells the story of Pepito, a shelter dog meeting a husband and wife who {…}
As the summer winds down, the festival season is also drawing to a close. But that also means that the 2019-20 season will slowly start to get underway. So this weekend’s top recommendations showcase this transitional period at its finest. Glimmerglass Festival – The Queen of Spades Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece will be showcased in a production by Francesca Zambello with Michelle {…}
(Credit: Louise Leblanc) There are a lot of modern works in this weekend’s lineup, but they are mixed in with two repertory staples that feature exciting new productions and unique up-and-coming talent. Here are our Top five operas to see this weekend in North America. Festival Opéra de Québec – The Flying Dutchman The Wagner opera opened last week as {…}
(Credit: Carli Kadel) I have learned that — outside the cultural mecca of Manhattan, in summer — amazing operatic performances can be found in what might be regarded as unlikely places. And my recent weekend in upstate New York confirmed that once again. I first experienced this with the new production at Glimmerglass of Verdi’s mid-career masterpiece, “La Traviata.” Revisiting {…}
There are four operas that rarely get performances in North America, making them all the more essential viewing for the weekend. Here are our top five operas to see this weekend (in alphabetical order by company). Billy Budd – Central City Opera Britten’s masterwork kicks off on Saturday with a production conducted by John Baril and directed by Ken Cazan. {…}
Festival season is in full swing and this weekend’s major offerings come from some of the most exciting summer festivals in North America. Here are our top five offerings (in alphabetical order by company). Madama Butterfly – Central City Opera The famed Puccini masterpiece opens on Saturday with Raquel González, Annie Rosen, Cody Austin, Troy Cook, and Joseph Gaines. Adam {…}