Natalya Romaniw, Sir Bryn Terfel, Roderick Williams, Luis Gomes & Mary Bevan Lead City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-26 Season

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2025-26 Season. Here is a look at the vocal highlights. Kazuki Yamada conducts Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius” with soloists Jess Dandy, Roderick Williams and David Butt Philip. Performance Date: Sept. 17, 2025 Osmo Vanka conducts a program of Sibelius and Shostakovich. Helena Juntunen is the soloist. Performance Date: Nov. 19, {…}

Apr 30, 2025

Mario Chang, Lauren Fagan, Gwyn Hughes Jones, Annemarie Kremer & Lea Shaw Lead Scottish Opera’s 2025-26 Season

The Scottish Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. The season opens with a double bill of Ravel’s “L’heure espagnole” and Walton’s “The Bear.” Alexandra Cravero conducts the production by Jacopo Spirei. Lea Shaw, Jamie MacDougall, Daniel Barrett, Edward Jowle, and Luvo Maranti star in Ravel’s production, and Chloe Harris, Daniel Barrett, and Edward Jowle star in Walton’s opera. Performance Dates: {…}

Jan 29, 2025

ABAO Bilbao Opera 2024-25 Review: Tristan und Isolde

(Photo: ©E. Moreno Esquibel) The opera of Bilbao began the year 2025 with Wagner’s masterpiece “Tristan und Isolde,” in a new production recently seen at Teatro de la Maestranza in Sevilla, with an international cast of singers in the leading roles and a creative Spanish team signing the production. The production, by stage director and set designer Allex Aguilera, was {…}

Oct 19, 2024

Metropolitan Opera Adds New Cast Member to ‘Il Trovatore’

The Metropolitan Opera has added a new cast member to its production of “Il Trovatore.” The company announced that Gwyn Hughes-Jones will sing the final performances of the run on Dec. 3 and 6, 2024. Hughes-Jones performed the role of Manrico at the Met in 2012 and critics stated, “Hughes-Jones sang with ardent muscle.” The tenor made his Met debut {…}

May 7, 2024

Oksana Dyka, Carlos Álvarez, Karita Mattila, Silvia Tro Santafé & Ermonela Jaho Lead Bilbao Opera’s 2024-25 Season

Bilbao Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera The season opens with Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale.” Simón Orfila, Enric Martínez-Castignani, María José Moreno, Sofía Esparza, Francesco Demuro, Juan Antonio Sanabria, and Damián del Castillo lead the cast. Maestro Sesto Quatrini conducts Emiliano Suárez’s production. Performance Dates: Oct. 19-28, 2024 The second opera is Puccini’s “Il Trittico.” “Il Tabarro” will star Carlos {…}

Apr 30, 2024

Barbara Hannigan, Aleksandra Kurzak, Roberto Alagna, Jakub Józef Orliński & Ruzan Mantashyan Lead Grand Théâtre de Genève’s 2024-25 Season

The Grand Théâtre de Genève has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” opens the season with Gwyn Hughes Jones, Burkhard Fritz, and Elisabet Strid in the title roles. Marc Albrecht conducts the production by Michael Thalheimer. The cast will also include Tareq Nazmi, Kristina Stanek, Craig Colclough, and Julien Henric. Performance Dates: Sept. 15-27, 2024 Tomáš Netopil {…}

Oct 5, 2023

English National Opera 2023-24 Review: Peter Grimes

(Photo: ENO’s Peter Grimes 2023 © Tom Bowles) David Alden’s “Peter Grimes” begins with the curtain up. Upstage the people of the Borough mill about restlessly, occasionally breaking into shouts of anger and impatience. Alden’s 2009 production, on its second revival, breaks with any wistful or bucolic notions about the seaside community of the Borough, who drive the equally unrelenting {…}

Jun 15, 2023

Grange Park Opera 2023 Review: Tristan und Isolde

(Photo: Marc Brenner) “Tristan und Isolde” isn’t an opera generally known for its laughs. Indeed, sniggers from the audience generally indicates that something has gone drastically wrong in the direction department with this particular work. But in the this new production from Grange Park Opera, just outside of London, a sprinkling of giggles and smiles are testament to the zippy {…}

Mar 8, 2023

Ailyn Pérez, Natalya Romaniw, Sonya Yoncheva, Michael Spyres & Lucas Meachem Lead Staatsoper Hamburg’s 2023-24 Season

The Staatsoper Hamburg has announced its 2023-24 season. Opera Kent Nagano conducts Frank Castorf’s production of Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov.” The opera will star Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Kady Evanyshyn, Olivia Boen, Renate Spingler, Matthias Klink, Alexey Bogdanchikov, Vitalij Kowaljow, Oleksiy Palchykov, and Ryan Speedo Green. Performance Dates: Sept. 16-Oct. 7, 2023 Catherine Foster and Ewa Płonka sing the title role of Puccini’s {…}

May 18, 2021

Angel Blue, Renée Fleming, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Anita Rachvelishvilli, Matthew Polenzani Lead Opéra de Paris 2021-22 Season

(Photo Credits: Emma Birski / OnP) Opéra National de Paris has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas “The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas” by Marina Abramovic will open the season. The showcase stars Nadezhda Karyazina, Selene Zanetti, Leah Hawkins, Adela Zaharia, Lauren Fagan, Gabriella Reyes, and Hera Hyesang Park. Yoel Gamzou conducts. Performance dates: Sep. 1 {…}

Jan 23, 2020

Lucas Meachem, Jamie Barton & Joyce DiDonato Highlight Dallas Opera’s 2020-21 Season

(Credit: Cory Weaver/The Dallas Opera) The Dallas Opera has announced its 2020-21 season celebrating its 64th season. This season will showcase five main stage productions and a number of concerts. Here is a look. Main Stage The season opens with Mozart and Da Ponte’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Emmanuel Villaume conducts a new production by Kyle Lang. The production is set to {…}