Putin Loyalists Hibla Gerzmava and Ildar Abdrazakov are set to perform in Belgrade in February 2025. In a press release regarding the grand exhibition “Peter the Great and the Balkans” as part of the “Days of the Hermitage” event, it was announced that the two singers would be performing at the National Theatre in Belgrade in an evening entitled “Stars {…}
There are not many editorials that I write and have a memory to start with. The opera industry changes fast as new world crises hit it again and again. Today, we cannot even say if Peter Gelb is the villain or a savior. One of my last memories from Russia, before I left it about ten years ago after Russia {…}
The Mariinsky Theatre is set to celebrate the Mariinksy Theatre II’s anniversary with a gala concert on May 2, 2023. The concert will feature soloists Hibla Gerzmava, Ildar Abdrazakov, Denis Matsuev, Diana Vishneva, Roman Burdenko, Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Kimin Kim, Alexey Markov, Yulia Matochkina, Mikhail Petrenko, Renata Shakirova, Vladimir Shklyarov, Maria Shirinkina, Tatiana Serjan, Sergei Skorokhodov, and Konstantin Zverev. The company {…}
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 {…}
The Mariinsky Theatre has announced the first part of the “Stars of the White Nights: The 30th Mariinsky festival in St Petersburg.” The festival, which is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, is run by fierce Putin supporter Valery Gergiev and usually features several international artists. However, that is not the case this year, as many international {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its production of “Tosca” during the 2022-23 season. The company said that Liudmyla Monastyrska will replace Hibla Gerzmava in the title role in performances on March 30, April 2, 5, and 15, 2023. The announcement comes two months after the beginning of the war in Ukraine and two months after General {…}
On April 19, Dmitry Korchak will conduct the Moscow Virtuosi State Chamber Orchestra and Moscow Synodal Choir at the Moscow International Performing arts Center. The tenor turned conductor will lead the oratorio by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), recreating the drama of the last days of Jesus Christ. The concert will include Pro-Putin soprano Hibla Gerzmava, Agunda Kulaeva, Alexei Tatarintsev, and Vasily {…}
In 2017, soprano Hibla Gerzmava was on tour throughout the United States performing at important halls alongside Vladimir Spivakov. The soprano had garnered an international following and had been performing at the great opera houses in the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, where she had made her debut in 2010 and had already been featured in HD performances. However, when {…}
The Hibla Gerzmava Opera Singers Competition is set to be held in Moscow in January 2023. The new competition is part of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, which was part of the 2022 grant competition for the implementation of projects in the field of culture. The competition will see 16 young vocalists perform and auditions will take place on {…}
(Credit: Met Opera) The Met Opera has announced that it will be concluding its nightly stream series next week. And to commemorate the 71st and final week of streams, the company is turning to operas for the fans, selected by the fans. So here is a rundown of the final week of nightly streams, courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera. Monday, {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced its 2021-22 season featuring new productions, revivals, jung oper, and Chamber works. Premieres Gaetano d’Espinosa conducts a new production of Peter Konwitschny Bellini’s “Norma” with Yolanda Auyanet in the title role. The cast will also include Dmytro Popov, Alexandros Stavrakakis, and Stepanka Pucalkova. Performance Dates: Oct. 2-31, 2021 Ivan Repušić conducts a new production of {…}