Asmik Grigorian, Kate Lindsey, Jonathan Tetelman, Benjamin Bernheim, Elīna Garanča, Lisette Oropesa & Juan Diego Flórez Lead Salzburg Festival’s 2026 Season

The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2026 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Franck Ollu conducts Pascal Dusapin and Rita de Letteriis’s “Passion” starring Sarah Aristidou, Georg Nigl, and Schola Heidelberg. Performance Date: July 23, 2026 Asmik Grigorian stars as Bizet’s “Carmen” alongside Jonathan Tetelman, Kristina Mkhitaryan, and Davide Luciano. Teodor Currentzis conducts the production by Gabriela {…}

Dec 3, 2025

Cecilia Bartoli, Céline Scheen, Vito Priante & Marina Viotti Lead 2026 Salzburg Whitsun Festival

The Salzburg Whitsun Festival has announced its 2026 season themed “Bon Voyage.” Opera Rossini’s “Il Viaggio a Reims” will be conducted by Gianluca Capuano and directed by Barrie Kosky. The ensemble cast will include Cecilia Bartoli, Marina Viotti, Mélissa Petit, Tara Erraught, Edgardo Rocha, Dmitry Korchak, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, Florian Sempey, Misha Kiria, Peter Kellner, Giovanni Romeo, Helena Rasker, Rodolphe Briand, {…}

Sep 23, 2025

Royal Ballet & Opera 2025-26 Review: The Sicilian Vespers

(Credit: Tristram Kenton) It’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. No, really. Director Stefan Herheim employs a combination of both smoke and mirrors on a seemingly ever-revolving, ever-evolving stage setting of grandiose balconies, monumental set pieces, and athletic ballerinas, whose inclusion is frequent enough to make the casual observer question whether this is an opera or a ballet. In fact, {…}

May 7, 2025

Roberto Alagna, Lidia Fridman, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Chiara Isotton & John Osborn Lead Teatro Regio di Torino’s 2025-26 Season

The Teatro Regio di Torino has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera The season opens with Zandonai’s “Francesca da Rimini,” which will star Barno Ismatullaeva, Ekaterina Sannikova, Roberto Alagna, Marcelo Puente, George Gagnidze, and Angelo Veccia. Andrea Battistoni conducts and Andrea Bernard directs. Performance Dates: Oct. 10-23, 2025 Gianluca Capuano conducts Mozart’s “Die Entführung aus dem Serail“ with a cast that {…}

Apr 10, 2025

Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, Elīna Garanča, Golda Schultz, Sonya Yoncheva, Cecilia Bartoli & Benjamin Bernheim Lead Opernhaus Zürich’s 2025-26 Season

The Opernhaus Zürich has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the productions and concerts. Premieres Simon Steen-Andersen and Liliana Nikiteanu lead “Wie du warst! Wie du bist!” Performance Dates: Sept. 20, 2025-July 11, 2026 Diana Damrau, Günther Groissböck, Angela Brower, Bo Skovhus, and Emily Pogorelc star in a new production Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier.” Joana Mallwitz conducts the {…}

Apr 2, 2025

Anna Netrebko, Freddie De Tommaso, Marina Rebeka, Bryn Terfel, Aigul Akhmetshina, Lisette Oropesa, Juan Diego Flórez & Pretty Yende Lead Royal Ballet & Opera’s 2025-26 Season

The Royal Ballet and Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. The season opens with Puccini’s “Tosca” in a new production by Oliver Mears. Anna Netrebko and Aleksandra Kurzak share the title role. Freddie De Tommaso and Gerald Finley also star. Performance Dates: Sept. 11-Oct. 7, 2025 Speranza Scappucci conducts Verdi’s “I vespri siciliani” in a revival of Stefan Herheim’s production. Marina {…}

Mar 17, 2025

Wiener Staatsoper 2024-25 Review: Norma

Another day, another “Norma.” Not that that is a hardship: lucky Vienna, has two new productions in which to indulge. And they proved very different beasts. The opera hasn’t been staged at the Staatsoper for almost 50 years so it was long overdue to have an outing there. And Cyril Teste’s production did the job well enough, if not excitingly, {…}

Feb 24, 2025

Royal Opera House Announces New Cast Change for ‘Faust’

The Royal Opera House has announced a new cast change for its production of “Faust.” The company said that Erwin Schrott has withdrawn from the performances of Faust on June 2, 6, and 10 for personal reasons. As a result, the role of Méphistophélès will be performed by Ildebrando D’Arcangelo. However, Schrott will continue to sing the role on May {…}

Feb 23, 2025

ORF III to Broadcast Wiener Staatsoper’s ‘Norma’ with Federica Lombardi & Juan Diego Flórez

On March 23, ORF III will broadcast the Wiener Staatsoper’s new production of Bellini’s “Norma.” The new production by Cyril marks the first time in 10 years that the work is presented at the Wiener Staatsoper and the first staged production in almost 45 years. Michele Mariotti conducts an all-star cast led by Federica Lombardi, who makes her role debut {…}

Jan 10, 2025

Juan Diego Flórez & Federica Lombardi Headline Wiener Staatsoper’s New ‘Norma’

The Wiener Staatsoper is set to present a new production of Bellini’s “Norma.” Michele Mariotti is set to conduct a new production by French stage director Cyril Teste. In a statement, Mariotti noted, “‘Norma’ is a triumph of emotions and torments described by the fierce classicism of the music. In my view, there are two moments that make it an {…}

Nov 8, 2024

Cecilia Bartoli, Matthias Goerne, Piotr Beczala & Philippe Jaroussky Lead Salzburg Whitsun Festival’s 2025 Season

The Salzburg Whitsun Festival has announced its 2025 season. Opera “Hotel Metamorphosis,” a pastiche of Vivadi’s music, will be conducted by Gianluca Capuano and directed by Barrie Kosky. The production will star Cecilia Bartoli, Varduhi Abrahamyan, Lea Desandre, Philippe Jaroussky, and Angela Winkler. Performance Dates: June 6-8, 2025 Nadine Sierra, Piotr Beczala, and Luca Salsi star in Verdi’s “La Traviata” {…}

Ildebrando d'Arcangelo