Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will hear new recordings of two famed works, one in the French repertoire and the other in the Italian repertoire. There will also be holiday recordings and some world-premiere pieces. Changing Navona releases Choral Chameleon, under the direction of Vince {…}
Houston Grand Opera is set to release a recording of “Werther” starring Matthew Polenzani and Isabel Leonard. The album will hit digital storefronts starting on Nov. 15, 2024. The Act one Prélude is currently available for streaming on Apple Music Classical, Spotify, and Amazon Music. The opera is conducted by Robert Spano and also stars Jasmine Habersham and Sean Michael {…}
Houston Grand Opera has announced its first annual “HGO Family Day.” Scheduled for Nov. 9, 2024 at Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater, the 90-minute event will feature a performance of Rossini’s “Cenerentola” directed by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. “It was important to us to invite not only a leading opera star, but a mother, to direct our first-ever Family Day,” said {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Josep Pons conducts Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” with Alexei Botnarciuc, Daniel Kirch, Sara Jakubiak, Ángeles Blancas, and Pavel Černoch. Àlex Ollé conducts. Performance Date: Sept. 25-Oct. 7, 2024 Maria Agresta and Saioa Hernández star in Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” with Artur Ruciński, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Brian {…}
The Opéra de Paris has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Verdi’s “Falstaff” opens the season with a cast that includes Ambrogio Maestri, Olivia Boen, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, Andrei Kymach, Gregory Bonfatti, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Iván Ayón-Rivas, and Federica Guida. Michael Schønwandt conducts the production by Dominique Pitoiset. Performance Dates: Sept. 10-30, 2024 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will star Eleonora Buratto, Elena Stikhina, Aude {…}
The New York Philharmonic has announced its 2024-25 season. Here are the vocal performances. Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Miah Persson lead a performance of music by Sibelius, Julia Wolfe, and R. Strauss. Performance Dates: Nov. 7-12, 2024 Ton Koopman conducts Händel’s “Messiah” with soloists Maya Kherani, Maarten Engeltjes, and Klaus Mertens. Performance Dates: Dec. 11-14, 2024 Kevin John Edusei and Isabel {…}
(Credit: Karli Cadel) The Washington National Opera is set to present “Songbird,” a new adaptation of Jacques Offenbach’s operetta “La Périchole.” The work, which is set to be performed between March 9 and 23, 2024, will star Isabel Leonard and Ramin Karimloo. The cast will be rounded out by Edward Nelson, Teresa Perrotta, Kresley Figueroa, Cecelia McKinley, Tesia Kwarteng, Sahel {…}
Isabel Leonard has announced she is set to go on tour with Andrea Bocelli this December. The mezzo-soprano took to social media and said, “Thrilled to be joining Andrea Bocelli again and his wonderful family and crew for the Holiday Tour! Hope to see you there!” Leonard will perform from Dec. 6 through Dec. 17 in New York, Florida, Hartford, {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week you get albums from two very famous singers, a soundtrack to one of this year’s Oscar contenders, and two complete opera recordings you cannot miss. Maestro Deutsche Grammophon releases the official soundtrack to Bradley Cooper’s new film “Maestro.” The recording features {…}
Elīna Garanča has canceled her Latin American tour due to knee surgery. In a statement, the mezzo said that she was canceling her performances in Argentina and Brazil in order to get surgery for a knee due to an injury. As a result, Isabel Leonard will join Constantine Orbelian on the tour performing in Buenos Aires on June 24 and {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced its Summer Encores of past performances from its acclaimed Live in HD series of cinema presentations. The screenings will take place in the United States and Canada. The United States tickets will be available on Fathom Events, and in Canada can be purchased through Cineplex. The Metropolitan Opera’s 2023 Live in HD Summer Encore Philip {…}