The Metropolitan Opera has announced the 10th week of its nightly streams. Here is a rundown of all the performances which includes two classic performances. Monday, May 18 – Mozart’s Idomeneo Conducted by James Levine, starring Nadine Sierra, Elza van den Heever, Alice Coote, and Matthew Polenzani. Transmitted live on March 25, 2017. Tuesday, May 19 – Wagner’s Lohengrin – {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) In continuation of the 2019-20 Great Performances Series, PBS will present the Live in HD broadcast of “Turandot” from the Metropolitan Opera on Friday, March 20, 2020 The broadcast will kick off at 9 p.m. EDT. The cast includes soprano Christine Goerke in the title role with Yusif Eyvazov as Calaf. Eleonora Buratto appears {…}
The Academy of Vocal Arts has announced that famed bass-baritone James Morris will be joining BrAVA! Philadelphia! Gala on Saturday, March 28, 2020. The event, which will celebrate the institution’s 85th anniversary, will see Morris join a cast of artists that includes Angela Meade, Bryan Hymel, Vanessa Vasquez, Taylor Stayton, Latonia Moore, Hannah Ludwig, Jared Bybee, and André Courville. The {…}
Two of America’s greatest singers, James Morris and Sherrill Milnes also share a birthday on Jan. 10. So to celebrate the birth of these two opera legends, here is a quiz with a simple concept – we make a statement and you have to pick which of these two artists it applies to. As always, enjoy!
This weekend will be dedicated to favorites with some of the biggest singers performing signature roles. Turandot – Teatro Colón, Argentina Maria Guleghina stars in the title role of Puccini’s final work. The soprano appears alongside Verónica Cangemi, Kristian Benedikt, and legendary bass James Morris. Christian Badea conducts. Les Huguenots – Semperoper Dresden, Germany Venera Gimadieva and Jennifer Rowley make their highly anticipated {…}
Bass-Baritone James Morris is one of the great American singers of the late 20th century. Born on Jan. 10, 1947, Morris studied with Rosa Ponselle at the Peabody Conservatory and then attended the Academy of Vocal Arts and University of Maryland. He made his debut with the Baltimore Opera in 1967 and then appeared with the Metropolitan Opera for the {…}
The Teatro Colón has announced its 2019 season featuring eight main stage productions, concert operas, and a number of international star-making debuts. Here is a look at what to expect next season. Mainstage Opera Maurizio Benini conducts a new production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” directed by Jorge Takla. Fabián Veloz and Leonardo López Linares share the title role while Pavel Valuzhin and {…}
It is easy to see why Marc Blitzstein’s “Regina” is rarely performed. It’s a demanding work that tackles issues of greed, race relations and other seedy elements of humanity head-on while fusing many musical styles that make it hard to characterize. Because there are so many elements to this opera that includes 10 major characters, it is difficult to mount {…}
James Morris and Sherrill Milnes were both born on Jan. 10, though Milnes is 12 years older than his American colleague. The two shared the stage on several occasions with Milnes taking on leading baritone roles and Morris championing the leading bass parts. Their voices usually aren’t categorized in the same manner, Milnes being a baritone and Morris a bass-baritone. {…}
The Martina Arroyo Foundation’s 13th Annual Gala, a celebration of Prelude to Performance, Role Class and Outreach Programs, has announced its honorees. This year, the gala will honor legendary bass-baritone James Morris, rising star soprano Ailyn Pérez and Tony Award winners Chita Rivera and Tommy Tune. Rivera is best known for her work in “The Visit” and has won two Tonys and eight additional nominations. {…}
Occasionally music history has strange coincidences where a famous composer is unable to finish his final work. This is particularly strange when the final work has something to do with death. Consider Mozart who died writing a requiem. Likewise, Giacomo Puccini succumbed to lung cancer before completing “Turandot.” The last piece he wrote was the funeral march for the slave {…}