(Photo: Monika Ritterhaus / Courtesy of Staatsoper Hamburg) Dmitri Tcherniakov‘s new production of “Ariadne auf Naxos” at Staatsoper Hamburg rounds out his visual and thematic arc from “Elektra” and “Salome,” ending the Strauss trilogy. Once again, Tcherniakov sets the drama within the same apartment building. The apartment now is simply refinished in a lavish Prussian blue with golden accents, and {…}
St. Louis Symphony has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a rundown of its vocal performances. Stéphane Denève conducts Mozart’s Requiem with Dashon Burton, Kelly O’Connor, Joélle Harvey, and Ben Bliss. The program will also includes Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546 and Detlev Glanert’s Four Preludes and Serious Songs. Performance Date: Nov. 9, 2024 Take 6 {…}
Omar is a man, forcibly taken from his home in West Africa in 1807, and brought through the Middle Passage to America. He is sold into slavery in South Carolina and treated with brutality. He maintains his Muslim faith and eventually while in captivity, writes his autobiography in Arabic. “Omar” is an opera created by MacArthur Fellowship recipient Rhiannon Giddens, {…}
CRB Classical 99.5 is set to broadcast the New England premiere of Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’ “Omar.” The work, which had its local premiere back in May, will be broadcast on Sept. 10, 2023 starting at 7 p.m. The opera stars Jamez McCorkle, Cierra Byrd, Daniel Okulitch, Brianna J. Robinson, Emma Sorenson, Catherine Anne Daniel, Nicholas Lagesse, Fred C. {…}
Opera Ballet Vlaanderen has announced its 2023-24 season. Here are the opera and vocal performances. Operas First up is “La Clemenza di Tito” conducted by Alejo Pérez and Gaetano Lo Coco and directed by Milo Rau. The opera stars Jeremy Ovenden, Anna Malesza-Kutny, Anna Goryachova, Maria Warenberg, Sarah Yang, and Rueben Mbonambi. Performance Dates: Sept. 10 – Oct. 26, 2023 {…}
Spoleto Festival USA has announced its 2023 season. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be on vocal and operatic performances. The company will present “Vanessa” at the Charleston Gaillard Center. The Barber opera will star Nicole Heaston, Zoie Reams, Edward Graves, Rosalind Plowright, and Malcolm MacKenzie. The opera is conducted by Timothy Myers and directed by Rodula {…}
San Francisco Opera has announced its 2023-24 season, the 101st in the company’s history. The season will open with an Opera Ball featuring Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak. Eun Sun Kim conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a program of arias and duets. Performance Date: Sept. 8, 2023 Next up is “Il Trovatore” starring Arturo Chacón-Cruz, Angel Blue, Anita {…}
Boston Lyric Opera has announced two upcoming showcases for the 2023 season. The company announced that Ryan McKinny will star in “Bluebeard’s Castle” in a production directed by Anne Bogart. He will be joined by Naomi Louisa O’Connell in the role of Judith; she is also set to perform “Four Songs” by Alma Mahler in the second half of the {…}
Los Angeles Opera will present “Omar” starring on Oct. 22, 2022. The new opera by composers Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels recounts American slavery written by a Omar Ibn Said who was kidnapped and forced to board a ship bound for South Carolina. Kazem Abdullah conducts and Kaneza Schaal directs. Tenor Jamez McCorkle headlines the cast as Omar. He is {…}
The Spoleto Festival has announced full details for the upcoming 2022 season. Operas As previously announced “Omar” will make its world premiere. The new opera by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels will be directed by Kaneza Schaal and conducted by John Kennedy. The production will star Jamez McCorkle in the title role, Laquita Mitchell, Malcom MacKenzie, Cheryse McLeod Lewis, Catherine Anne {…}
The Theater Basel has announced its 2021-22 season. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on opera productions only. Here is a look: Mozart‘s singspiel “Die Zauberflöte” will open the season. The opera stars Kai Kluge and Alex Banfield in the role of Tamino, Kali Hardwick as Pamina, Rainelle Krause as Die Königin der Nacht, and Patrick Zielke {…}
