Weekend Preview – International (6/24-26): Jonas Kaufmann, Olga Peretyatko, Nina Stemme & Piotr Beczala Headline The Weekend

The opera season continues in full swing as many of the top stars continue runs of important operas around the world. Austria The Vienna State Opera kicks off its weekend with Strauss’ “Elektra” starring Waltraud Meier, Nina Stemme, Regine Hangler, Herbert Lippert and Alan Held. It follows on Saturday with Debussy “Pelléas et Mélisande” with Franz-Josef Selig, Bernarda Fink, Adrian Eröd, Simon {…}

Jun 12, 2017

Metropolitan Opera HD ‘Rusalka’ to Air on PBS

This Sunday, the Metropolitan Opera’s recent production of “Rusalka” will hit TVs around the country as part of PBS’s Great Performances series. The performance will air on June 18 at 12 p.m. EDT. The opera stars Kristine Opolais in the title role, Jamie Barton as the witch Jezibaba, Eric Owens as the Water Sprite, and Brandon Jovanovich as the Prince. The {…}

Jun 7, 2017

New York Philharmonic 2016-17 Review: Alan Gilbert Says Goodbye With a Monumental ‘Das Rheingold’

Alan Gilbert is saying goodbye to the New York Philharmonic as music director. It ends a tenure that brought significant new works and experimented with the standard repertoire alongside one of the finest orchestras in the world. But Gilbert has made sure to make opera a mainstay for the New York Philharmonic so it is no surprise that he ends his {…}

May 22, 2017

Jamie Barton, Lawrence Brownlee and Eric Owens Headline Celebrity Series Of Boston

The Celebrity Series of Boston has announced its 2017-18 season with a number of opera singers scheduled to perform. On Dec. 13, 2017, Jamie Barton gives a recital. Barton is one of the most acclaimed mezzos in the industry as she has won the Beverly Sills Artist Award and the 2015 Richard Tucker Award. She is also a winner of {…}

May 15, 2017

Best of Metropolitan Opera 2016-17 Season: Top 10 Female Performances of the Year

This article is a joint collaboration between David & Francisco Salazar. This past weekend saw the end of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-17 season. This week we will take a look back at the greatest moments that this season brought us, beginning with the top performers that we enjoyed. Since ladies should always go first, we start with the top 10 {…}

May 4, 2017

Metropolitan Opera 50th Anniversary Celebration: Stories From The New House Told By Opera’s Greatest Stars

For 50 years, the Metropolitan Opera has made its home in Lincoln Center, creating numerous cathartic and revelatory memories for both audiences and artists alike. In speaking with some of the world’s greatest artists that have performed at the Met, OperaWire has been granted the opportunity to hear some unique, enriching and entertaining stories and experiences that have taken place {…}

Apr 21, 2017

Social Media Beat (Week 4/14-20): Anna Netrebko Previews The Met 50th While Brian Cedel Takes Over Philadelphia’s Instagram

The week saw many of the world’s greatest singers perform and rehearse. But it also saw them enjoy their daily activities and attend numerous interesting events. Check it out. It was an eventful week for Anna Netrebko between shopping at Barney’s and singing Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugene Onegin.” However, it all culminated with the diva showing her fans a preview of the Met’s {…}

Apr 13, 2017

Plácido Domingo Returns To PBS As ‘Nabucco’

On May 7, Plácido Domingo returns to great performances on PBS. The tenor-turned-baritone stars in Verdi’s “Nabucco” from the Metropolitan Opera’s recent revival of the composer’s early masterwork. Domingo is joined by an exceptional cast that includes the dramatic soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska as Abigaille and Dmitry Belosselskiy as Zaccaria. Jamie Barton stars as Fenena while Russell Thomas is Ismaele. James {…}

Mar 20, 2017

The Best Moments of the 2017 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Finals

As Renee Fleming entered from stage right, she garnered a low wave of astonishment from her shimmering silver dress and matching blue shimmering shawl. Taking to the podium, she began to explain that for many aspiring singers, the results of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions competition would propel their careers. For her, it took 3 times before winning (she even {…}

Feb 21, 2017

Jamie Barton To Sign Copies Of ‘All Who Wander’ At the Met Opera Shop

Fans will get a chance to meet mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton at the Metropolitan Opera Store on Feb 23 at 3 p.m. Barton will sign copies of her new album “All Who Wander,” which includes music from Sibelius, Dvorak and Mahler. Upon release OperaWire said, “Barton’s voice is delicate throughout, a sound that the audiences are not accustomed to hearing in the opera house where {…}

Feb 18, 2017

Metropolitan Opera 2016-17 Review – Rusalka: Mary Zimmerman, Kristine Opolais & Company Take Us On Dramatically Rich Journey To Find Operatic Identity

We acknowledge that OperaWire is late to the “Rusalka” party, but here is our review for the performance on Feb. 17, 2017, the fifth performance of this run. Antonín Dvorák’s “Rusalka” is the epitome of a metaphorical operatic identity crisis. The opera, which is a grim version of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” follows the story of a water {…}