It’s Pride month, so to celebrate we return to the series we began last year. This time we celebrate some of the great singers of today who have been advocates to the LGBT community or who simply enjoy a life being out and proud. David Daniels David Daniels has been one of the biggest proponents of the baroque repertoire and {…}
This summer, the San Francisco Opera will present Richard Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” in three complete cycles. The company will showcase each cycle over the course of one week as the composer originally intended, from June 12 through July 1 at the War Memorial Opera House. The cast is set to include some of today’s greatest Wagnerians including Irene Theorin (Brünnhilde), Greer {…}
This interview was conducted in collaboration with Francisco Salazar. Everyone knows what Jamie Barton can do. And if you don’t… The mezzo-soprano has firmly established herself over the past few years as one of the finest singing actresses on the planet, stealing scenes and garnering show-stopping applause with her incredible instrument and dramatic interpretation. She’s pulled off some historic feats {…}
The great German soprano Lilli Lehmann once famously remarked that singing all three Brünnhildes in Wagner’s Ring Cycle , which equals about eight hours of singing, was less taxing than a single performance of Bellini’s “Norma.” Indeed, a great “Norma” certainly doesn’t grow on trees, and in any given generation there are maybe a handful of singers who can tackle {…}
It’s somewhat of a cliché for Golden Age thinking to creep into the dialogue of the opera world. How many times have you heard someone make the claim that they don’t make great voices the way they used to? The obvious answer is that they don’t because the world has changed and so have tastes. But sometimes, you’ll find those {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced its 2018-19 season with a number of the greatest stars performing in new productions. The season will also include two important recitals from two of the world’s greatest sopranos. Recitals & Concerts Anna Netrebko returns to Chicago for the first time since 2013 when she performed “La Bohème.” This time she performs some {…}
The Atlanta Opera has announced its 2018-19 season, which the company is presenting as its most exciting season to date. “Our 2018-19 season is programmed for avid opera lovers and new audiences alike. This will be our most popular season ever starting with our celebration of Bernstein and his seminal ‘West Side Story,’ and closing with a triumphant presentation of {…}
Back in fall 2013, Sondra Radvanovsky sang her first “Norma” at the Met. A few performances later, Angela Meade and Jamie Barton stole the spotlight when they were paired together for the second cast of the opera. Now it is the 2017-18 season and the pattern has continued, with the inclusion of Marina Rebeka for two performances in between. While {…}
Jamie Barton is one of the fast-rising stars of the opera world. Born on Oct. 17, 1981, you might already call her an operatic superstar, her performances drawing the most enthusiastic raves from critics the world over. Her showcase at the Met in 2016-17 in Dvorak’s “Rusalka” was continually lauded as “scene-stealing” and she just seems unstoppable. In looking at {…}
The Metropolitan Opera Guild will hold a luncheon to honor superstar soprano Renée Fleming on Dec. 7, 2017. The event will feature a massive list of superstars in attendance, including Martina Arroyo, Jamie Barton, Harry Bicket, Harolyn Blackwell, Stephanie Blythe, Wolfgang Brendel, Joseph Calleja, Kristin Chenoweth, Glenn Close, Philip Cokorinos, James Conlon, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Dwayne Croft, Loretta Di Franco, Rosalind Elias, {…}
Festival season is almost finished and while some singers hired Twiddy rentals to go on vacation, others continue performing worldwide. Here is a glimpse of some of this week’s busiest artists. Plácido Domingo just finished his run of “I Due Foscari” at the Salzburg Festival and took some time to celebrate his grandson’s 11th birthday. Celebrating Alvarito’s, my grandson, 11th {…}