Jessica Pratt, Olga Peretyatko, Luca Salsi, Pretty Yende, Javier Camarena & Nombulelo Yende Lead Maggio Musicale FIorentino’s 2025 Season

(Credit: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino) The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced its 2025 season. Stefano Ranzani conducts a production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” by Davide Livermore. Celso Albelo, Daniel Luis de Vicente, Leon Kim, Olga Peretyatko, Alessio Cacciamani, and Eleonora Filipponi star. Performance Dates: Feb. 16-23, 2025 Michele Spotti conducts Bellini’s “Norma” in a production by Moshe Leisier and Patrice Caurier. Jessica Pratt, {…}

Jun 2, 2024

Javier Camarena, Samuel Mariño & Nina Minasyan Leads Fundación Baluarte’s 2024-25 Season

The Fundación Baluarte has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances from the Pamplona season in Spain. Hannah Morrison, Maartgen Engeltjes, Krystian Adams, and Kresimir Strazanac lead Händel’s “Messiah.” Performance Date: Dec. 19, 2024 Perry So conducts Vedi’s “La Traviata” with Nina Minasyan, Santiago Ballerini, and Juan Jesús Rodríguez starring. Henning Brockhaus directs. Performance Dates: Jan. 31 & {…}

May 31, 2024

Gran Teatre del Liceu Announces Cast Change for ‘La Cenerentola’

The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its production of Rossini’s “La Cenerentola.” The company said that due to health reasons, Javier Camarena was forced to cancel the June 1 performance of “La Cenerentola.” As a result, Sunnyboy Dladla took over the role of Don Ramiro. Dladla was already performing the role in another cast with {…}

May 24, 2024

Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Sondra Radvanovsky, Asmik Grigorian & Francesco Meli Lead Teatro San Carlo’s 2024-25 Season

The Teatro San Carlo announced its 2024-25 season. The season opens with Dvořák’s “Rusalka” in a new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov. Dan Ettinger conducts a cast that includes Asmik Grigorian, Adam Smith, Ekaterina Gubanova, Anita Rachvelishvili, and Gábor Bretz. Performance Dates: Nov. 20-Dec. 7, 2024 Verdi’s “Don Carlo” will be conducted by Henrik Nánási and will star Piero Pretti, Gabriele Viviani, Ildar {…}

May 21, 2024

The Dallas Opera Announces Cast Change for 2024-25 ‘La Traviata’

The Dallas Opera has announced a cast change for its 2024-25 production of Verdi’s “La Traviata.” The company noted that tenor Xabier Anduaga, who was scheduled to make his TDO debut in the role of Alfredo Germont, has withdrawn from these appearances due to family reasons. Replacing Anduaga in the role of Alfredo Germont, in their TDO debuts, are Javier Camarena, {…}

Apr 19, 2024

Nadine Sierra, Saioa Hernández, Piotr Beczała, Sonya Yoncheva, Xabier Anduaga & Juan Diego Flórez Lead Gran Teatre del Liceu’s 2024-25 Season

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 {…}

Mar 12, 2024

Ailyn Pérez, Sondra Radvanovsky, Kenneth Kellogg, & Javier Camarena Lead Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2024-25 Season

The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the productions. Verdi’s “Rigoletto” is set to star Igor Golovatenko, Soloman Howard, Javier Camarena, and Mané Galoyan. Enrique Mazzola conducts the production by Director Mary Birnbaum. Performance Dates: Sept. 14-Oct. 6 2024 Elza van den Heever, Russell Thomas, Mika Kares, and Brian Mulligan star in {…}

Feb 15, 2024

Opera Meets Film: A Conversation About ‘An OverKnight Success: The Crazy Life of an Opera Singer’

Having recently become a Knight and awarded the prestigious, “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres,” baritenor Michael Spyres has quickly arisen as one of modern opera’s central luminaries, sensuously consonant with others like the ineffable Sondra Radvanovsky, the Puccini grande dame Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Susan Graham, Mikhail Kruglov, Allan Clayton, Elīna Garanča, and Javier Camarena to name only a {…}

Jan 19, 2024

Javier Camarena, Vida Miknevičiūtė, & Elīna Garanča Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week we get a Bel Canto album from a Metropolitan Opera musician, an Italian album by a leading tenor, a rare opera and a a complete performance of one of the great mezzos of our time. Here is a look! Bel Canto: {…}

Jan 13, 2024

Étienne Dupuis, Javier Camarena, Sondra Radvanovsky, Brian Jagde Headline Casts for Royal Opera House’s 2024 Japan Tour

The Royal Opera House has announced the cast details for its Japan 2024 tour. “It’s a pleasure to be bringing these incredible works to Japan – with two stellar casts, our Royal Operas Chorus and of course Orchestra of the Royal Opera House,” said Music Director Antonio Pappano, who will conduct all the performances on the tour, in an official {…}

Dec 6, 2023

Teatro Real de Madrid 2023-24 Review: Rigoletto

(Credit: Javier del Real) A woman’s whimper, a stifled scream, echoes in the dark. She flees into the theatre, amidst the stalls, chased by a few men in ominous rabbit masks. She seeks refuge on stage, terrified in front of the bright red curtain, the pack hunts her down, overpowers her. The trombones attack the prelude, with haunting repeated notes, {…}

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