Opus Klassik has announced the 2020 winners. The award for Female Singer of the year went to two artists: Elina Garanca for “Sol y Vida” and Marlis Petersen for “Dimensionen Innenwelt.” It is the first time that the award is shared by two singers. Meanwhile, the Male Singer of the year went to Danel Behle. Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla became the first {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced its 2020-21 season featuring multiple productions, concert operas, and stars. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” starring Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov, Ludovic Tézier, Okka von der Damerau, and Dmitry Belosselskiy. Performance Dates: Oct. 1 & 4, 2020 Christof Loy directs Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with Christopher Maltman in the title role and {…}
The Theater an der Wien has announced its 2020-21 season featuring 13 new productions, chamber opera, and opera in concert. Productions The season opens with Leoncavallo’s “Zazà” starring Svetlana Aksenova in the title role, Nikolai Schukoff, Christopher Maltman, Dorothea Herbert, and Enkelejda Shkosa. Stefan Soltész conducts the new production by Christof Loy. Performance Dates: Sept. 16-27, 2020 Wayne Marshall conducts {…}
The Deutshce Oper Berlin has announced its 2020-21 season featuring six new productions and a new Ring Cycle. Premieres The season kicks off with “The 7 Deaths of Maria Callas,” which will be directed by Marina Abramovic. Marina Abramovic, Nadezhda Karyazina, Whitney Morrison, Leah Hawkins, Adela Zaharia, Selene Zanetti, Gabriella Reyes, and Mané Galoyan will lead the cast. Performance Dates: {…}
(Credit: Deutsche Oper Berlin/Bettina Stöß) Based on a comedy by William Shakespeare, Britten and Pears’ “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” had its world premiere at the Aldeburgh Festival on June 11, 1960, with the composer conducting. Britten and Pears tried to bring Shakespeare’s magical world onstage both as a play and as a vocal piece. Alas, the opera has since struggled {…}
The Boston Baroque has announced its 2020-21 season featuring Music Director and Conductor Martin Pearlman in all productions at the NEC’s Jordan Hall. For the purposes of this article will only highlight the vocal performances. Soprano Susanna Phillips will perform arias from Handel’s operas “Alcina,” “Partenope,” “Giulio Cesare,” and “Semele” in a concert. Music Director Martin Pearlman conducts Boston Baroque’s {…}
(Credit: Deutsche Oper Berlin/Leo Seidel) American Director Ted Huffman will stage the Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. In this production of the masterwork at the largest Berlin’s opera house, Huffman brings a great deal of memories of Provincetown on Cape Cod. “I think of Provincetown as being akin to the forest in ‘A Midsummer {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced its 2020-21 season featuring a number of established as well as rising stars. Here is a detailed look at the upcoming productions: The season opens with Bizet’s “Carmen” with a cast that includes Isabel Leonard and Carolyn Sproule alternating in the role of Carmen, Andrea Caré and Frederick Ballentine alternating as Don José, Anita {…}
This week, three full recordings of popular operas will be released as well as a debut album by one of the most sought-out countertenors in the world. Winterreise Berlin Classics releases Schubert’s song cycle with Xavier Sabata and pianist Francisco Poyato. The debut album for Sabata, who is known for his work in Baroque repertory, makes a unique left turn {…}
(Credit: Cory Weaver) “The Marriage of Figaro” is one of opera’s priceless jewels, of any work of art, many would say. And San Francisco Opera’s new production by Canadian Director, Michael Cavanagh, made it all the more enjoyable and high-spirited. With a cast of singers who romped and preened, sang and danced around the stage, and an orchestra that kept {…}
It’s time for another weekend of opera, with a wide range of impressive offerings coming from around the continent. This week’s selections include a number of repertory staples as well as some unique modern operas by living composers. Frida – Atlanta Opera, Georgia The Atlanta Opera closes out its production of “Frida” with two performances on Friday and Sunday. The {…}