(Photo by Matthu Placek) Opera Philadelphia has announced a cast change for the Verdi Requiem. The company announced that Daniela Mack has withdrawn as the mezzo-soprano soloist due to illness. As a result, Jennifer Johnson Cano will fill in for this weekend’s performances of the Verdi Requiem. Johnson Cano has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, La Philharmonic, {…}
The Cleveland Orchestra has announced its 2019-20 season featuring a number of soloists and great conductors. For the purpose of this article we will only focus on the vocal and operatic performances. Joélle Harvey performs in a program entitled “Adams and Mahler” with conductor Jakub Hrůša leading The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, members of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, and members {…}
On Sunday, February 24, 2019, tenor Matthew Polenzani took to Carnegie Hall for a sold-out recital of song cycles from Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms, and Janacek. Accompanied by Julius Drake, this evening’s recital featured not only a finely-crafted program, but experienced artists who burned with a passionate fire. Some Schubert To Start First on the evening’s program was a selection of {…}
This review is for the performance on Feb. 22, 2019. The month of February might be the Met’s best in 2018-19. Just a few weeks ago, the company revived Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment” and it proved to be one of its great successes of the season. Propped up by star performances and a brilliant production, it has kept audiences {…}
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2019-20 season, featuring a number of important soloists and important works. For this season announcement, we will only focus on vocal showcases or programs related to opera in any way. Here is a look. Yannick Nezet-Seguin leads the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal in Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 as well as Joyce DiDonato in {…}
Pittsburgh Opera has announced its 2019-20 season! This will be the company’s 81st season and will encompass four operas produced at the Benedum Center, a Baroque chamber opera at Pittsburgh CAPA School Theater, and a production by the Second Stage Project at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, as well as a multitude of other events. The season opens with a period production {…}
Arizona Opera has announced its 2019-20 season, which will feature a number of modern works and two major classics. The season opens in September with the world premiere of the Taliesin West version of “Shining Brow” by librettist Paul Muldoon and composer Daron Hagen. The work will be conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya with Chas Rader-Shieber directing the production. Among the {…}
There were probably some skeptical people at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018. Anna Netrebko had previously canceled her recital debut at the hallowed hall on two previous occasions. Who said she wouldn’t do it again? But the Russian diva, as she is wont to do, proved them and others else wrong, making the third time a charm and {…}
Jennifer Johnson Cano is set to perform on Anna Netrebko’s upcoming recitals. The mezzo-soprano announced via Twitter that she would be joining Netrebko in two duets for her recitals at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Carnegie Hall. According to the program the two duets will be the Barcarolle from “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” and the Act One duet from “The Queen of {…}
The Angel’s Share will close its first season on October 10-12, 2018, with an operatic double bill from composer and pianist Gregg Kallor, including the world premiere of his setting of sketches from “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” and a reprisal of his acclaimed setting of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano will perform the monodrama, {…}
It has been a particularly heavy season at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, with an absolutely splendid run of Marc Blitzstein’s “Regina” and the emotionally-charged world premiere of Huang Ruo’s “An American Soldier.” It was thus welcome that the final production to debut this season, Gluck’s “Orfeo and Euridice,” provided an uplifting ending. This production by director Ron Daniels, though {…}