With festival season in full swing in Europe and experimentation a key to this year’s programs, the Festival Valle di Itria in Martina Franca is scheduled to open a new production of the Italian version of Richard Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos.” The production will be headed by an all-star cast that includes the world-renown coloratura soprano, Jessica Pratt. Pratt will {…}
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced its 2020-21 season featuring concerts, opera productions, and a star-studded summer festival. For this article, we will only focus on the Italian theater’s operatic and vocal concerts. Season Federico Maria Sardelli conducts a new production of Handel’s “Rinaldo” with Pierluigi Pizzi directing. The cast includes Raffaele Pe in the title role, Leonardo Cortellazzi, Carmela {…}
The L’Instant Lyrique in France has announced its 2020-21 season featuring many leading singers from around the world. The season opens with Nicolas Courjal in a recital with pianist Antoine Palloc. Performance Date: Sept. 21, 2020 Clémentine Margaine sings a recital with Sarah Margaine. Performance Date: Oct. 12, 2020 Baroque specialist Sandrine Piau sings alongside Susan Manoff. Performance Date: Nov. 3, {…}
(Credit: Elena Cherkashyna) The Amigos de la Ópera de A Coruña, Spain has announced its 2020 season. Here is a look at what the organization has in store. The season opens with “Grandes voces para grandes óperas” starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Carlos Álvarez, Simón Orfila, and Alejandro Roy performing excerpts from Verdi’s “Aida,” “Ernani,” “Otello,” “Nabucco,” “Attila,” and “Macbeth,” Puccini’s “Tosca,” Giordano’s {…}
The Festival Valle d’itria Martina Franca has announced its revised 2020 edition. Opera The first work of the season will be “Il borghese gentiluomo” with music by Richard Strauss. The work based on a comedy by Moliere will star Stefano Massini and Davide Gasparro sharing the title role alongside Vittorio Prato, Ana Victoria Pitts, Barbara Massaro, Manuel Amati, Nico Franchini, {…}
(Credit: Chris Singer/ Paul Schirnhofer/DG/ Shervin Lainez) The Teatro San Carlo di Napoli has announced its 2020-21 season which will be the first under superintendent Stéphane Lissner. Opera The season opens with Puccini’s “La Bohème” in a new production by Emma Dante. Selene Zanetti stars as Mimì with Damiana Mizzi as Musetta, Stephen Costello in his house debut as Rodolfo, {…}
(Image Source: Davinia Rodriguez Official Website / Jessica Pratt Facebook) Starting on June 2, 2020, Coccia Theatre in Novara, Italy will be streaming “Alienati,” the first Smart Working Opera. The new work will feature music by Federico Biscione, Alberto Cara, Cristian Carrara, Federico Gon and Marco Taralli, with a libretto by Vincenzo De Vivo. Roberto Recchia directs a cast that {…}
(Credit: Simon Fiowler/Julian Hargreaves/Lourdes Balduque) The Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège has announced its 2020-21 season. The Belgium theater announced new productions, concerts, and a number of revivals. Here is a look at the upcoming season. Productions Angela Gheorghiu sings the title role in Puccini’s “La Bohème“ alternating with Jessica Nuccio. They are joined by Stefan Pop, Marc Laho, Ionut Pascu, {…}
The Rossini Opera Festival has announced it will take place from August 8 to August 20 with a readjusted program. The festival announced that it will still stage a new production of “La cambiale di matrimonio” at the Teatro Rossini on August 8, 11, 13, 17, and 20. To ensure social distancing the orchestra will be located in the stalls {…}
Credit: Spinto/Javier del Real/Nicola Allegri/Julian Hargraves/ Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical While the continued quarantine is undoubtedly becoming increasingly challenging for many, there is some relief in knowing that there is opera to check out on a daily basis. What’s more the offerings are becoming increasingly diverse in their range of repertory and content, which allows opera audiences to curate unique {…}
The Donizetti Opera Festival has announced the “Gran Gala sul Sofa.” Presented by the festival’s director Francesco Micheli and Music Director Riccardo Frizza, the gala will be showcased on Facebook on April 24 at 6 p.m. Italian time. The performed will be structured as televised talk and a live concert with a number of opera stars from their apartments and {…}