One of the most exciting aspects of a new season is the fact that audiences will get an opportunity to encounter new and exciting artists for the very first time. This is also the case at the Metropolitan Opera, which will feature a plethora of debuts in numerous major productions. Here is a look at six stars that we are {…}
On Dec. 13, 2018, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges made her debut at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, joined by pianist Mark Markham. The evening’s program was a fascinating mix of spiritual and classical selections, which showcased not just Bridges’ artistry, but her passion as well. The First Half Starting the evening’s recital was William G. Fischer’s “I’d Love to Tell the {…}
I once saw an evening of Kathakali theater, a kind of folk opera of southern India. I would probably not have understood much of what was going on in “The Killing of Dushasana” had I not read the program booklet beforehand. Even so, after the first scene my regular biases for dialectic drama vanished and I was hooked, overwhelmed by {…}
The Tanglewood Festival has announced its 2019 season. As with other programs of this sort, we will limit ourselves to the vocal and operatic selections on display. For the full program, click here. Verdi’s Requiem will get a performance with Kristine Opolais, Oksana Volkova, Jonathan Tetelman, and Ryan Speedo Green. Andris Nelsons will conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Performance Date: {…}
Mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges’ first love was basketball. “It was something I was quite great at, and could see myself going far in,” the Lakewood, Washington native revealed to OperaWire in a recent interview. But eventually, something else took over her life as she grew older and she knew that she had to leave her first love behind to pursue her {…}
On Jan. 21, 2018, fans of Leonard Bernstein gathered in The Greene Space of Lower Manhattan for a night of songs and celebration in honor of the 100th birthday of the great composer. Hosted by WQXR’s Elliott Forrest, the event was equal parts reminiscence and reverie, in large part due to pianist Laura Downes, who performed much of her upcoming {…}
The San Francisco Opera has announced its 2018-19 season, which features eight operas and one important concert performance. All of the productions will be brand new for the 2018-19 season. The season opens on Sept. 7, 2017, with the famed “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci” as directed by Jose Cura. The production will star Ekaterina Semenchuk, Roberto Aronica, and Dimitri Platanias {…}
Although written by two men, “Girls of the Golden West” is centered around the lives of the hardy women of Rich Bar (a mining camp in the Sierra mountains) and Downieville, California in the early 1850s. Throughout the Works and Process presentation at the Guggenheim on Sept. 21, John Adams (composer) and Peter Sellars (librettist/director) made it clear that this opera {…}
The 7th annual Sphinx Medals of Excellence have been announced and mezzo soprano J’Nai Bridges been awarded the medal. Bridges has performed in operas with the San Francisco Opera, the Los Angeles Opera, Vancouver Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and more. She also regularly performs as a soloist, including performances with Yo-Yo Ma and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, {…}
In our first article on black history month we took a look at the opera stars making their mark in the biggest of ways, the singing actors taking headlines at the biggest houses in the world. As we continue to celebrate black history month OperaWire will recognize other black singers making waves in the opera world, many of them rising {…}
A few years ago, Jimmy Lopez’s “Bel Canto” finally got its world premiere in Chicago. Despite solid reviews and general popularity, few got a chance to see it unless they traveled to Illinois to check out the new big hit. On Friday, Jan. 13, all of America will be watching as the opera gets broadcast on PBS’s Great Performances series {…}