On Feb. 9, ORF III is set to present “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci” from the Wiener Staatsoper. The broadcast will feature superstars Jonas Kaufmann and Elīna Garanča in the double bill. Jonas Kaufmann sings the role of Canio in “Pagliacci” alongside a cast that includes Maria Agresta, Adam Plachetka, Jörg Schneider, and Stefan Astakhov. Meanwhile, Elīna Garanča stars as Santuzza {…}
Jonas Kaufmann has succeeded in his first winter season as Artistic Director of the Tiroler Festspiele Erl. According to reports, the theater obtained 7,600 visitors and sold 94 percent of its theater. The theater said, “Record compared to previous winter festivals. Most performances were sold out.” The tenor’s first winter season included a highly successful new production of “La Bohème” {…}
The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence has announced its 2025 festival. Opera First up is “Don Giovanni” in a production by Robert Icke starring Andrè Schuen, Krzysztof Bączyk, Golda Schultz, Magdalena Kožená, Amitai Pati, Clive Bayley, Madison Nonoa, and Paweł Horodyski. Sir Simon Rattle conducts. Performance Dates: July 4 – 18, 2025 Charpentier’s “Louise” stars Elsa Dreisig, Adam Smith, Sophie Koch, Grégoire Mour, Roberta {…}
The International Classical Music Awards has announced the nominations for its 2025 Awards. The winners will be revealed on Jan. 14 and will receive their trophies at the gala at the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf on March 19. Here are the vocal nominees. Baroque Vocal Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Solo Cantatas for Alto and Bass: J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 56, BWV {…}
Rai5 is set to broadcast the Teatro alla Scala’s Puccini concert on Dec. 5. The concert, which was recorded on Nov. 29, will be shown at 7:15 p.m. and will include Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Mariangela Sicilia, and Luciano Ganci accompanied by pianist James Vaughan. The evening saw the soloists perform arias and duets from “Gianni Schicchi,” “Le Villi,” “Edgar,” {…}
The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Opera Bas Wiegers conducts Michael Jarrell’s “Kassandra” with actress Dagmar Manzel and the Ensemble Modern. Performance Date: July 23, 2025 Salvatore Sciarrino’s “Macbeth” will be conducted by Vimbayi Kaziboni. Cody Quattlebaum, Alice Rossi, Leonardo Cortellazzi, Iris van Wijnen, and Davide Giangregorio. Performance Date: July 25, {…}
(Brescia e Amisano © Teatro alla Scala) November 29th is a date of particular significance in the history of opera: in 1797, Gaetano Donizetti was born in Bergamo, while on the same date in 1924, Giacomo Puccini passed away. A century later, in 2024, Teatro alla Scala planned to commemorate the centenary of Puccini’s death with a grand tribute led {…}
(Credit: Marco Borrelli) Sometimes one has the impression that anniversaries are used to rationalize our infatuation with the music of an already popular composer. Such is the case this year when opera houses around the globe are commemorating the centenary of Puccini, the most performed opera composer after Verdi and Mozart. The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is no exception and in {…}
The Teatro alla Scala is set to broadcast Verdi’s La Forza del Destino” on Dec. 7, 2024, continuing its tradition of showcasing opening night on Rai1 and Radio3. The performance will also broadcast on ARTE in France and the French-speaking countries in Europe and out of Europe; in Germany and German-speaking countries, ČESKÁ TELEVIZE in The Czech Republic, RSI in Switzerland, {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced its 2025 season. Verdi’s “Nabucco” will get a new production. Stefano Poda will direct the new production. Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Youngjun Park, Luca Salsi, and Igor Golovatenko lead the cast that includes Anna Pirozzi, Maria José Siri, Anna Netrebko, and Olga Maslova as Abigaille, Francesco Meli and Galeano Salas as Ismaele. The cast is rounded out by Roberto {…}
On Nov. 29, Arte.de is set to present the Teatro Alla Scala’s Homage to Puccini gala. The concert will be filmed by Rai Cultura cameras and will also be broadcast on Rai Radio 3. Riccardo Chailly will conduct the evening which will feature soloists Mariangela Sicilia, Jonas Kaufmann, and Anna Netrebko. The first part of the concert will feature Puccini’s {…}