The ABAO Bilbao Opera is set to close its 2024-25 season with Verdi’s “Otello.” The opera will be performed four times between May 17 and 26 at the Euskalduna Bilbao. Jorge de León will sing the title role while Ermonela Jaho takes on the role of Desdemona and Claudio Sgura performs Iago. The cast is rounded out by Mikeldi Atxalandabaso {…}
Santa Catalina Classics has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. The season opens with Anna Netrebko in a gala performance alongside tenor Jorge de León. The Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria will be conducted by Karel Mark Chichon in popular opera arias. Performance Date: July 9, 2025 The season will also include tenor Gabriel {…}
(Photo: Marc Brenner/Royal Ballet & Opera) Entombing doom in monochrome, director Robert Carsen’s 2022 production of “Aïda” buries its protagonists before they’re dead. Façades of forced conformity define it – popping through parades of khaki uniforms, authentic footage of exploding bombs and regimented training. A fictitious flag that features stars and stripes across red, white and blue confirm its commentary {…}
The Royal Ballet & Opera has announced a cast change for its Jan. 28 performance of “Aida.” The company said, “Riccardo Massi has withdrawn from the performance of ‘Aida’ on Tuesday 28 January due to illness. The role of Radames will be performed by Jorge de León.” De León made his Royal Opera debut in the 2023-24 Season as Canio {…}
Malaga’s Teatro Cervantes has announced its 2024-25 season. Emilio Sagi directs the world premiere of “El Gitano por Amor.” Performance Dates: Sept. 20 & 22, 2024 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will showcase Claudia Pavone, Antonio Gandía, Željko Lucic, and Nozomi Kato. Emilio López directs and Giuseppe Finzi conducts. Performance Dates: Nov. 22 & 24, 2024 Rocío Ignacio stars in Verdi’s “Aida” alongside {…}
Sevilla’s Teatro de la Maestranza has announced its 2024-25 season. Lirica Sondra Radvanovsky and Piotr Beczała celebrate Puccini with the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla and Keri-Lynn Wilson. Performance Date: Oct. 30, 2024 Gianluca Marcianò and Jacopo Brusa conduct Puccini’s “Turandot” with Oksana Dyka, Maria Katzarava, Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev, Alejandro Baliñas, Jorge de León, Héctor Sandoval, Miren Urbieta-Vega, and Laura Brasó. Performance {…}
Bilbao Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera The season opens with Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale.” Simón Orfila, Enric Martínez-Castignani, María José Moreno, Sofía Esparza, Francesco Demuro, Juan Antonio Sanabria, and Damián del Castillo lead the cast. Maestro Sesto Quatrini conducts Emiliano Suárez’s production. Performance Dates: Oct. 19-28, 2024 The second opera is Puccini’s “Il Trittico.” “Il Tabarro” will star Carlos {…}
(Photo: Marc Brenner) They go together like cookies and milk…like bacon and eggs…like Adam and Eve! Nooooooo! Not “Cav” and “Pag,” as the fans insist on calling the operas, but Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak! The golden couple, currently on at the Royal Opera House in “Cavalleria Rusticana,” consolidated their positions as world class artists here with spellbinding performances from {…}
Credit: Teatro Real Teatro Real closes the 2022-23 season with 17 performances of Puccini’s “Turandot.” It is a revival of their own Robert Wilson production, which premiered at Teatro Real in 2018, featuring three different casts. The opera will be screened live in several squares all over Spain, will be shown on RTVE (The main Spanish Tv channel), and will {…}
Michael Fabiano has withdrawn from his performance in “Turandot” at Teatro Real de Madrid on July 14. The tenor announced his cancelation via Instagram. Fabiano explained in the post his decision was due to “being under the weather.” Jorge De León will sing the role of Calaf in place of Fabiano. Also on this performance is Anna Pirozzi as Princess {…}
This week audiences will get rereleases of Maria Callas’ legendary performances as well as DVDs of two modern productions. Man Up / Man Down Sono Luminus releases “Man Up / Man Down,” the debut release from Constellation Men’s Ensemble (CME). Featured on the album are two world premiere recordings, both commissioned by the group for their annual new music weekend, {…}