On April 13, 2023, the Metropolitan Opera opened its April run of Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore.” Bartlett Sher’s 2012 production was met with new life thanks to a number of stunning debuts from the cast. The staging itself presents a view of Italy during unification which neither rebukes nor flatters the historical context of the work, leaving an authentic, if understated, {…}
Joshua Hopkins is set to tour Margaret Atwood and Jake Heggie’s “Songs for Murdered Sisters.” The set of eight songs was created in response to one of the worst cases of domestic violence in Canadian history. On the morning of Sept. 22, 2015, in Renfrew County, Ontario, one man went on a killing spree, brutally murdering three ex-partners in their {…}
(Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) During the holiday season, the Met’s annual presentation of a family-friendly, abridged version of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” sung in English is a treat for the young and the young-at-heart. The show’s runtime is shy of two hours, and the Julie Taymor production, though getting a bit dated, offers plenty of spectacle and goofiness to {…}
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2022-23 season featuring world stars and many masterpieces. The season will celebrate 100 Years of Artistic Achievement and Community Impact. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on vocal performances. Michael Francis conducts Toronto Mendelssohn Choir in Mozart’s Requiem and a program that also includes music by Beethoven. Performance Dates: Jan. {…}
PBS has announced that it will start broadcasting the Metropolitan Opera’s performance of “Eurydice” on March 6, 2022. The opera by Matthew Auction and Sarah Ruhl will reach the New York metro area on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 12 p.m. EST. The showcase stars Erin Morley, Joshua Hopkins, Jakub Józef Orlinski, Nathan Berg, and Barry Banks with Yannick Nézet-Séguin {…}
(Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) The Met Opera’s Live in HD series for the 2021-22 season continues on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021 with a transmission of “Eurydice.” The broadcast, which kicks off at 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, is conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and stars Erin Morley, Joshua Hopkins, Barry Banks, Jakub Josef Orlinski, and Nathan Berg. Of the opening {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) Let’s cut to the chase. The Orpheus story is one of the most famous in all of Greek mythology. A musician loses his wife, creates glorious music that moves the gods, and gets a chance to win her back. In the world of opera, this particular story has unsurprisingly been the inspiration for many {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) On Nov. 23, 2021, the Metropolitan Opera is set to present the company premiere of Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl’s “Eurydice.” Aucoin will make history as the youngest composer to have a Met premiere since 1938. “Eurydice” is one of three contemporary works to have premieres in the 2021–22 season, the greatest number of {…}
Vocal Arts DC has announced its 2021-22 season, which will take place in person and virtually. Soprano Golda Schultz opens the season with a recital alongside pianist Jonathan Ware. The concert will include music by Clara Schumann, Nadia Boulanger, Rebecca Clarke, and the premiere of Kathleen Tagg and Lila Palmer’s “This be her verse.” Streaming Dates: Sept. 17-28, 2021 Joshua {…}
Operatic masterpieces make up half of the recommendations this week. But there are several unique competitions, recitals, modern operas, and the like on offer. Let’s jump into it. (***Some of these performances may be region-blocked (only accessible to people connected to a network in a specific country). But you can gain access by using a VPN. For find out more, click here. {…}
(Credit: © Jag Gundu) The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has won the JUNO Award for Best Classical Album: Vocal or Choral for its recording of Massenet’s “Thaïs.” The recording stars Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Nathan Berg, Liv Redpath, Andrea Ludwig, Emilia Boteva, and Neil Aronoff. Sir Andrew Davis led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra with Jonathan Crow leading the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. {…}