The Young People’s Chorus of New York City is to present a Gala Concert & Benefit Dinner on March 16, 2026. The gala will be held at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. This evening will celebrate the transformative power of music while raising crucial funds for life-changing programs that serve over 2,000 young people {…}
(Photo credits: chrissinger, Eccles, Gonz, Placek) The Aspen Music Festival and School announces its 2026 season. This article only features opera-related events. Thomas Hampson and pianist Myra Huang give a recital. The program will be announced in April. Performance Date: July 2, 2026 Key’mon W. Murrah solos in Jake Heggie’s “Earth 2.0” (AMFS co-commission). James Gaffigan conducts the Aspen Chamber {…}
Welcome back as we explore the latest CD and DVD releases from around the opera world. This week, audiences are in for a world premiere recording from one of the great mezzos, a Strauss album from a rising star soprano, a contemporary album of rediscovered works, and a lot of baroque music. Here is a look at some of the {…}
(Photo credits: Singer & Weber) Lucerne Festival announces its 2026 season. This article only features vocal concerts. Soprano Miah Persson solos in the world premiere of composer in residence, Mark Andre’s “Im Entsiegeln 1 for soprano and orchestra.” Baldur Brönnimann conducts the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra. Performance Date: August 22, 2026 Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and soprano Mélissa Petit star in {…}
Following the departure of the Washington National Opera’s decision to leave the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, more than 60 artists have signed an open letter pledging support to the company. The letter, which is an ongoing effort organized by Pulitzer and Grammy-award winning librettist Mark Campbell, states “We, the undersigned, support the recent decision between Washington {…}
What is it about Emily Dickinson that keeps us coming back? Perhaps that her life feels like finding a door to another world in the cupboard. She lived a quiet, isolated life, mostly confined to home. But after her death, a blooming inner life burst forward with the poems she left behind. Her poems are an “endless trove of inspiration,” {…}
(Credit: Julieta Cervantes) Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” has become a staple of the Christmas holiday ever since it premiered on TV in 1951. While it was the first opera specifically composed for television, the work has since become a holiday staple for many of the major opera houses across the United States of America. This year, {…}
(Photo credits: Artist’s website, Gonz, Astelum, Bakas) WQXR and Carnegie Hall announce the schedule for the 15th anniversary season of Carnegie Hall Live. This article only features classical vocal performances. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir presents an “All-Arvo Pärt” program. Tõnu Kaljuste directs. Performance Date: October 23, 2025 Soprano Asmik Grigorian, mezzo-soprano Deniz Uzun, tenor Joshua Guerrero, and bass Tareq {…}
Joyce DiDonato has made a mark in the opera industry as a singer, advocate, and mentor, among many other endeavors the mezzo-soprano has done over the years. But she has also made a mark on the recording industry. Ever since, she has been recording with Warner and Erato, DiDonato has been on a mission to discover works in the modern, {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week, the Metropolitan Opera releases a modern opera while Joyce Didonato continues her exploration of the baroque repertoire. Grounded Deustche Grammophon releases Jeanine Tesori and George Brant’s new work in a recording from the Metropolitan Opera. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the opera with {…}
(Credit: Chris Singer) Joyce DiDonato was awarded a special honor in Costa Rica. The country’s Ministerio Cultura y Juventud said, “For the first time in history, Costa Rica hands over the Carmen Lyra Recognition to the Cultural Brotherhood — and she’s doing it big. Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, global opera icon, cultural activist and ally of artistic education projects in the country, {…}