Karen Chia-ling Ho, Olga Kulchynska, Mattia Olivieri, Lucia Lucas & Iestyn Davies Lead Santa Fe Opera’s 2026 Season

The Santa Fe Opera has announced its 2026 season. Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will open the season with a revival production directed by Melanie Bacaling. The cast will include Karen Chia-ling Ho, Stephen Costello, Jonathan Burton, Jarrett Ott, and Sun-Ly Pierce. John Fiore conducts. Performance Dates: July 3-29, 2026 Harry Bicket conducts Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in a production by Christopher Luscombe. Josh Lovell, Joélle Harvey, Rainelle {…}

Apr 30, 2025

Nicole Car & Karen Chia-ling Ho Lead San Francisco Opera’s ‘La Bohème’

San Francisco Opera’s 2025 Summer Season is set to open with Puccini’s “La Bohème.” The company will revive the production by John Caird, and Ramón Tebar will conduct the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. The company will showcase two different casts. The first will showcase Pene Pati as Rodolfo, Karen Chia-ling Ho as Mimì, Andrea Carroll as Musetta, and Lucas Meachem {…}

Mar 17, 2025

Vancouver Opera to Present ‘Madama Butterfly’

The Vancouver Opera is set to close its 2024-25 season with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The company is set to star sopranos Yasko Sato and Karen Chia-Ling Ho in the title role and Robert Watson and Adam Luther as Pinkerton. They will be joined by Japanese mezzo-soprano Nozomi Kato as Suzuki, Canadian baritone Brett Polegato as Sharpless, Korean-American tenor Julius Ahn as {…}

Mar 20, 2024

Opera Philadelphia to Present New Production of ‘Madama Butterfly’

Opera Philadelphia’s 2023-2024 Season closes with a new production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The new production designed by Yuki Izumihara and directed by Ethan Heard seeks to explore ─ and explode ─ the opera’s core, damaging stereotype of “the submissive, self-sacrificing Asian woman.” In a statement, Izumihara said, “Puccini trapped his Butterfly in a beautiful score. In turn, ‘Madame Butterfly’ {…}

Sep 19, 2023

Boston Lyric Opera 2023 Review: Madama Butterly

(Photo credit: Ken Yotsukura) Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) has decided the need to move Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” away from racism in order to save Puccini from himself. In doing so, BLO’s main production asset is its vocal cast composed mostly of people of Asian descent—an asset that BLO has been very eager to publicize. However, this narrows interpretations of what {…}

Jun 28, 2023

Boston Lyric Opera to Present Groundbreaking ‘Madama Butterfly’

The Boston Lyric Opera is set to open its 2023-24 season with a new “Madama Butterfly.” The production will open at the Emerson Colonial Theatre from Sept. 14 to 24 after a years-long, groundbreaking cultural journey designed to examine the opera’s complex production history. The opera will also be presented by Asian and Asian-American artists seeking to reclaim a nearly {…}

Apr 27, 2023

Karen Chia-Ling Ho, Levy Sekgapane & Sydney Mancasola Lead Boston Lyric Opera’s 2023-24 Season

The Boston Lyric Opera has announced its 2023-24 season featuring four productions. The Boston Lyric Opera opens with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” featuring Karen Chia-Ling Ho, Alice Chung, Dominick Chenes, and Troy Cook. David Angus conducts the opera in a production by Phil Chan. Performance Dates: Sept. 14-24, 2023 David Angus conducts Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” in a production by Dawn M. Simmons. {…}

karen chia-ling ho