San Francisco Opera has announced Karen Chia-ling Ho as the winner of the 2024–25 Season Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Stars Competition. The Taiwanese soprano, who made her house debut creating the role of Princess Jia in the world premiere of Bright Sheng and David Henry Hwang’s “Dream of the Red Chamber,” was recognized for her role debut {…}
(Photo: Cory Weaver) Some operas are able to provide an opulent reminder of just why opera exists and how it can conquer hearts and minds. Giacomo Puccini’s “La Bohème” is at the top of that list. Even 130 years after its debut, this comedic tragedy, set in the Latin Quarter of Paris, remains the most popular and most frequently produced {…}
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 {…}
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 {…}
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 {…}
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’ {…}
(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 {…}
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 {…}
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. {…}