Karita Mattila, Ausrine Stundyte, Heidi Stober & Christina Landshamer Lead Dresdner Philharmonie’s 2025-26 Season

The Dresdner Philharmonie has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Gunter Berger conducts the Children’s Choir with Malte Arkona moderating. Performance Date: Sept. 28, 2025 Hans-Christoph Rademann conducts Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Christina Landshamer, Marie Henriette Reinhold, Patrick Grahl, and Matthias Winckhler. Performance Date: Oct. 3, 2025 The music of Astor Piazzolla, {…}

Jan 18, 2025

Royal Ballet & Opera 2024–25 Review: Jenůfa

(Photo credit: © Camilla Greenwell/Royal Ballet & Opera) Pinching pitches at an apex, Janáček’s “Jenůfa” scales extremes. The opera tells of sextoness Kostelnička Buryjovka, who takes a lethal misstep to protect her stepdaughter. Persuaded Laca will agree to wed Jenůfa if she’s childless, Kostelnička drowns newborn baby Števa. Rue accrues until Kostelnička confesses. Any other art form would attribute her {…}

Nov 19, 2024

Bilbao Opera to Present ‘Il Trittico’ for the First Time

The Bilbao Opera is set to present a new production of Puccini’s “Il Trittico.” The new production is set to open on Nov 23 and will be presented on the 26, 29, and Dec. 2 at the Euskalduna Bilbao. The performances will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death. The production by Paco Azorín will be the first time that {…}

Apr 30, 2024

Pretty Yende, Sonya Yoncheva, Juan Diego Flórez, Allan Clayton, Lise Davidsen, & Lisette Oropesa Lead Royal Opera House’s 2024-25 Season

The Royal Opera House has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the season. Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” will open the season with a cast that includes Luca Micheletti, Ying Fang, Huw Montague Rendall, Jacquelyn Stucker, and Ginger Costa-Jackson. Performance Dates: Sept. 2-15, 2024 Verdi’s “La Traviata” will feature two casts. The first cast will be headlined {…}

Apr 19, 2024

Nadine Sierra, Saioa Hernández, Piotr Beczała, Sonya Yoncheva, Xabier Anduaga & Juan Diego Flórez Lead Gran Teatre del Liceu’s 2024-25 Season

The Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Josep Pons conducts Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” with Alexei Botnarciuc, Daniel Kirch, Sara Jakubiak, Ángeles Blancas, and Pavel Černoch. Àlex Ollé conducts. Performance Date: Sept. 25-Oct. 7, 2024 Maria Agresta and Saioa Hernández star in Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” with Artur Ruciński, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Brian {…}

Mar 29, 2024

Kristine Opolais, Vida Miknevičiūtė, Tuomas Pursio & Stefan Pop Lead Finnish National Opera’s 2024-25 Season

The Finnish National Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Leevi Madetoja’s “The Ostrobothnians”, which is known as Finland’s “national opera” will be directed by director Paavo Westerberg. The cast will include Jukka Rasilainen, Ville Rusanen, Jussi Vänttinen, Johanna Lehesvuori, Maria Turunen, Iida Antola, Päivi Nisula, Tuomas Pursio, Aarne Pelkonen, Ilkka Hämäläinen and Mika Pohjonen. The Orchestra of the Finnish National {…}

Jan 16, 2024

Royal Opera House 2023-24 Review: Elektra

(Photo credit: © ROH 2024/Tristram Kenton) Had a family bust-up over the holidays? Don’t worry – it could be worse. Richard Strauss’ “Elektra,” with a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal from his 1903 play of the same, took a dysfunctional family of the opera stage to new extremes, boiling up Sophocles’ tale of matricide in the Freudian pressure cooker of {…}

Jan 6, 2024

Opera Profile: Finnish National Opera’s ‘Covid fan tutte’

Photo Credit: Stefan Bremer/Finnish National Opera “Covid fan tutte“ is a reconceptualization of Mozart’s comic opera organized by the Finnish National Opera in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The story is a farcical reimagining of “Così fan tutte,” focusing on the impact of COVID-19 and the ability of opera singers to perform. Most of the opera takes a satirical look {…}

Jul 20, 2023

Bryn Terfel, Asmik Grigorian & Mark S. Doss Lead New CD/DVD Releases

This week audiences cannot miss debut albums, a world premiere recording, and two acclaim DVD releases A Phoenix Rising Navona Records releases tenor Brian Smith Walters’ first album. The CD is a cross-section of chansons and Lieder spanning five centuries, and Walters navigates them with stunning bravado. Audiences will hear selections from Purcell, Copland, Schubert, Saint Saens, Tchaikovsky, Barber, Wagner, {…}

Jun 21, 2023

Karita Mattila, Waltteri Torikka, Sinead Campbell Wallace, Tuomas Katajala Headline Savonlinna Opera Festival’s 2024 Season

The Savonlinna Opera Festival has unveiled its 2024 slate. First up is Verdi’s “Nabucco.” Rodula Gaitanou conducts the production. Performance Date: July 6 – 26, 2024 Tuomas Katajala and Sinead Campbell Wallace will play Lohengrin and Elsa in Wagner’s “Lohengrin” with Karita Mattila singing Ortrud and Lucio Gallo appearing as Telramund. Rounding out the cast is Timo Riihonen. The opera {…}

May 9, 2023

San Francisco Opera to Present 100th Anniversary Gala

(Credit: Lawrence Morton) San Francisco Opera has announced the program for its 100th Anniversary Concert at the War Memorial Opera House on Friday, June 16. Music Director Eun Sun Kim, former Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles, and former Principal Guest Conductor Patrick Summers will conduct the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus along with a host of star soloists in {…}

karita mattila