(Ph. Brescia – Amisano © Teatro alla Scala) In a suitcase–acquired expressly to transport it due to its weight and size–travels, rehearsal after rehearsal and performance after performance, the score of “Il nome della rosa,” weighing an impressive 15 kilograms. Yet the heft of this voluminous tome is not merely physical but also semiotic: it is the fruit of the {…}
The Utah Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. The season opens with Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell’s “The Shining” conducted by Geoffrey McDonald and directed by Brian Staufenbiel. The production will star Craig Irvin, Kearstin Piper Brown, Christian Sanders, and Patrick Blackwell. Performance Dates: Oct. 11-19, 2025 Tara Faircloth directs Beethoven’s “Fidelio” with Wendy Bryn Harmer, Limmie Pulliam, Zachary Nelson, David Soar, Stephanie Chee, and Aaron McKone. Performance {…}
Opera Colorado is set to present “La Fille du Regiment” from Nov. 9 through 17, 2024. The Bel Canto opera will star Katrina Galka as Marie in her Colorado debut and Andrew Stenson as Tonio. The cast will also include Peter Strummer as Sergeant Sulpice, Catherine Cook as Marquise of Birkenfeld, and Monét X Change in the cameo role of {…}
(Photo credit: Cory Weaver) The West Coast premiere of “The Handmaid’s Tale“, by composer Poul Ruders and librettist Paul Bentley fills the War Memorial Opera House with a performance as harrowing as the dystopic story itself. Delayed by the pandemic from its originally scheduled debut, the co-production of San Francisco Opera (SFO) and the Royal Danish Theatre runs through October {…}
(Credit: Steven Harris) New Orleans Opera Association has announced its 2023-24 season. “The New Orleans Opera Association is proud to bring another robust season of opera to our beautiful city – the North American birthplace of the art form,” said Clare Burovac, General and Artistic Director, in an official press statement. “Incredible stories will be told through well-loved classics, new {…}
(Photo Credit: Rebecca Fay) Soprano Katrina Galka, who will portray the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” with Arizona Opera this April, spoke with OperaWire to discuss her upcoming role. The theme of good and evil throughout the opera really propelled the conversation. We discussed the Queen herself and the outdated gender roles and portrayal of women {…}
OperaVision has announced its streaming slate for the months of August and September. First up will be a production of “Rusalka” from the Staatstheater Braunschweig starring Julie Adams, Kwonsoo Jeon, Jisang Ryu, Ekaterina Kudryavseva, and Edna Prochnik. Srba Dinić conducts. Streaming Dates: August 18, 2021 – Nov. 13, 2021 Next up is Lviv National Opera’s “When the Fern Blooms” starring {…}
(Photo Credit: Kurt Weill Foundation) Kim H. Kowalke, the President of the Kurt Weill Foundation, has announced the finalists for the 2021 Lotte Lenya Competition. Fifteen performers will compete for top prizes of $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000. The following performers have made it to the finals: Gan-ya Ben-gur Akselrod, Max Chernin, Ty Chiko, Monica Dewey, Taylor-Alexis DuPont, Charles Eaton, Nicole {…}
Enigma Chamber Opera announced its newest production—a virtual reimagining of Mozart’s satiric, comedic singspiel “The Impresario.” The company brings the classic tale of backstage intrigue into a pandemic lockdown setting, resulting in a triumph of the creative spirit. “The Impresario” is available free on Enigma’s YouTube page. With a new book by British actor, writer, and director Simon Robson (who {…}
Portland Opera has announced a reimagined 2020-21 season, which will feature a series of virtual showcases presented on the company’s new digital channel “Portland Opera Onscreen.” “The global pandemic has challenged us: to be problem-solvers, to adapt to new technologies, and to deepen the ways that serve the community,” said General Director Sue Dixon in a press release. “Our newly reimagined {…}
This week four new recordings will be released. There will be three you can stream and another that will be on video. Check them out. Mi Corazon Mexican American soprano Ailyn Pérez releases her second solo album exclusively on Apple Music & iTunes. The album Mi Corazón (“My Heart”) honors the soprano’s family, friends, mentors, and idols through the exploration {…}