Christine Goerke, Norman Garrett, Raehann Bryce-Davis & Brandon Jovanovich Lead Boston Lyric Opera’s 2025-26 Season

The Boston Lyric Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. Norman Garrett headlines Verdi’s “Macbeth” with Alexandra LoBianco, David Junghoon Kim, and Zaikuan Song. David Angus conducts the production by Steve Maler. Performance Dates: Oct. 10 & 12, 2025 Christine Goerke and Morris Robinson lead Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” with David Angus conducting. Performance Dates: Nov. 12, 2025 Andris Nelsons conducts the {…}

Nov 3, 2024

OperaCréole & Opera Lafayette Debut the Earliest Extant Complete Opera by a Black American

OperaCréole and Opera Lafayette present Edmond Dédé’s the never-performed work “Morgiane.” Only recently discovered, “Morgiane” is believed to be the earliest extant complete opera by a Black American. The world premiere is presented in a concert version by Mary Elizabeth Williams, Kenneth Kellogg, Chauncey Packer, Joshua Conyers, Jonathan Woody, along with members of Opera Creole chorus. The Opera Lafayette Orchestra performs {…}

Oct 28, 2024

Lyric Opera of Chicago Presents Special Events for ‘Blue’ Premiere

(Photo credit: Clärchen & Matthias Baus/Dutch National Opera) Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s “Blue” makes its Lyric Opera of Chicago premiere from Nov. 16 to Dec. 1. The company has announced special events to take place in conjunction with the opera. Lyric Unlimited, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Learning and Civic Engagement department, invites the public into spaces of reflection, healing, {…}

Sep 16, 2024

Opera Lafayette Announces 204-25 Season

Opera Lafayette announces its 30th anniversary season. Soprano Amel Brahim-Djelloul performs in the Ensemble Amedyez and and Kalanidhi Dance in the opening event, “RE|CLAIM.” Performance Dates: October 21, 22, & 24, 2024 “RE | STORE” events are centered around Edmond Dédé’s “Morgiane.” The cast features sopranos Mary Elizabeth Williams and Lindsey Reynolds, tenor Chauncey Packer, baritone Joshua Conyers, bass-baritone Jonathan {…}

Jul 9, 2024

Black Leadership Arts Collective To Present Inaugural Gala

On August 23, the Black Leadership Arts Collective (B.L.A.C.) will present an Inaugural Gala. The evening will feature musical favorites at Manhattan School of Music, featuring members of B.L.A.C. and Grammy-nominated pianist Kevin Miller hosted by Terrance McKnight. Soloists will include Russell Thomas, Morris Robinson, Laquita Mitchell, J’Nai Bridges, Kenneth Kellogg, Kenneth Overton, Nicole Heaston, and Lawrence Brownlee. The proceeds {…}

Mar 12, 2024

Ailyn Pérez, Sondra Radvanovsky, Kenneth Kellogg, & Javier Camarena Lead Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2024-25 Season

The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the productions. Verdi’s “Rigoletto” is set to star Igor Golovatenko, Soloman Howard, Javier Camarena, and Mané Galoyan. Enrique Mazzola conducts the production by Director Mary Birnbaum. Performance Dates: Sept. 14-Oct. 6 2024 Elza van den Heever, Russell Thomas, Mika Kares, and Brian Mulligan star in {…}

Sep 11, 2023

Anthony Roth Costanzo, Zachary James, John Holiday & Joélle Harvey Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s review of the major CD and DVD releases. This week, audiences are in for many world premiere recordings as well as rarely performed works. Here is a look at some of the pieces audiences will discover! Virko Baley: Music for Emily Dickinson Toccata Classics releases an album dedicated to the music of Virko Baley, a {…}

Aug 17, 2023

Seattle Opera 2023-24 Review: Das Rheingold

(Photo credit: Seattle Opera © Philip Newton) Why build an elaborate faux-underwater set for the Rhine scenes in Wagner’s “Ring” when you have an orchestra pit that can make a perfectly plausible stage river? It’s an idea so obvious, you think surely, it must have been tried already. This is the solution found by Brian Staufenbiel, tasked with staging “Das {…}

Jan 30, 2023

Washington National Opera to Premiere ‘Blue’

(Credit: Karli Cadel) The Washington National Opera is set to present the D.C. premiere of “Blue.” The production, which is set to be performed from March 11 to 25, 2023 at the Eisenhower Theater, is inspired by contemporary events and Black literature, including Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “Between the World and Me” and James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time.” Written by Jeanine {…}

Oct 4, 2022

Dutch National Opera to Present European Premiere of ‘Blue’

The Dutch National Opera is set to present the European premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s “Blue.” The opera is a topical set in Harlem and about a black couple who anticipates the birth of its first-born son, with both hope and anxiety. The mother worries about her son’s future as she watches him become a young man and enter the world {…}

Jul 26, 2022

Toledo Opera to Present ‘Blue’

Toledo Opera will present Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s new opera “Blue.” The work will be presented on August 26 and August 28 at 2 p.m. at the Valentine Theatre in Toledo, Ohio. The work, which is influenced by gospel music and uses vivid flashbacks, places timely issues at the forefront of modern opera. Since its world premiere in 2019 {…}