The Tchaikovsky Concert Hall’s performance of Massenet’s “Manon” will be livestreamed on YouTube on Sept. 12, 2025. The concert hall, sponsored by Putin’s Ministry of Culture, is one of the largest in Russia, and will showcase soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan in her first of three Russian appearances this season. She will sing the title role while Liparit Avetisyan, who makes his {…}
On Sept. 12, 2025, Kristina Mkhitaryan will return to the Putin-supported Tchaikovsky Concert Hall for a concert performance of “Manon.” The performance will come days before her return to the Metropolitan Opera House and will also star Liparit Avetisyan, who is making his Met debut this season. It will also mark the first of three Russian appearances this season for {…}
The Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari has announced its 2026 season. Opera Niccolò Piccinni’s “La Cecchina” opens the season with Daniele Luchetti directing. Stefano Montanari conducts a cast that includes Ana Maria Labin, Francesca Benitez, Krystian Adam, Francesca Aspromonte, Paola Gardina, Michela Antenucci, Christian Senn, and Pietro Spagnoli. Performance Dates: Jan 21-28, 2026 Vincenzo Milletari will conduct Verdi’s “Falstaff” with Luca Ronconi directing. The production will star Milan {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the operas and recitals for the new season. Premieres Smetana’s “The Bartered Bride” will get a new production by Dirk Schmeding. The cast will be headed by Franz Xaver Schlecht, Margaret Plummer, Slávka Zámečníková, Ivo Stanchev, Monika Bohinec, Pavol Breslik, Michael Laurenz, Peter Kellner, Matthäus Schmidlechner, Ilia Staple, and Alex Ilvakhin. Tomáš Hanus conducts. A second cast will {…}
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera Productions Jakob Lehmann conducts Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust” in a production by Silvia Costa. Benjamin Bernheim, Viktoria Karkacheva, Christian Van Horn, and Thomas Dolié star. Performance Dates: Nov. 3-15, 2025 Offenbach’s “Robinson Crusoé” will be conducted by Marc Minkowski and directed by Laurent Pelly. Lawrence Brownlee, Julie Fuchs, Laurent {…}
Of course, this isn’t a review of the great Metropolitan Opera House, per se, but as a most fortunate and frequent attendee of the Royal Opera House, (now frustratingly called the Royal Ballet and Opera), it proved somewhat impossible for me to make comparisons. Yes, of COURSE, it IS big; it’s the biggest opera house in the world, as the {…}
(Photo: © Javier del Real /Teatro Real de Madrid) The Teatro Real’s recent staging of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” offers a profound and intimate exploration of love, regret, and honor, brought to life by a stellar cast. Ukrainian baritone Iurii Samoilov delivers a convincing portrayal of Eugene Onegin, capturing the character’s evolution from detached arrogance to profound remorse. His performance is {…}
(Credit: Emil Matveev / Askonas Holt Official Website) The Opéra de Paris has announced a cast change for its Dec. 22 performance of “Rigoletto.” The company said that Kristina Mkhitaryan will sing the role of Gilda stepping in for an ill Rosa Feola. In a statement via social media Feola said, “Dear all, unfortunately, I had to cancel my performance {…}
(Photo: Tristram Kenton) “Eugene Onegin,” Tchaikovsky’s reworking of Pushkin’s verse novel into seven ‘lyric scenes,’ has not been seen on the Covent Garden stage for nearly a decade. Ted Huffman’s new staging would have been an event for that reason alone, but its significance was underlined by the fact that it sees one of the most striking young directors making {…}
The Ópera de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has announced its 2025 season. The season opens with a double bill of Puccini’s “Il tabarro” and “Le villi.” The production will star Jonathan Tetelman, Carmen Giannattasio, and Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar. Lorenzo Passerini conducts. Performance Dates: Feb. 17-21, 2025 Bizet’s “Carmen“ is set to star Yulia Matochkina, Arturo Chacón-Cruz, Miren Urbieta Vega, and Maharram {…}
Sevilla’s Teatro de la Maestranza has announced its 2024-25 season. Lirica Sondra Radvanovsky and Piotr Beczała celebrate Puccini with the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla and Keri-Lynn Wilson. Performance Date: Oct. 30, 2024 Gianluca Marcianò and Jacopo Brusa conduct Puccini’s “Turandot” with Oksana Dyka, Maria Katzarava, Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev, Alejandro Baliñas, Jorge de León, Héctor Sandoval, Miren Urbieta-Vega, and Laura Brasó. Performance {…}