Jessica Pratt, John Osborn, Nino Machaidze, Francesca Dotto, Markus Werba & Kristine Opolais Lead Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège’s 2025-26 Season

The Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera Giampaolo Bisanti conducts Gound’s “Faust” in Thaddeus Strassberger’s production. The cast includes John Osborn, Erwin Schrott, Nino Machaidze, Markus Werba, and Elmina Hasan. Performance Dates: Sept. 12-20, 2025 Sieva Borzak conducts Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” with a cast that includes Francesca Dotto, Josè Maria Lo Monaco, Maxim Mironov, Vittorio Prato, {…}

Kristine Opolais, Jonathan Tetelman, Eleonora Buratto, Kate Lindsey, Matthias Goerne & Rinat Shaham Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. It’s another week of many releases, including new complete opera recordings, solo albums, oratorios, and sacred works. John Weldon: The Judgment of Paris A long-lost masterpiece revived by Julian Perkins, Cambridge Handel Opera Company and Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music {…}

Asmik Grigorian, Sonya Yoncheva, Judit Kutasi, Maximilian Schmitt, & Soloman Howard Star in George Enescu International Festival 2025

(Photo credits: Vedinaș, Behrmann, & Adjahoe) The George Enescu International Festival 2025 announces its star-studded lineup. This article only features vocal works. The opening concert features the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. Iosef Ion Prunner and Cristian Măcelaru conduct. Performance Date: August 24, 2025 Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen performs with the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra under the direction of Keri-lynn Wilson. {…}

Kristine Opolais, Bryn Terfel, Federica Lombardi & Karen Slack Lead Tanglewood Festival’s 2025 Season

(Credit: Boston Symphony Orchestra) The Tanglewood Festival has announced the 2025 season. In a statement by Andris Nelsons, the conductor said, “We are excited for another fantastic summer at Tanglewood, full of exceptional music in the beautiful surroundings of the Berkshires. We are delighted to perform Puccini’s ‘Tosca’ with Kristine Opolais and Bryn Terfel, and excerpts from Prokofiev’s ‘Romeo and Juliet; with {…}

Kristine Opolais, Serena Saenz, Yolanda Auyanet & Airam Hernández Lead Ópera de Tenerife’s 2024-25 Season

The Ópera de Tenerife has announced its 2024-25 season. Mainstage Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” will star Serena Sáenz, Irina Churilova, Michal König, and Na’ama Goldman. Diego Martín-Etxebarría conducts the production by Nicola Berloffa. Performance Dates: Oct. 15-19, 2024 Kristine Opolais leads Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” with Giorgi Sturua, Alisa Kolosova, and Fernando Campero. Ramón Tebar conducts the production by Stefano Monti. Performance {…}

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 {…}

Kristine Opolais, Karine Babajanyan, Olena Tokar & Nicholas Brownlee Lead Oper Leipzig’s 2024-25 Season

Oper Leipzig has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Bach’s “Amadis, der Ritter” is set to star Matthias Stier, Daniel Arnaldos, Olga Jelínková, Samantha Gaul, Sarah Traubel, Olena Tokar, Franz Xaver Schlecht, Jonathan Michie, Jonathan Michie, Gabrielė Kupšytė, Nora Steuerwald, and Franziska Zwink. Performance Dates: Sept. 21, 2024-June 15, 2025 Daniele Squeo conducts Bellini’s “Norma” with a cast that includes Dominick Chenes, {…}

Boston Symphony Orchestra 2023-24 Review: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Photo: Winslow Townson The first time my partner watched Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,” he couldn’t believe that the composer ever thought a Stalinist regime would be pleased with the opera. The “in-your-face” power of the work made him—a (handsome) man whose political convictions ponder between socialism and cowboyism—find endearing that ‘Shosta’ could not see his censoring coming. Even today, {…}