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. {…}

Jan 30, 2025

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 {…}

Nov 15, 2024

Kristine Opolais Leads Sold Out Performances of ‘Madama Butterfly’ in Tenerife

(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) The Auditorio de Tenerife is set to present Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, the second title in Ópera de Tenerife’s 2024-25 season. The opera, which is set to be performed on Nov. 19, 21, and 23, has been sold out for over a month. The company will showcase a production from the Teatro Comunale di Modena {…}

Apr 28, 2024

Staatsoper Hamburg Announces Cast Change for ‘Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk’

The Staatsoper Hamburg has announced a cast change for its production of “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” The company noted that Kristine Opolais will sing the role of Katerina Ismailova replacing Eva-Maria Westbroek. Opolais also took to social media and said, “I am thrilled to share that I will return to Staatsoper Hamburg next month, to sing Katerina Izmailova in Shostakovich’s ‘Lady {…}

Apr 26, 2024

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 {…}

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 {…}

Mar 10, 2024

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, {…}

Jan 31, 2024

Carnegie Hall 2023-24 Review: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

(Credit: © Steve J. Sherman 2024) It’s been five years since the New York audiences have heard soprano Kristine Opolais. Once a stalwart at the Metropolitan Opera, the soprano has now dedicated herself to performing mostly in Europe and seeking “something special” in the productions or performances she does. And in her return to New York, the soprano found that {…}

Jan 29, 2024

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, {…}

Jan 11, 2024

CD Review: Unitel Edition’s ‘Tosca’

“Oh my!” is how one would headline, exasperatingly, the sordid, crude, and entirely inappropriate production of “Tosca” at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien. Severed limbs, some sort of nuclear winter, and an orgy of on-stage violence and sex – the premises to Martin Kušej’s vision of the Puccini melodrama could not be more grotesque and, in essence, detrimental to the {…}

Dec 20, 2023

Arte to Stream Kristine Opolais Kaunas Concert

Kristine Opolais’s concert in Kaunas is set to be presented on Arte on Jan. 7, 2024. The soprano took to social media and said, “My dear friends, on January 7th, you can watch a live tv broadcast of my concert with tenor Liparit Avetisyan and maestro Constantine Orbelian with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra at the gorgeous Kaunas Basilica on {…}

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