(Credit: © D.R) Opera director Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera has died at the age of 72. Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera was born in the capital of Italy. He studied law and music in Rome, and at the same time pursued directing with the University Theatre in Rome. He directed his first operas in 1983 and was subsequently invited by the {…}
(Credit: Presto Music website) Bulgarian soprano superstar Sonya Yoncheva will release her new album “Rebirth” on March 12, 2021. The album, which will be released by Sony Classical, will spotlight works by Claudio Monteverdi, Francesco Cavalli, Barbara Strozzi, John Dowland, Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco Sánchez, and Alessandro Stradella, among others. The album will also include the popular Bulgarian folk {…}
(Credits: Salzburger Festspiele official website / Allegorica Opera Management official website / Askonas Holt official website) The Teatro Massimo di Palermo will livestream its concert on Jan. 31, 2021. Mezzosoprano Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, tenor Giulio Pelligra and bass Alexandros Stavrakakis will perform a program that includes Sergej Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D major op. 25, and Igor Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella.” Gabriele {…}
Gulfshore Opera is set to present Puccini’s “La Bohème” at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Center in Naples, Florida on Jan. 24, 2021. The production, which will be directed by Josh Shaw and conducted by Greg Ritchey, is inspired by the impressionist art movement of France in the late 1800s. Designs for the four main Bohemians in the opera {…}
L’Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège in Belgium ill stream two operas on the MEZZO TV throughout January and February. First up will be the production of Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito” starring Patrizia Ciofi in the role of Vitellia, Anna Bonitatibus as Sesto, Veronica Cangemi as Servilia, Cecilia Molinari in the role of Annio, and Markus Suihkonen as Publio. Thomas Rösner {…}
(Credits: © Carmine Maringola / © Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical / Erwin Schrott / Dario Acosta / Francesco Squeglia) Italian television channel Rai5 has announced broadcasts for the week of Jan. 18 – Jan. 22, 2021. The broadcasts will be dedicated to the director Emma Dante’s opera stagings. The only opera in the slate that was not directed by {…}
(Credit: Opera Australia official website) Celebrated Australian opera director Elijah Moshinsky has died at the age of 75. Moshinsky graduated from the University of Melbourne and made his operatic debut in 1975 at the Royal Opera House with a production of Britten’s opera “Peter Grimes.” The famed director went on to stage a number of highly successful productions at the {…}
(Credit: Studioline Photography) The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced that soprano Elena Sancho Pereg will perform the role of Stella in the upcoming production of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” on Jan. 18, 19, 25, 28 & 31, 2021. Soprano Adriana González must spend 10 days in preventive isolation, in accordance with the COVID-19 regulations. González will perform the role {…}
(Credit: Henry Fair) Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal has announced the appointment of Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare its new Music Director. Payare will start his five-year tenure during the 2022-23 season. The Venezuelan conductor will replace the famed conductor Kent Nagano, who has held the position since 2006. Payare graduated from the famous musical education program “El Sistema.” He won the {…}
Credit: https://www.classicalmusicnews.ru/ Famed Russian soprano Tamara Sorokina has died at the age of 89. Sorokina graduated from the Conservatoire in Leningrad in 1952. Between 1952 and 1954 she was a soloist at the Leningrad Opera. Starting 1954 and until 1982 Sorokina was the soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre. She performed a number of major roles throughout her career with the {…}
Credits: Groves Artists official website / John Batten / Julian Hargreaves The government of the United Kingdom has officially announced the list of New Year Honours 2021. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has awarded the honors to a number of persons for outstanding achievements across the country. Among those awarded is opera director Graham Vick, who was knighted for his {…}
