Opera Națională București Cancels Season Opening Due to COVID-19

(Credit: https://www.seebucharest.ro/opera-nationala-bucuresti/) The Opera Națională București has officially announced that in accordance with the decision by the Bucharest Municipality Committee for Emergency Situations, all the performances that are scheduled for the opening of the 2020-21 season at the Opera Națională București will be canceled. This step was taken due to ongoing concerns over the spread of COVID-19 in region of {…}

Sep 24, 2020

Teatro La Fenice Announces Socially Distanced ‘La Traviata’

(Credit: ©Michele Crosera) For the first time in 20 years, the Teatro la Fenice will perform a new production of Verdi’s “La Traviata.” The new production by Christophe Gayral will follow social distancing and health regulations in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Stefano Ranzani will conduct the production with a cast that includes Claudia Pavone in the role {…}

Sep 14, 2020

Artist of the Week: Rachel Willis-Sørensen

(Credit: Eric Bouloumié) After months of closure, the Opéra de Bordeaux opens its 2020-21 season with a modified production of Verdi’s beloved “La Traviata.” The masterpiece will get a starry cast including Rachel Willis-Sørensen, who makes her role debut as Violetta. Since her win at the Operalia competition in 2014, Willis-Sørensen has become well known for her lush sound and {…}

Sep 9, 2020

Malin Byström, Fabio Sartori & Aigul Akhmetshina Lead Deutsche Oper Berlin Revamped October 2020 Slate

(Credits: Peter Knutson / Vicor Santiago / Andrey Uspensky) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced changes to its October 2020 schedule. The performances of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” slated for October 2, 2020; “Così fan tutte” scheduled for October 20 & 25, 2020; Verdi’s “La Traviata” scheduled for Oct. 10, 2020; Bizet’s “Carmen” slated for Oct. 16, 21 & 24, 2020; {…}

Sep 8, 2020

Etienne Dupuis Steps Into Verdi Gala Concert at Deutsche Oper

(Credit: Yan Bleney) Mongolian baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat has pulled out of the performances at the Verdi Gala concert at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on Sep. 12 & 13, 2020, per an official statement on the company’s website. Enkhbat is currently in Mongolia and unable to perform due to the quarantine, that was enforced by Mongolian authorities due to the ongoing {…}

Sep 5, 2020

Nadine Sierra & Xabier Anduaga Team Up for Concert

(Credit: Elena Cherkashyna / Merri Cyr) Soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor Xabier Anduaga will appear together in a concert on Sep. 9, 2020. The performance, entitled “A Celebration of Opera” will also feature pianist David Aronson. Concert, which will not include a live audience, will be organized by the Gibraltar Philharmonic Society. Sierra will perform “Ah, je veux vivre” from {…}

Aug 29, 2020

Obituary: Romanian soprano Constanța Adriana Mesteș dies at 64

(Credit: Opera Naţională Română din Timişoara official website) Romanian soprano Constanța Adriana Mesteș passed away in Bucharest at the age of 64. She graduated from the singing section of the Timișoara’s High School of Arts “Ion Vidu” in 1975. That same year, she got her first job at Opera Naţională Română din Timişoara, at first as a member of the {…}

Aug 29, 2020

Obituary: Dutch Mezzo-Soprano Cora Canne Meijer Dies at 91

(Image source: YouTube) Dutch mezzo-soprano Cora Canne Meijer passed away on August 25, 2020, at the age of 91. Cora Canne Meijer graduated from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. The mezzo-soprano debuted in 1950 with the Nederlandse Opera (now De Nationale Opera) in the role of Annina in Verdi’s “La Traviata.” During her first year at the Nederlandse Opera, Meijer sang {…}

Aug 27, 2020

Obituary: Estonian Conductor Jüri Alperten Dies at 63

(Credit: Rahvusooper Estonia) Estonian conductor Jüri Alperten has died at the age of 63, after a long illness. Alperten graduated from the Tallinn Conservatory in 1979 and was the Chief Conductor of the Estonian National Opera from 2002 to 2004; he was also the Chief Conductor of the Pärnu City Orchestra since 1998. Alperten had worked with several prominent orchestras, {…}

Aug 4, 2020

Teatro Real 2019-20 Review: La Traviata, Cast B

(Credit: Javier del Real) This review is for the performance on July 25, 2020. One of the unique features of the Teatro Real de Madrid’s “Traviata” was the fact that the company provided audiences with a chance to see four different sopranos perform the iconic title role in close proximity to one another. While we have already looked at Marina {…}

Jul 31, 2020

Roundtable: Marina Rebeka, Lisette Oropesa, Michael Fabiano, Matthew Polenzani, Artur Rucinski on Teatro Real de Madrid’s ‘Traviata’

At the beginning of July, the Teatro Real de Madrid kicked off a project that many other opera houses around the world observed attentively. The company launched a production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” with some of the world’s greatest opera stars, presenting the work 27 times over the course of an entire month. That production’s run came to an end {…}