The 2020 semifinalists for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions have been announced. The semifinalists this year are made up of 10 sopranos, four mezzo-sopranos, one countertenor, three tenors, two baritones, two bass-baritones, and one bass. The 10 soprano semifinalists are Erika Baikoff (Upper Midwest Region: New York, New York), Claire de Monteil (Middle Atlantic Region: Paris, France), Cara Gabrielson {…}
(Credit: Benno Kraehahn) The Arena di Verona has announced the 2020 casting featuring an all-star lineup. The opening of the season will showcase a new production by Gabriele Muccino of “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci.” Mascagni’s work will showcase Ekaterina Semenchuk, Alexia Voulgaridou, Maria José Siri, and Sonia Ganassi alternating as Santuzza and Murat Karahan, Carlo Ventre, Yusif Eyvazov, and Marcelo {…}
This review is for the third performance of this run on Feb. 1st, 2020. Moments prior to the first performance of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” at the Paris Opera, the audience members were greeted by a recording clarifying the situation. Strikes in Paris had kept the theater closed for over a month, so it was no surprise that the attempts {…}
The Hamlen-Palm Series will present three unique concert experiences for New Yorkers allowing them to watch some of the world’s greatest artists from mere feet away. The concerts, which will take place at an elegant TriBeCa loft, are produced by and benefit Classical Action, a program of Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids. The first of these house concerts is {…}
The International Opera Awards have announced the nominees for its 2020 Awards. The annual event, which celebrates achievement in opera around the globe over the 2019 calendar year, recognizes excellence in a wide range of categories that cover performance, design and direction, as well as education and outreach. This year, two opera companies topped the 2020 nominees with three a {…}
(Credit: Opéra National de Paris) The Opéra National de Paris has canceled the presentation of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” that was planned for January 29 at the Opéra Bastille, per the official statement on the company’s website. The cancellation came as a result of a strike notice against the French government’s pension reform. Rossini’s opera was set to star {…}
(Credit: Elena Cherkashyna) The Opéra National de Paris has canceled the fifth scheduled performance of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” at the Opéra Bastille, per an official statement on the company’s website. The cancellation comes as a result of a strike notice against the French government’s pension reform. The strike has caused the opera house to cancel a number of {…}
(Credit: Opéra de Paris) The Opéra National de Paris has canceled performances of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and the ballet-opera “L’Après-midi d’un faune”/”L’Enfant et les sortilèges” scheduled for January 20 at the Opéra Bastille and Palais Garnier respectively, according to the official statement on the company’s website. The cancelations came as a result of the strike notice against the French {…}
(Credit: Opéra de Paris) Opéra National de Paris has canceled the second performance of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” due to the national strike against the French government’s pension reform. The company announced that it was forced to cancel the performance after the strike notice came into effect. According to the statement, “given the right of employees to declare industrial action {…}
(Credit: Jason Homa) The Opéra National de Paris has canceled this evening’s performance of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” at the Opéra Bastille due to the national strike notice, according to the company’s official website. The cast for “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” includes Xabier Anduaga, Lisette Oropesa, Carlo Lepore, and Florian Sempey and Ilya Kutyukhin alternating in the role of {…}
PBS will present the Live in HD broadcast of “Manon” from the Metropolitan Opera on Jan. 5, 2020 as it kicks off the 2019-20 Great Performances Series. The broadcast will kick off at 12 p.m. EDT and features Lisette Oropesa in the title role with Michael Fabiano as her lover Chevalier des Grieux. Artur Rucinski, Brett Polegato, Kwangchul Youn, and {…}