Jonas Kaufmann, Sonya Yoncheva, Diana Damrau, Rolando Villazon, Asmik Grigorian, Ludovic Tézier, Jonathan Tetelman, Serena Sáenz & Sondra Radvanovsky Lead Bayerische Staatsoper’s 2025-26 Season

The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Maurizio Benini conducts Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a new production by Barbara Wysocka. Bekhzod Davronov, Igor Golovatenko, Ludovic Tézier, Serena Sáenz, Nadine Sierra, Riccardo Fassi, and Elmina Hasan star. Performance Dates: March 7-24, 2026 & July 28 & 31, 2026 Lotte de Beer directs a new production of Gounod’s “Faust” with Jonathan {…}

Feb 27, 2025

Opéra National de Paris 2025 Review: I Puritani

(Credit: Sébastien Mathé) Vincenzo Bellini’s last opera, “I Puritani,” premiered in 1835 at the Theatre d’Italie in Paris, in the same year he untimely died at 35. The story is set in England in the 17th century, during the civil war between Cromwell’s republicans (the Puritans of the title) and the Stuarts’ royalists. While the music sets this work as {…}

Feb 19, 2025

Piotr Beczała, Sonya Yoncheva, Asmik Grigorian, Lisette Oropesa, Lise Davidsen Headline Metropolitan Opera’s 2025-26 Live in HD Season

The Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2025-26 season, which means that we now know what the vaunted Live in HD series has in store as well. The series opens with “La Sonnambula.” Nadine Sierra and Xabier Anduaga star. Riccardo Frizza conducts the new production by Rolando Villazón. HD Date: Oct. 18, 2025 Next up the company brings “La Bohème” to cinemas {…}

Jan 2, 2025

Tiroler Festspiele Erl Announces Cast Change for ‘I Puritani’

The Tiroler Festspiele Erl has announced a cast change for its Jan. 4, 2025 performance of “I Puritani.” The company said, “the second concert performance of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera ‘I Puritani’ will also feature a different singer than planned in the role of Elvira – and one of the most sought-after sopranos has once again been able to step in. {…}

Dec 29, 2024

Teatro Real de Madrid 2024-25 Review: Maria Stuarda (Cast A)

(Photo: After having opened the season with his production of “Adriana Lecouvreur,” David McVicar returned to Teatro Real for his new production of “Maria Stuarda,” co-produced with Teatre del Liceu, Donizetti Opera Festival-Bergamo and Finland National Opera. McVicar is one of the greatest directors of this generation and his productions are shown at major opera houses around the world. He {…}

Dec 5, 2024

CD Review: EuroArts’s ‘I Puritani’

With Bellini’s “I Puritani” one steps into the heartland of Italian bel canto: The ensembles are mesmerizingly beautiful, the vocal lines infinitely refined, and the orchestration – with its mood painting role – proves a proto-dramatic foundation to the unfolding of the Romantic intrigue, prone to inspiring the operatic vocabulary of subsequent generations, and of Verdi in particular. Needless to {…}

Dec 3, 2024

Lisette Oropesa, Asmik Grigorian, Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, Cecilia Bartoli & Sabine Devieilhe Lead Salzburg Festival’s 2025 Season

The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Opera Bas Wiegers conducts Michael Jarrell’s “Kassandra” with actress Dagmar Manzel and the Ensemble Modern. Performance Date: July 23, 2025 Salvatore Sciarrino’s “Macbeth” will be conducted by Vimbayi Kaziboni. Cody Quattlebaum, Alice Rossi, Leonardo Cortellazzi, Iris van Wijnen, and Davide Giangregorio. Performance Date: July 25, {…}

Nov 4, 2024

Lisette Oropesa to Dedicate Bilbao Recital to Valencia Victims

Lisette Oropesa is set to present a concert on Nov. 6 at the ABAO Bilbao Opera. The Soprano will perform at the Sociedad Filarmónica de Bilbao, in a recital alongside pianist Alessandro Praticò, who will debut at the ABAO Bilbao Opera. The soprano will perform music by Ravel, Delibes, Massenet, Bizet, Meyerbeer, Donizetti, Mercandante, and Verdi. In a statement on social {…}

Oct 29, 2024

Lisette Oropesa, Nahuel di Pierro, Saimir Pirgu & Marina Viotti 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 a star-studded lineup of releases with Zarzuela, bel canto, modern works, and experimental albums by leading opera singers. Mis Amores son las Flores Lisette Oropesa releases her latest album dedicated to Zarzuela. In a statement, the soprano said, “I’m so happy to {…}

Oct 23, 2024

Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, Sonya Yoncheva, Rolando Villazón, Jonathan Tetelman & Aigul Akhmetshina Lead Festspielhaus Baden-Baden’s 2025 Season

The Festspielhaus Baden-Baden has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Camilla Nylund, Andreas Schager, and Pietari Inkinen perform an evening of Wagner, Strauss, Kálmán, Lehar, Performance Dates: Jan. 12, 2025 Zum Rahmenprogramm des Festivals Gianandrea Noseda, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, and Philharmonia Zürich lead an all-Strauss program. Performance Dates: Feb. 22, 2025 Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler’s {…}

Oct 7, 2024

Palau de Les Arts 2024-25 Review: Manon

(Photo: Arts Fotografía) Palau de Les Arts opened the season with Massenet’s “Manon,” in a production from the Paris Opera, and two international stars in the main roles: Lisette Oropesa and Charles Castronovo. Vincent Huguet directed the Paris Opera production. He set the action in Paris around 1920, in the Charleston era, and introduced the revolutionary artist Josephine Baker (who {…}