(Credit: Thomas Mandt) Mozart comes to the German city of Rostock in the 2026 season’s production of “Don Giovanni.” Though the house is no stranger to Mozart, this is an all-new production of his genre-defying classic, and it is a staging full of surprises. Director Daniel Pfluger and Dramaturge Stephan Knies have brought together an interpretation that turns some of {…}
Opera Parallèle, in proud collaboration with The San Francisco Transgender District, is set to present “EXPANSIVE: A Showcase of Transgender and Nonbinary Classical Artists” for its fourth annual presentation. This year, the program will feature the San Francisco debut of acclaimed transgender baritone, Lucia Lucas and will be held on August 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the A.C.T. Toni Rembe Theater. {…}
The Santa Fe Opera has announced its 2026 season. Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will open the season with a revival production directed by Melanie Bacaling. The cast will include Karen Chia-ling Ho, Stephen Costello, Jonathan Burton, Jarrett Ott, and Sun-Ly Pierce. John Fiore conducts. Performance Dates: July 3-29, 2026 Harry Bicket conducts Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in a production by Christopher Luscombe. Josh Lovell, Joélle Harvey, Rainelle {…}
It’s time of the year. The moment we wrap up the year and look back at our favorite moments. After releasing our favorite performances of 2023 and showcasing our rising stars of the year, it’s time for OperaWire’s annual tradition of naming our top 11 singers of the year, performers that we thought stood out and had major breaks or performances. So {…}
Lili Elbe’s story is an important one, especially for the Transgender community. Born in 1882, Elbe became a noted painter (known as Einar Wegener) and married Gerda Gottlieb in 1904. By the 1920s, Elbe was presenting herself as a woman and took on the name of Lili and stopped painting. In 1930, she went to Germany for gender-affirmation surgery, changed {…}
(Foto: © Ludwig Olah) American composer Tobias Picker and librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman’s newest opera “Lili Elbe” is set to make its world premiere at the Theater St. Gallen. “Lili Elbe” is the first grand opera written for and about a historical person of trans experience, and the world premiere stars American heldenbaritone Lucia Lucas. Lucas will be joined a {…}
The Theater St. Gallen has unveiled its 2023-24 season. Here is a look at the classical vocal and operatic performances. First up is a performance of “Carmina Burana” featuring Kali Hardwick, Jonah Hoskins, Shea Owens, and Vincenzo Neri. Modestas Pitrenas conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 8 – Oct. 1, 2023 Rolando Villazón performs in recital alongside Carrie-Ann Matheson. They will deliver {…}
Lucia Lucas is set to kick off the second year of the Generation Venetian Arts Society’s critically acclaimed Café Society Pride series. The Berlin, Germany resident will make her South Florida debut with a performance of an original program entitled “In Her Own Voice…An Autobiographical Salon Concert.” Pianist Dr. Casey Robards will accompany Lucas. In a statement, William Riddle, founder {…}
Photo: © Genevieve Girling Christof Loy’s new production of “Tosca” for English National Opera, which first appeared in Helsinki in 2018, replaces Catherine Malfitano’s show, which received two revivals during its tenure and last appeared on the Coliseum stage in 2016. The production sees Leo Hussain return to the Coliseum pit – a distinguished Music Director of Opéra de Rouen and {…}
The Sound of Identity” is set to be released in the United Kingdom. The documentary, about Lucia Lucas, is set to be released on Sept. 12 on UK digital platforms. The film documents the history-making opera singer, Lucia Lucas, the first transgender woman in America, to perform the lead role in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” on a professional operatic stage. Directed {…}
(Credit: Raftermen) Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell, and Kimberly Reed’s chamber opera “As One” has brought a newness to the opera stage through the kind of story they tell and created opportunities for opera professionals in the LGBTQIA+ community. In The Atlanta Opera’s production, starring Lucia Lucas as Hannah Before and Blythe Gaissert as Hannah After, the positive impact and need {…}