Barbara Hannigan, Cecilia Bartoli, Piotr Beczała & Joyce DiDonato Among International Opera Award Nominees

The International Opera Award nominations have bee announced. The organization, which seeks to recognize the best of the industry recognizes 18 categories. This year the nominees for Female Singer are Malin Byström, Carmen Giannattasio, Barbara Hannigan, who recently won the Grammy, Hui He, Ermonela Jaho and Eva-Maria Westbroek. In the Male Singer category, Piotr Beczała is nominated alongside Günther Groissböck, Peter Mattei, Eric Owens, {…}

Jan 15, 2018

Royal Opera House 2017-18 Review – Salome: David McVicar’s Thrilling Production & Michael Volle’s Violent Presence Make For Impactful Evening of Opera

London is a chilly place. Yet on this particularly evening I leave my coat in the hotel and zip to Covent Garden. No room nor time for extra layers, since attending a performance in the Royal Opera House is a cluttered affair. The long lines for cloakrooms stifle with imperial colognes, and the tight, even if velvet, chairs make Ryanair {…}

Jan 8, 2018

Artist Of The Week: Malin Byström Takes on the Complexities Of ‘Salome’ At The Royal Opera House

Salome is widely considered one of the most challenging roles in the soprano repertoire. It’s not only a vocal tour de force but a chance to showcase a soprano’s dramatic force. This week, Swedish soprano Malin Byström returns to the Royal Opera House making her house role debut as Strauss’ “Salome” after stunning critics and audiences in the role at the {…}

Aug 21, 2017

CD/DVD Releases – Week of August 21: Gerald Finley & Richard Leech Headline New Releases

Two new releases highlight the week. The first is a controversial production from the Royal Opera House while the other one comes from a historical production from the Deutsche Oper Berlin. And both should be enticing to any opera lover. William Tell Back in 2015, Damiano Micheletto’s production of “Guillaume Tell” opened to outrage and lots of boos at the {…}

Apr 5, 2017

6 Opera Stars You Must See At the Royal Opera House in 2017-18

The Royal Opera House’s 2017-18 season is loaded with the world’s greatest opera singers. While every star deserves notice, here are the singers that will likely steal the headlines throughout the season. Michael Fabiano – “La Bohème” & “Rigoletto” The tenor will be featured on opening night and is getting two major productions. His famed portrayal of Rodolfo in “La {…}

Feb 5, 2017

Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ To Be Shown On PBS

For audiences who missed Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” at the Metropolitan Opera, there is another chance on Feb. 19. PBS will broadcast the HD performance originally shown in movie theaters on Oct. 22 starring baritone Simon Keenlyside in the title role with Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi in the pit. The cast is rounded out by Hibla Gerzmava as Donna Anna, Malin Byström {…}