Q&A: Maria Agresta Talks Verdi, The Royal Opera House’s ‘Otello’ & Her Upcoming ‘Il Trovatore’ At The Met

Maria Agresta has quickly risen to fame in the opera world. She has made debuts in all the great theaters including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, and Royal Opera House. She has also become the go-to soprano for the Verdi repertoire singing roles in “I Due Foscari,” “Il Trovatore,” “I Masnadieri,” “La Traviata” and “Simon Boccanegra.” This month she {…}

Weekend Preview – International (4/21- 23): Gregory Kunde And Maria Jose Siri Headline New ‘Andrea Chenier’

Another weekend, more opera performances around the world. Here are the big highlights. Austria  The weekend kicks off at the Vienna state Opera with Janacek’s “Katya Kabanova” starring  Dan Paul Dumitrescu, Misha Didyk, Jane Henschel, Leonardo Navarro and Angela Denoke. It will be followed by Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsenk” with Wolfgang Bankl, Eva-Maria Westbroek and Brandon Jovanovich. The weekend concludes {…}

Weekend Preview (3/3-3/5) – International: Aleksandrs Antonenko Returns To ‘Otello’ While Karita Mattila Returns To ‘Jenufa’

Are you excited for the weekend? Well, we are as you will get to hear some of the most exciting stars singing in the world’s leading opera houses. Check it out right here! Austria At the Vienna State Opera, audiences will get the chance to see Puccini’s “Turandot” with a star-studded cast including Elena Pankratova, Heinz Zednik, Ryan Speedo Green, {…}

‘Turandot’ DVD Review: Berio’s Ending in La Scala Release Brings Out The Best in Nina Stemme, Aleksandrs Antonenko & Maria Agresta

The ending of Puccini’s “Turandot” is one of opera’s great tragedies. The composer, at the peak of his power, had composed his most musically daring work to date with some of his most phenomenal strokes of dramatic genius alongside some of his most riveting and enduring melodies. And yet, when he was ever so close to completing it, he hit {…}

Metropolitan Opera 2016-17 Preview: Two Radically Different ‘Carmen’ Interpreters Arrive In Sophie Koch & Clémentine Margaine [UPDATE]

UPDATE: On Tuesday, Jan. 17 it was announced that Sophie Koch would not be singing the role at the Met and that Clémentine Margaine would be taking over the entire run. For more information, read OperaWire’s coverage on the news.  Opera’s most famous gypsy returns to the Metropolitan Opera stage on Thursday, Jan. 19. This year’s run of “Carmen” will {…}