Lidia Fridman, Carmela Remigio, Gregory Kunde, Dmitry Korchav & Claudia Pavone Lead Teatro Municipale di Piacenza’s 2025-26 Season

The Teatro Municipale di Piacenza has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “Stiffelio” featuring Gregory Kunde, Lidia Fridman, Vladimir Stoyanov, and Riccardo Rados. Leonardo Sini conducts the production by Pier Luigi Pizzi. Performance Dates: Dec. 19 & 21, 2025 Markus Werba leads Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with Renzo Ran, Claudia Pavone, Marco Ciaponi, Carmela Remigio, Tommaso Barea, Alberto Petricca, and Greta Doveri. Enrico Pagano conducts the production by Andrea Bernard. Performance {…}

Apr 20, 2025

Jessica Pratt, John Osborn, Nino Machaidze, Francesca Dotto, Markus Werba & Kristine Opolais Lead Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège’s 2025-26 Season

The Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera Giampaolo Bisanti conducts Gound’s “Faust” in Thaddeus Strassberger’s production. The cast includes John Osborn, Erwin Schrott, Nino Machaidze, Markus Werba, and Elmina Hasan. Performance Dates: Sept. 12-20, 2025 Sieva Borzak conducts Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” with a cast that includes Francesca Dotto, Josè Maria Lo Monaco, Maxim Mironov, Vittorio Prato, {…}

Sep 13, 2024

Jessica Pratt, Irina Lungu, Markus Werba, & Gregory Kund Lead Teatro Massimo Bellini’s 2024-25 Season

The Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera The season opens with Bellini’s “Norma” with Leonardo Sini conducting a production by Hugo De Ana. The cast will include Jessica Pratt and Irina Lungu in the title role alongside Antonio Poli, Elisa Balbo, Aya Wakizono, Carlo Lepore, and Alessio Cacciamani. Performance Dates: Jan. 18-26, 2025 Mozart’s “Don {…}

May 24, 2024

Teatro La Fenice 2024 Review: Don Giovanni

(Photo credit: Michele Crosera) Having seen more versions of “Don Giovanni” than there are sands on the beach, I can attest that the greatness of the opera is seldom undermined by a less than optimum staging. However, when the staging is good—or even great—, one feels that there is no better opera than “Don Giovanni.” The revival of Damiano Michieletto’s {…}

Oct 2, 2023

Maria Callas, Nicky Spence, Jonathan Tetelman, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau & Regula Mühlemann Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s edition of the CD and DVD releases on offer in the opera world. This week is particularly crowded with releases of Maria Callas by Warner Classics to celebrate her centennial. There are also a number of debut albums as well as the second album to one of the biggest rising tenors of his generation. Audiences {…}

Sep 19, 2023

Jonas Kaufmann, Olga Peretyatko, Aida Garifullina & Joyce El-Khoury Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back to this week’s look at the newest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. Among the major options are three DVD releases, a world premiere, and a film album by the world’s most famous tenor. Here’s the rundown. Oklahoma Chandos Records releases a recording of Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s beloved musical, “Oklahoma” led by acclaimed conductor John Wilson. The {…}

May 7, 2023

Angela Meade, Karine Deshayes, Anne-Catherine Gillet & Ruth Iniesta Lead Opéra de Marseille’s 2023-24 Season

The Opéra de Marseille has announced its 2023-24 season. Opera Meyerbeer’s “L’Africaine” will star Hélène Carpentier, Laurence Janot, Florian Laconi, Jérôme Bouteiller, and Karine Deshayes. Roberto Rizzi Brignoli conducts the production by Charles Roubaud. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-10, 2023 Paolo Arrivabeni conducts Verdi’s “Attila” with Angela Meade, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, Juan Jesús Rodriguez, and Antonio Poli. Performance Dates: Oct. 29-Nov. 4, {…}

Sep 26, 2022

Nino Machaidze, Asmik Grigorian & Enea Scala Lead Teatro Massimo di Palermo’s 2022-23 Season

The Teatro Massimo di Palermo has announced its 2022-23 season. Opera The season opens with the new creation “Kaiserrequiem” by Omer Meir Wellber and Marco Gandini. The work, which unites “Der Kaiser von Atlantis” by Viktor Ullman and the Mozart’s Requiem will be conducted by Omer Meir Wellber and directed by Marco Gandini. Markus Werba, Karl Huml, Antonio Gares, Cameron {…}

Jul 1, 2022

Leah Crocetto, Levy Sekgapane, Gaston Rivero & Selene Zanetti Lead Fondazione Petruzzelli’s 2023 Season

The Fondazione Petruzzelli has announced its 2023 season featuring eight productions. The season will open with Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Cecilia Molinari, Amira Elmadfa, Levy Sekgapane, Cesar Cortes, Markus Werba, Gurgen Baveyan, Gianluca Buratto, Nicolò Donini, Marco Filippo Romano, and Stefano Marchisio. Stefano Montanari conducts Davide Livermore’s production. Performance Dates: Jan. 22-29, 2023 Ian Storey, Elena Gabouri, Jane {…}

Jun 30, 2022

Teatro dell’Opera di Roma to Present Historic Production of Bernstein’s Mass

The Teatro dell’opera di Roma is set to present Bernstein’s “Mass” in a production for the first time in Italy. The masterwork will be performed at the Terme di Caracalla starting July 1 and subsequent performances are scheduled for July 3 and 5. The new production will be directed by Damiano Michieletto, who was in charge of the 2020 Rigoletto {…}

May 12, 2022

Teatro La Fenice Returns to Piazza San Marco

The Teatro La Fenice is set to return to Piazza San Marco in Venice. The opera company will present Orff’s “Carmina Burana” conducted by Fabio Luisi on July 9. The event is being realized in collaboration with il Comune di Venezia and sponsored by Intesa Sanpaolo. The Orchestra and chorus of the Teatro La Fenice will be joined by soloists Regula {…}

Markus werba