Opera Baltimore has named soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams to the position of Imasogie Executive Apprentice. She will inaugurate the position, which includes a one-year tenure and will feature the soprano in her directorial debut with the company in a 2026 production of “Lucrezia Borgia.” Williams has performed all around the world with such companies as Seattle Opera and the Opéra {…}
The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced all nominations for the 45th Anniversary Dora Mavor Moore Awards presented by the Romano D’Andrea Foundation. This year there were 225 nominations across 43 gender-inclusive award categories within seven divisions reflecting the remarkable artistry of the 2024-25 season. This year’s nominations encompass 81 shows from 59 registered companies. The Awards will {…}
(Photo Courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Williams.) Opera Lafayette and OperaCréole present “RE|STORE: Edmond Dédé’s ‘Morgiane’” in four cities across the U.S. including New Orleans, Washington, DC, New York City, and College Park, MD. The preview of this never-performed, long-lost masterpiece took place at the historical St. Louis Cathedral, where Dédé was baptized, featuring The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra playing modern instruments {…}
OperaCréole and Opera Lafayette present Edmond Dédé’s the never-performed work “Morgiane.” Only recently discovered, “Morgiane” is believed to be the earliest extant complete opera by a Black American. The world premiere is presented in a concert version by Mary Elizabeth Williams, Kenneth Kellogg, Chauncey Packer, Joshua Conyers, Jonathan Woody, along with members of Opera Creole chorus. The Opera Lafayette Orchestra performs {…}
Opera Lafayette announces its 30th anniversary season. Soprano Amel Brahim-Djelloul performs in the Ensemble Amedyez and and Kalanidhi Dance in the opening event, “RE|CLAIM.” Performance Dates: October 21, 22, & 24, 2024 “RE | STORE” events are centered around Edmond Dédé’s “Morgiane.” The cast features sopranos Mary Elizabeth Williams and Lindsey Reynolds, tenor Chauncey Packer, baritone Joshua Conyers, bass-baritone Jonathan {…}
The Canadian Opera Company has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s “Nabucco.” The company said, “Regretfully, soprano Tamara Wilson has been recently diagnosed with pneumonia and will need to withdraw from her role as Abigaille in the Canadian Opera Company’s upcoming production of ‘Nabucco.’ The COC wishes Tamara all the very best for a full recovery and {…}
It has not been the easiest time for soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams. Her debut at Paris Opera has been, to say the least, controversial. On the one hand, she is pushing for redefinitions of what art is and how we should face the standard operatic repertoire. On the other hand, the audience’s reaction has been, in her own words, “passionate.” {…}
(Credit: Sunny Martini) From the second bar of Richard Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde,” in the hands of conductor Jordan De Souza, it was clear Seattle Opera’s production (which opened Saturday night and runs through Oct. 29) would be sonically something special. It turned out to be special in several ways, in fact. In that second bar, the famous “Tristan chord”—which {…}
The Santa Fe Opera has announced its 2023 season and revealed its 19th world premiere slated for 2024. The company noted that in 2024, the company has commissioned a new opera by two of America’s most exciting talents, composer Gregory Spears and former US Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy K. Smith titled “The Righteous.” The 2023 Season The Santa Fe Opera’s 66th Festival {…}
The Seattle Opera has announced its 2022-23 season featuring a number of debuts, new productions, and a world premiere. Salome Jicia and Amitati Pati star in Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” with Rodion Pogossov and Luca Pisaroni. Stephen Lawless directs the production with Giampaolo Bisanti conducting. Performance Dates: August 6-20, 2022 Stefan Vinke, May Elizabeth Williams, and Alexandra LoBianco take on the {…}
This is it. Next week will bring us into the traditional fall opera season where most opera companies would have initially started to open up their initial productions. In Europe, this trend will continue. In North America, it won’t. So the streaming will continue in unique and diverse formats. This week’s recommendations are no different. As always, don’t forget to {…}
