The Met Opera will continue its Live in HD series this Saturday, Dec 15, 2018, with a performance of Verdi’s “La Traviata.” The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, is set Diana Damrau as the lead heroine with Quinn Kelsey as Germont, and Juan Diego Flórez as her lover Alfredo. This is Damrau’s fifth HD broadcast with her {…}
Puccini’s “Il Trittico” returns to the Met Opera on Nov. 23, 2018, for seven performances. Despite being one of Puccini’s finest works, it has only been presented with the company on 74 occasions; by the end of this run, it will have 81 performances total. As is always the case with these operas, there are a ton of singers involved {…}
Christian Van Horn is one of today’s rising stars in the opera world, the bass making major role debuts and opening new productions at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Canadian Opera Company and the Metropolitan Opera. This year, he became the third bass-baritone to win the Richard Tucker Award and the first of his voice type since 2003. Van Horn’s {…}
This Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, the Metropolitan Opera will bring back Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West,” which incidentally had its world premiere with the company back in 1910. In the context of other Puccini works, this one is seldom performed. For context, “La Bohème,” is the company’s most performed work, with 1300-plus performances in the company’s history. “Tosca,” meanwhile has {…}
Tenor Kristian Benedikt made his Metropolitan Opera debut during Monday night’s performance of “Samson et Dalila,” stepping in for an ailing Roberto Alagna in the third act of the opera. Benedikt was previously scheduled to make his debut in the title role of the Saint-Saëns opera during the run in the Spring, but it seemed inevitable that he would step {…}
The changes at the Metropolitan Opera keep on coming as the company has announced that it will make a slight change to alter user experience at the theater. Per a press release on Monday, the company will open a new entrance to the lobby later this fall, making it easier for “patrons and subscribers” to arrive for a performance. The {…}
Camile Saint-Saëns’ “Samson et Dalila” is not among the most popular operas in the standard repertoire. In fact, at the Met, it has been performed a total of 226 times since is Met premiere back on Feb. 8, 1895. And yet the opera has garnered three opening nights to date, a number that will increase by one on Sept. 24, {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced that Diane Zola has been appointed the company’s new Assistant General Manager. The Ukraine born will replace the late Robert Rattray, who passed earlier this year at 67, and will be in charge of planning, scheduling, and casting. A force in the opera world, Zola was the Director of Artistic Administration for Houston Grand Opera for a number {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is slated for its latest premiere this week when it showcases Massenet’s “Cendrillon.” The opera, which is based on the tale of Cinderella will star Joyce DiDonato and is set to run between April 12 and May 11. The opera will also feature Alice Coote, Stephanie Blythe, Kathleen Kim, Laurent Naouri, all under the musical direction of {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced the 25 semifinalists for the 2018 National Council Auditions. The group is slated to perform on Sunday, April 22, with a chance to perform in the grand final on Sunday, April 29. The group features 10 sopranos, four mezzos, one contralto, four tenors, four baritones, and two basses. Here is a breakdown of the contestants. {…}
Simon Estes, born on March 2, 1938, did not have an easy career path. While the bass-baritone succeeded in Europe in his early years, the United States didn’t take too well to him. He was only accepted for minor roles at most prominent theaters and it wasn’t until 1981, 16 years after his professional debut, that the Metropolitan Opera offered {…}