The well-reviewed “Roméo et Juliette” from the Metropolitan Opera will be showcased on PBS on Friday, April 14 starting at 9 P.M. EDT. The opera, which featured Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo in the lead roles, is an adaptation of the famous Shakespeare play. The performance that will be showcased on PBS took place on Jan. 21, 2017 as part {…}
LoftOpera has made a statement over the past few years, establishing itself as the best of independent opera on the East Coast. The company makes its big return this weekend with a performance of Rossini’s “Otello.” The company, which managed a huge success in the winter with Verdi’s “Macbeth,” reopened its doors on Thursday, its second performance coming on Saturday {…}
This Sunday, audiences will get a look at the next set of Met Council Audition winners. The competition is perhaps the most prestigious in the entire country and one of the most important in the world. The first competition took place in 1954, each decade bringing us major talents that have gone on to incredible careers. Here are some of {…}
Move over Metropolitan Opera, Marita Altman is heading to Opera Philadelphia. Altman, formerly Director of Major Gifts at the Metropolitan since 2008 will assume her position as the Vice President of Development at Opera Philadelphia starting this Wednesday, March 15. According to a press release, she will “manage all of the company’s fundraising operations while working alongside members of Opera {…}
The Met Opera scored a solid weekend box office for Verdi’s “La Traviata” on Saturday, March 10, 2017. The HD performance came in at a whopping number nine on the weekend, raking in $1.8 million in just one day, the same amount that Best Picture runner-up “La La Land” managed in three days. The Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series {…}
Klaus Florian Vogt is regarded as one of the most sought-after Wagnerian tenors his generations. He has marveled audiences with his intense lyricism and his commitment to each role he portrays. This week he returns to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time since 2006 when he made his debut in the title role of Wagner’s “Lohengrin.” This time Met {…}
Matthew Polenzani loves Mozart’s “Idomeneo.” During a recent interview with OperaWire, the tenor went so far as to call it the composer’s “greatest opera.” That’s right, with output that includes gems such as “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Don Giovanni,” “Così Fan Tutte” and “Die Zauberflote,” Polenzani, who is among the greatest exponents of these very operas, puts his marker on {…}
New Yorkers will have a chance to meet Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva at the Metropolitan Opera Shop next Wednesday, March 15 at 3 P.M. EST. The soprano’s new album “Handel” recently hit stores and includes music from the composer’s opera’s, “Giulio Cesare in Egitto,” “Alcina,” “Rodelinda,” “Agrippina,” “Theodora” and “Rinaldo.” This is Yoncheva’s third album with Sony Classical. In 2015 {…}
On New Year’s Eve, the Metropolitan Opera opened a new production of Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette.” The result was a mixed bag with two bright stars heading the cast. The production was a dreary classically fitted take that lacked clarity of vision and ultimately dragged the show. After a few months, the Met has revived the production with better results. {…}
Many opera companies get back in on the action this weekend from all around the country in one of the busier weekends of the season. The Dallas Opera makes its great return on Friday, March 10 with a production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Hui He stars in the leading role with Gianluca Terranova, Lucas Meachem and Manuela Custer rounding out the {…}
For decades Bizet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles” was rarely ever performed. We would hear the famed “Friendship Duet” or get the occasional recording here and there, but seeing a staged performance was a thing of dreams. But now opera lovers can enjoy a live performance of Bizet’s often-ignored work from the comfort of their living rooms. Mind you, the Metropolitan {…}