Gramphone has announced its 2022 awards. The Bayerische Staatsoper won the Recording of the Year for its DVD of “Die Tote Stadt.” The recording also won Opera Award. The company also took home the Orchestral award from Kirill Petrenko and the Bayerisches Staatsorchester’s recording of Mahler’s Seventh Symphony while Cornelius Meister and the Bayerische Staatsoper’s DVD and Blu-Ray recording of {…}
For the second straight night, the Metropolitan Opera orchestra was at its peak level. After an incredibly immersive opening night performing in Cherubini’s “Medea,” the ensemble, under the musical direction of Manfred Honeck nearly outdid itself. From the thunderous overture all the way to the final triumphant march, Honeck had the ensemble surging forward with unbridled passion and a {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is set to present a revival of Mozart’s “Idomeneo.” The production, which is set to run between Sept. 28 and Oct. 20, will be conducted by Manfred Honeck, the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cast will also include Michael Spyres in the title role of the king of Crete, Ying Fang as Ilia, Federica Lombardi as {…}
Vocal Arts DC has announced its 2022-23 season. The season opens with a recital featuring tenor Michael Spyres and pianist Mathieu Pordoy. The program will include music by Beethoven, Berlioz, and Liszt. Performance Date: Oct. 10, 2022 Rihab Chaieb and Brian Zeger will present music by Schumann, Ravel, Bizet, Aubert, Golijov, Ricketts, and songs from Chaieb’s Arabic heritage. Performance Date: {…}
(Photo: Jean-Louis Fernandez) As a rule of thumb, you know that if you have to rely on the director’s program notes to make sense of what is happening on stage, then the production is likely to disappoint. Of course, even in such circumstances it is sometimes possible to develop an intuitive understanding, even where the explicit meaning remains elusive, which {…}
The Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie has announced its 2022-23 season. Opera Ainārs Rubiķis conducts Verdi’s “Aida” in a production by Annabel Arden. The opera stars Sunyoung Seo, Ketevan Kemoklidze, Amadi Lagha, Leon Kim, and Jacques Greg-Belobo. Performance Dates: Sept. 30-Oct. 4, 2022 Noëlle Gény leads “Bach et le sacré.” Performance Date: Oct. 16, 2022 Noëlle Gény conducts “Musiques sacrées” Performance Date: Dec. 11, 2022 {…}
(Photo: Kayla Demi Pietersen) Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY has announced its summer 2022 season. “This season, artists take us offsite to experiences with programming at partner institutions and local businesses,” says Guild Hall Executive Director, Andrea Grover, in an official press statement. “Guild Hall is obsessed with collaboration and being nomadic is one way to bring our mission {…}
Guild Hall and Bel Canto Boot Camp (BCBC) has announced the formation of a new Resident Artist Program and Series that will support an emerging generation of opera singers and bring operatic performances and community engagement programs to Long Island’s East End. Internationally recognized star artists baritenor Michael Spyres and tenor Jack Swanson will kick off the 2022 launch, joining {…}
The Théâtre des Champs-Elysées has announced its 2022-23 season featuring productions, operas in concerts, recitals, and orchestra performances. Here is a look at the vocal performances this season. Productions Gluck’s “Orphée et Eurydice” will star Jakub Józef Orliński and Regula Mühlemann. Thomas Hengelbrock conducts the production by Robert Carsen which also stars Elena Galitskaya. Performance Dates: Sept. 21-Oct. 1, 2022 {…}
Les Grandes Voix / Les Grandes Solistes has announced its May 2022 slate. Patricia Petibon will perform alongside pianist Andrea Marcon in a concert of opera arias by Rameau, Händel, and Mozart. Performance Date: May 15, 2022 Tenor Michael Spyres will join forces with Opera Fuoco under David Stern for music by Mozart, Spontini, Donizetti, Verdi, Léhar, Offenbach, and Rossini. {…}
The Berlin Philharmonic has announced two cast changes for its upcoming Verdi Requiem performances. The company noted both mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili and tenor Fabio Sartori have unfortunately had to cancel their participation in the performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem under the baton of Daniel Barenboim from March 11 to 13 due to illness. As a result, Marina Prudenskaya {…}