(Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera) “Agamemnon! Agamemnon!” The words and tones rang in my ears still, as I emerged from the powerful rendering of San Francisco Opera’s Strauss and Hofmannsthal’s “Elektra.” The sunshine on the street did not turn it down. The 95 piece orchestra, conducted by San Francisco Orchestra Music Director, Eun Sun Kim, and the powerful voices of {…}
San Francisco Opera is set to present Strauss’ “Elektra” from June 7–27, 2026. The opera will be conducted by Caroline H. Hume Music Director Eun Sun Kim in a production by Keith Warner. The production will star Elena Pankratova in her company debut in the title role alongside Elza van den Heever as Chrysothemis. Michaela Schuster will portray Klytemnestra while {…}
(Credit: Reithofer Media) Oper Graz has announced its 2026-27 season. Opera Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust” is set to star Anna Brull, Pavel Petrov, and Nikita Ivasechko. The new production will be conducted by Johannes Braun and Stefan Birnhuber and directed by Lorenzo Fioroni. Performance Dates: Sept. 26-Dec. 13, 2026 Tom Schimon, Michael Heller, Jianwei Liu, Leah Bedenko, Anna Brull, Sieglinde {…}
(Photos: Paul Leclaire) Opernhaus Zürich revives its 2021 production of Richard Strauss’s “Salome,” directed by Andreas Homoki. The striking set design by Hartmut Meyer features two massive, crescent-shaped rotating structures—an evident nod to the libretto’s many references to the moon. One of these structures serves as a raked stage representing the terrace of Herod’s palace, while the other hovers above {…}
The Palau de les Arts has announced its 2025-26 season. Lorenzo Viotti conducts Gounod’s “Faust” in a production by Johannes Erath. Iván Ayón-Rivas, Alex Esposito, Ruth Iniesta, Florian Sempey, and Ekaterine Buachidze. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-15, 2025 Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s “La descente d’Orphée aux enfers” will star Josipa Bilić, Camille Chopin, Sarah Fleiss, Tanaquil Ollivier, Sydney Frodsham, Richard Pittsinger, Bastien Rimondi, Attila {…}
(Photo: Ruth Walz) Like other fairytales, Richard Strauss’ opera, “Die Frau ohne Shatten,” with its cast of human and supernatural beings, otherworldly locations and a magical plot, makes use of symbols and metaphor to carry deeper messages and thus opens itself up to a wide range of interpretations. Katie Mitchell, the director for Dutch National Opera’s recent production, certainly took {…}
The Dutch National Opera is set to present a new production of “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” The opera will be presented in a new production by Katie Mitchell and will be conducted by Marc Albrecht. In Mitchell’s production, she critically dissects the opera’s conservative ideals in her own fashion. The opera will star soprano Aušrinė Stundytė as the Dyer’s Wife, {…}
(Photo credit: Daniel Boud) Concert performances of “Das Rheingold” by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in the Opera House Concert Hall November 16-18 were the most recent events in what is shaping up to be a bit of a Wagner year in Australia. Next month sees Opera Australia’s much-awaited new “Ring cycle” in Brisbane, delayed twice previously by COVID. Back {…}
The Berlin Philharmonic has announced its 2023-24 Season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Iván Fischer conducts Michael Nagy in works by Jörg Widmann and Gustav Mahler. Performance Date: August 26, 2023 Alexander Rudin, Alexander Melnikov, Nadezhda Pavlova, and Olga Pashchenko perform works by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performance Date: August 27, 2023 Robin Ticciati conducts Wu Wei Sheng, Karen {…}
(Photo : Vincent Pontet) San Francisco Opera’s Centennial Season is set to continue with Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites” at the War Memorial Opera House. The production by Olivier Py, which is set to run between Oct. 15 and 30, will be conducted by Music Director Eun Sun Kim. The Poulenc opera will star Heidi Stober in her role debut {…}
The Berliner Philharmoniker has announced its 2022-23 season featuring some of the greatest singers in the world. Here is a look at the vocal highlights of the season. Georg Nigl, Dirk Rothbrust and Vilde Frang are the soloists in the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Vladimir Jurowski’s concert. The program includes music by Iannis Xenakis, Béla Bartók, and Gustav Mahler. Performance Date: {…}