As we dig deeper into the summer, we see many companies close their doors and other festivals open them. This weekend’s offerings are a mix of this very trend. Here are our top five picks in North America, in alphabetical order by company. La Traviata – Cincinnati Opera On Saturday night, audiences in Cincinnati can enjoy Verdi’s masterwork with Norah {…}
For this week’s top five picks we are sticking close to the East Coast with a number of revivals of popular operas and new productions. We also take a look at a Bernstein work that rarely gets a look. Trouble in Tahiti – Boston Lyric Opera As the Leonard Bernstein centennial continues, the BLO will showcase a production of his {…}
Minnesota Opera has announced the hiring of Priti Gandhi in the newly created position of chief artistic officer. The position, which will be effective on July 2, 2018, will see Gandhi come to Minnesota Opera from San Diego Opera, where she is currently the artistic administrator. “On behalf of the entire team at Minnesota Opera, I am thrilled to welcome Priti {…}
The 2017-18 season comes to an end. Now what do you do? Or more like where do you go? Opera lovers know that there are a plethora of festivals to check out, but many are distant from their own traditional opera companies and it can turn into a challenge trying to figure out where to fly out to in the {…}
Easter weekend in the US is a time when opera houses remain relatively quiet. So you’ll notice that one house gets major prominence in this weekend’s recommendations. Così fan tutte – Metropolitan Opera We recommended this showcase a few weeks ago and will recommend it once again. “ At its core, the opera is one big joke that all the characters {…}
The Minnesota Opera has announced its 2018-19 season featuring five productions including one world premiere and two modern masterpieces. The season opens with Puccini’s rarely performed “La Rondine,” which tells the tale of Magda a lively courtesan in Paris. Celine Byrne makes her debut in the title role with Leonardo Capalbo as Ruggero. Octavio Cardenas directs the new production which is {…}
Music Director Michael Christie concludes his tenure at the Minnesota Opera with Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” The performances, which are scheduled from March 17 through March 31, 2018, will be his final production with the company as Music Director. Throughout his tenure, Christie led 26 productions over eight seasons, six as Music Director at the Minnesota Opera including “La Traviata,” “Nabucco,” “Macbeth,” “La Boheme,” “La {…}
Last week was rife with modern opera in our top five works to see during the weekend. And this weekend will be no different with a number of companies experimenting and promoting new music. Cruzar la Cara de la Luna – New York City Opera The New York City Opera brings the world’s first-ever mariachi opera to its stage this {…}
OPERA America has announced the grant awards for 11 opera companies through the Repertoire Development Grants program, supported by The Opera Fund. A total of $225,000 was awarded to 11 opera companies including the Metropolitan Opera’s upcoming opera “Eurydice” by composer Matthew Aucoin and librettist Sarah Ruhl. The work will be based on the play by Sarah Ruhl and tells the Orpheus story from the perspective of {…}
The Minnesota Opera has announced a newly commissioned work. The company announced that “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” a young adult novel by Minneapolis author Kate DiCamillo, will be adapted into an opera as part of the company’s “New Works Initiatives” program which was established in 2008. The opera, which tells the story of an aloof toy rabbit owned {…}
The Minnesota Opera has announced that artistic director Dale Johnson will step down at the end of the season after 23 years in the job and 33 with the company. In a press statement Johnson said, “We have great stability in the organization with our President and General Director Ryan Taylor now in his second season at the helm of {…}