The Academy of Vocal Arts has announced its 2019-20 season, which will celebrate the institution’s 85th anniversary. Opera The first opera of the year will be Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro,” which will be conducted by Maestro Christofer Macatsoris and directed by David Gately. Resident Artists will take on lead roles. Performance Dates: Nov. 9, 12, 16, 19, 21, 2019 {…}
OperaVision will present a live stream of Mozart’s “L’Oca del Cairo, Ossia Lo Sposo Deluso” from the Hungarian State Opera on June 21, 2019. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time. That’s around 1 p.m. EDT and 10 a.m. PST for the start time. It will be available for repeat viewings on Opera Vision until Dec. 20, 2019. {…}
The Portland Opera will present “La Finta Giardiniera” starting on July 12, 2019. The run of the Mozart opera will last six performances, ending on July 27, 2019. The work will be conducted by George Manahan with soprano Lindsay Ohse as Sandrina. Mark A. Thomsen will appear as Podesta. Other cast members include Geoffrey Schellenberg, Helen Huang, Camille Sherman, Thomas {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features the Zac Efron {…}
Another big season at the Metropolitan Opera has come and gone. The 2018-19 was a rather fascinating one from a repertory perspective, offering up a wide range of music from some of the greatest composers. The year wound up being a mixed bag of sorts from a quality standpoint with the best performances arguably taking place once the calendar turned {…}
The San Diego Opera is set to join forces with “The Enchanted Tail” for a free 40-minute opera for the whole family. The event is set to take place on June 1, 2019, at the Greek Amphitheatre at the Point Loma Nazarene University. The performance will feature the music of Mozart, Verdi, and Rossini to tell the story of a {…}
(Photo: Bill Cooper) Having seen Graham Vick’s joyless production of “The Magic Flute” at last year’s Macerata Festival, which amounted to little more than a heavy-handed political rant, how refreshing and restorative it was to watch Welsh National Opera’s light, amusing and wholly positive production. Certainly, the work, probably more than most, is open to a variety of interpretations given {…}
The Juilliard School successfully showcased a refined production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” that brought the 2018-2019 season to a close. Emphasizing its relevancy to modern day societal awakening, the overall perspective was superbly defined by director Emma Griffin. With a psychologically insightful design and free-thinking based concept, Griffin cultivated an artistically impactful performance that gave as strong an impression as {…}
May 1, 1786. That is the day that, for many, the greatest opera of all-time had its very first performance. “Le Nozze di Figaro” has held the stage ever since, performed by all the great interpreters all over the world. The work has also developed a healthy discography over the ages both on audio and visual media, making it impossible {…}
Opera Hong Kong is set to present Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” in mid-May at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The production of the famed Mozart and da Ponte opera will be directed by Jean-Louis Grinda with Richard Ollarsaba and Marcelo Guzzo rotating in the famed title role. The opera will be conducted by Martins Ozolins. He will lead the Hong Kong {…}
Italo Tajo was one of the famed Italian basses of the mid-20th century. He was born in Pinerolo on April 25, 1915 and studied at the Music Conservatory of Turin. In 1935, he made his stage debut and in 1939, he became a member of the Rome Opera. In 1940, he joined the Teatro alla Scala, which was promptly followed {…}