David Oller, Nicole Chevalier, José Simerilla Romero, Heather Engebretson & Johanna Wallroth Lead Theater Basel’s 2025-26 Season

Theater Basel has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Kurt Weill’s “Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny” will be directed by Benedikt von Peter. Jasmin Jorias Etezadzadeh, Ronan Caillet, Andrew Murphy, Solenn’ Lavanant Linke, Rolf Romei, Ervin Ahmeti, Elliott Carlton Hines, and Marius Aron star. Stefan Klingele and Thomas Wise conduct. Performance Dates: August 28-Oct. 26, 2025 David Oller, Carmen Artaza, {…}

Apr 11, 2025

Lucio Gallo, Olena Tokar, Nicole Chevalier, Piotr Buszewski & Daniel de Vicente Lead Oper Leipzig’s 2025-26 Season

Oper Leipzig has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres A new production of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” will be performed with Sarah Traubel, Gabrielė Kupšytė, Franz Xaver Schlecht, Matthias Winckhler, Josh Lovell, Matthias Stier, Samantha Gaul, Mirjam Neururer, Sejong Chang, and Tuomas Pursio. Matthias Foremny and Yura Yang conduct the new production by Katharina Thoma. Performance Dates: Sept. 13, 2025-May 23, {…}

Mar 29, 2025

Komische Oper Berlin Announces 2025-26 Season

The Komische Oper Berlin has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres The children’s opera “Conrad or The factory-made boy” by Samuel Penderbayne will star Mengqi Zhang, Andreja Schneider, Philipp Meierhöfer, Ulrike Helzel, Johannes Dunz, and Junoh Lee. Anne Hinrichsen conducts the production by Ruth Brauer-Kvam. Performance Dates: Oct. 10-Dec. 26, 2025 James Gaffigan conducts a new production of Strauss’ “Salome.” The {…}

May 22, 2024

Teatro Real 2023-24 Review: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

It has been 23 years since Daniel Barenboim offered three performances of Wagner’s comedy at Teatro Real. It was the first Laurent Pelly Wagner production, and therefore the expectations were high. And the result did not disappoint an enthusiastic audience which gave strong ovations at the curtain call. Pelly is a master in “comedy” and he recognizes that he doesn’t {…}

Apr 30, 2024

Marigona Qerkezi, Adela Zaharia, Ramona Zaharia, Konu Kim, Liana Aleksanyan, Alasdair Kent & Scott Hendricks Lead Deutsche Oper am Rhein’s 2024-25 Season

The Deutsche Oper am Rhein has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Verdi’s “Nabucco” will be directed by Ilaria Lanzino. Vitali Alekseenok and Katharina Müllner conduct a cast that includes Alexey Zelenkov, Eduardo Aladrén, Jussi Myllys, Liang Li, Svetlana Kasyan, and Marigona Qerkezi. Performance Dates: Sept. 15-Dec. 25, 2024 Christoph Stöcker and Katharina Müllner conduct Jerry Bock, Joseph Stein, and Sheldon Harnick’s {…}

Mar 14, 2024

Christopher Purves, Ruzan Mantashyan, Nicole Chevalier, John Holiday & Adela Zaharia Lead Komische Oper Berlin’s 2024-25 Season

The Komische Oper has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the operatic performances. Premieres George Petrou conducts Händel’s “Messiah” with Damiano Michieletto directing. The soloists will include Penny Sofroniadou, Julia Grüter, Rachael Wilson, Katharina Bradić, Julien Behr, Rupert Charlesworth, Philipp Meierhöfer, and Tijl Faveyts. Performance Dates: Sept. 21-Oct. 6, 2024 Franz Wittenbrink’s kinderoper “Die kleine Hexe” will {…}

Jul 27, 2023

Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2023 Review: Così Fan Tutte

Photo: © Monika Rittershaus “Così Fan Tutte” has become the most uncomfortable of the three Mozart-Da Ponte operas. “Le Nozze di Figaro” has secured itself as a revolutionary and anti-establishment opera. “Don Giovanni” is unavoidable and unforgettable. “Così,” on the other hand, struggled to find its public for most of the nineteenth century. Its plot is often seen as both {…}

May 18, 2023

Natalya Romaniw, Elizabeth Llewellyn, Kate Lindsey & John Relyea Lead English National Opera’s 2023-24 Season

The English National Opera has announced its 2023-24 season. Gwyn Hughes Jones, Elizabeth Llewellyn, and Simon Bailey star in Britten’s “Peter Grimes” with Martyn Brabbins conducting David Alden’s production. Performance Dates: Sept. 21–Oct. 11, 2023 Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Iolanthe” returns to the company with Chris Hopkins conducting the production by Cal McCrystal. Samantha Price, Ellie Laugharne, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Marcus Farnsworth, John Savournin, {…}

May 3, 2023

English National Opera Review 2023: Symphony of Sorrowful Songs

Photo: © CLIVE BARDA/ArenaPAL; What a season it has been for English National Opera. Threatened by Arts Council England with swingeing cuts and hare-brained, uncosted plans for relocation, the company has become one of the most prominent symbols for classical music’s ongoing struggle for survival in UK public culture. But the season has seen the company’s artistic and institutional resolve {…}

Jul 27, 2022

Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2022 Review: Idomeneo

(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 {…}

Apr 15, 2022

Adam Smith, Danielle de Niese, John Relyea & Sean Panikkar Lead English National Opera’s 2022-23 Season

The English National Opera has announced its 2022-23 season featuring eight productions and seven operas. Leo Hussain conducts Puccini’s “Tosca” in a new production by Christof Loy. The cast will include Sinéad Campbell-Wallace, Adam Smith, and Noel Bouley. Performance Dates: Sept. 30–Nov. 4 2022 Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Yeomen of the Guard” will include Anthony Gregory, Neal Davies, Alexandra Oomens, Heather {…}