Anita Rachvelishvili, Chen Reiss, Okka von der Damerau Headline Tsinandali Festival’s 2026 Slate

(Photo credit: Levan Kalmakhelidze) The Tsinandali Festival announces its 2026 schedule. Here’s a look at the opera events. Soprano Chen Reiss and mezzo-soprano Okka von der Damerau perform with the Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre Chorus in Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony. Rafael Payare conducts the Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra. Performance Date: Sept. 9, 2026 Works by Brahms, Dvořák, Purcell, {…}

Jun 19, 2026

Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Ludovic Tézier, Marina Rebeka, Elīna Garanča, Jessica Pratt, Luca Salsi, Aleksandra Kurzak & Francesco Meli Lead Maggio Musicale Fiorentino’s 2027 Season

The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced its 2027 season. Opera Kristina Mkhitarian star in Verdi’s “La Traviata” with Anthony Ciaramitaro, Luca Salsi, and Min Kim. Performance Dates: Jan. 15-22, 2027 Baldassarre Galuppi’s “Il mondo alla roversa o sia le donne che comandano” will star finalists of the International Pietro Antonio Cesti Baroque Singing Competition in Innsbruck. Chiara Cattani conducts the {…}

Apr 27, 2026

Anna Netrebko, Lise Davidsen, Asmik Grigorian, Lisette Oropesa, Sondra Radvanovsky, Nicholas Brownlee, Freddie De Tommaso, Ermonela Jaho, Jack Swanson, Sara Blanch & Serena Sáenz Lead Gran Teatre del Liceu’s 2026-27 Season

The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced its 2026-27 season. Shirin Neshat directs Verdi’s “Aida” with four sopranos taking on the title role. Anna Netrebko, Anna Pirozzi, Olga Maslova, and Ewa Plonka star alongside Ekaterina Semenchuk, Ksenia Dudnikova, Fiorenza Cedolins, Yusif Eyvazov, Piotr Beczała, Arsen Soghomonyan, Artur Ruciński, Igor Golovatenko, Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Riccardo Fassi, George Andguladze, Manuel Fuentes, Alexander Köpeczi, {…}

Mar 21, 2025

Gran Teatre del Liceu Announces New Cast Change for ‘Lohengrin’

The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its March 21 performance of “Lohengrin.” The company said that soprano Okka von der Damerau will take on the role of Ortrud replacing Iréne Theorin, who is still suffering from an infection in one of her vocal cords. Von der Damerau performed on March 19, also replacing Theorin. The {…}

May 2, 2023

Francesca Pia Vitale, Sally Matthews & Karen Cargill Lead Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin’s 2023-24

The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin has announced its 2023-24 season. Here are the vocal performances for the season. Robin Ticciati conducts Wu Wei, Karen Cargill, and Allan Clayton in Gustav Mahler’s “The Song of the Earth.” The program also includes Unsuk Chin’s ›Šu‹ for sheng and orchestra. Performance Date: August 30, 2023 Cornelius Meister conducts Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with soloists {…}

Apr 16, 2023

Cecilia Bartoli, Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Lisette Oropesa & Juan Diego Flórez Lead Wiener Staatsoper’s 2023-24 Season

The Wiener Staatsoper has announced the 2023-24 season featuring new productions, revivals, and concerts. Premieres The company will showcase Tatjana Gürbaca’s production of “Il Trittico.” For “Il Tabarro,” audiences will hear Carlos Álvarez, Anja Kampe, and Joshua Guerrero. Headlining “Suor Angelica” will be Eleonora Buratto and Michaela Schuster. Finally, for “Gianni Schicchi,” the headliners including Carlos Álvarez, Serena Sáenz, Michaela {…}

Aug 18, 2022

Bayreuth Festival 2022 Review: Das Rheingold

(Credit: Enrico Nawrath) Controversy was in full force as the second run of performances of the Bayreuth’s “Ring des Nibelungen” kicked off on August 10. Conductor Cornelius Meister had to step in on very short notice to replace a sick colleague. Tomas Konieczny, who sang Wotan, fell on the set in the second act of “Die Walküre” and had to {…}

Mar 2, 2022

Renée Fleming, Julia Bullock & Nadine Sierra Lead LA Philharmonic’s 2022-23 Season

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced its 2022-23 season. For the purposes of this article, we will only focus on operatic and choral performances. Gustavo Dudamel Leads “Songs of the Americas” in a program that will include music by Abreu, Bor, Esteve, Ortiz, and Villa-Lobos with the Tambuco Percussion Ensemble and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Performance Dates: Sept. 30- {…}

Feb 25, 2022

Lise Davidsen, Stephen Gould & Catherine Foster Lead Bayreuth Festival’s 2022 Season

The Bayreuth Festival has announced its 2022 season. The festival will open with a production of “Tristan und Isolde” conducted by Cornelius Meister. The production by Roland Schwab will star Stephen Gould and Catherine Foster in the title roles as well as Georg Zeppenfeld, Markus Eiche, and Ekaterina Gubanova. Performance Dates: July 25 & August 12, 2022 The festival will present {…}

Dec 10, 2021

Okka von der Damerau Replaces Ekaterina Gubanova in Staatsoper Berlin’s ‘Lohengrin’

(Credit: Mathias Leidgschwendner) The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced that mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova will not be appearing in the role of Ortrud in Wagner’s “Lohengrin” for the final performance of the opera in 2021 on Dec. 12. As a result, mezzo-soprano Okka von der Damerau will take over the role. The mezzo will join a cast that includes Martin {…}

Nov 3, 2021

Brandon Jovanovich, Clay Hilley, Nina Stemme, Elisabeth Teige, Iain Paterson Lead ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ at Deutsche Oper Berlin

(Credit: Bernd Uhlig) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced its upcoming performances of Wagner’s iconic “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” Wagner’s tetralogy will star number of renowned Wagnerian singers, including Brandon Jovanovich as Siegmund; Elisabeth Teige as Sieglinde; Nina Stemme in the role of Brünnhilde; Clay Hilley as Siegfried; Derek Welton as Wotan in “Das Rheingold”; Iain Paterson as Wotan/Der Wanderer; {…}