(Credit: Toni Suter) Few operas are as iconic or as enduringly popular as Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.” Since its 1875 premiere at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, the work has captivated audiences with its indelible melodies and its unsentimental, ground-level portrayal of passion, obsession, and freedom. Set in 19th-century Spain, “Carmen” charts the collision between a woman’s fierce independence and a man’s {…}
At the beginning of the 19th century, a small Venetian theatre called San Moisè was dedicated to the genre of the “farsa”—short, semi-serious one-act operas performed by a small company of six or seven singers, without a chorus, and accompanied by a modest orchestra. The barely twenty-year-old Gioachino Rossini found this environment ideal for honing his compositional skills and establishing {…}
Dubai Opera announces its 2025-26 season. This article only features opera events. Soloists from the Hungarian State Opera present Pucinni’s “La Bohème.” Performance Dates: Sept. 18 – 20, 2025 Olga Peretyatko and Erwin Schron perform with the Strauss Festival Orchestra Vienna in the “Dubai Opera Ball.” Performance Date: Nov. 7, 2025 To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Dubai Opera presents “Stars {…}
The Opernhaus Zürich has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the productions and concerts. Premieres Simon Steen-Andersen and Liliana Nikiteanu lead “Wie du warst! Wie du bist!” Performance Dates: Sept. 20, 2025-July 11, 2026 Diana Damrau, Günther Groissböck, Angela Brower, Bo Skovhus, and Emily Pogorelc star in a new production Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier.” Joana Mallwitz conducts the {…}
Following the cast change in Genoa’s Teatro Carlo Felice for “La Traviata,” Olga Peretyatko has taken to social media to explain that she has been going through medical treatment. The soprano said, “I’ve been quiet for a while, but I successfully underwent surgery to remove a polyp the size of a small apricot from my maxillary sinus. It turns out {…}
(Credit: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino) The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced its 2025 season. Stefano Ranzani conducts a production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” by Davide Livermore. Celso Albelo, Daniel Luis de Vicente, Leon Kim, Olga Peretyatko, Alessio Cacciamani, and Eleonora Filipponi star. Performance Dates: Feb. 16-23, 2025 Michele Spotti conducts Bellini’s “Norma” in a production by Moshe Leisier and Patrice Caurier. Jessica Pratt, {…}
Genova’s Teatro Carlo Felice has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the operas and concerts. Opera The season will open with a double bill featuring the play “Giro di vite” by Henry James and Benjamin Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw.” Davide Livermore directs the production with Riccardo Minasi at the podium. The cast for Britten will {…}
The Teatro Comunale di Bologna has announced a cast change for its “Don Giovanni” production on May 26, 2024. The company said Olga Peretyatko will not sing the opening performance as Donna Anna due to illness. As a result, Valentina Varriale will sing the role. In a statement, Peretyatko took to social media and said, “Unfortunately, I have bad news {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will get a taste of rare works by French and Italian composers. Here is a look at this week’s new releases. Kozłowski Requiem The Singapore Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Hans Graf present a recording of Józef Kozłowski’s Requiem, {…}
Following the escalating declaration of war on Hamas by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several opera artists have released statements regarding the situation. Soprano Olga Peretayko wrote “In times of unimaginable hardship and heartbreaking news, it is important for us to come together as one global community. The reality of war is a painful truth that affects everyone, regardless of which {…}
Callas 100 is set to present a concert at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage in Carnegie Hall on Dec. 3, 2023 The concert will celebrate Maria Callas’ 100th anniversary and will feature such opera stars as Matthew Polenzani, Olga Peretyatko, Fiorenza Cedolins, and Andrea Edina Ulbrich. The New York City Opera Orchestra will be conducted by Oleg Caetani. The evening {…}