(Credits: Gregor Hohenberg SONY Classical) The Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège has announced that it has canceled concerts by Juan Diego Flórez and Jonas Kaufmann due to the COVID-19 measures imposed by the government of Belgium. Flórez was set to perform on Jan. 8, 2021, alongside Christopher Franklin, who was supposed to lead Orchestra of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège. Meanwhile, {…}
(Credits: © Jiyan Chen / (c) Wilfried Hösl) Rai5 will broadcast a 2019 concert from the Berlin Philharmonic featuring soprano Diana Damrau on Jan. 6 at 9:15 p.m. CET. The Berlin Philharmonic Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko conducted. The program for the concert includes the overture from “Girl Crazy” and “An American in Paris” by George Gershwin; “If I loved you” {…}
(Credit: Gregor Hohenberg/Sony Music) France has announced the traditional New Year’s list of honors. La Grande Chancellerie de la Légion d’honneur has published the full list of recipients. Among those awarded is the celebrated tenor Roberto Alagna, thus becoming the Officer of Légion d’honneur . The famed tenor recently debuted the title role of Wagner’s “Lohengrin” at the Staatsoper Berlin. {…}
It’s the last week of 2020. Which means there will be a lot of streaming options focused on end of the year celebrations and the holiday season. But our list also includes a number of unique opera productions and experiences. Without further ado, here is our final Top 10 operas to stream this week. Have a very Happy and Healthy {…}
(Credit: Palau de la Música Catalana official website) Famed Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen has received an Honorary Knighthood by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for services to music and to relations between the United Kingdom and Finland. “This is a true personal honor, but more than that, it is meaningful to have artists honored at a national – at a {…}
Credit: Opéra National de Paris official website General Director of Opéra National de Paris Alexander Neef has sent a message to the audiences, saying that the Opéra National de Paris, just like every other opera house in France, has to postpone its reopening. The postponement comes as a result of a new decision by the French government, trying to curb {…}
Credit: Marica Rosengard Celebrated Finnish soprano Karita Mattila has been awarded the Order of the Lion of Finland, First Class Commander Badge. The Order of the Lion of Finland is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. The famed Finnish soprano has {…}
The Opéra National de Paris has announced that it will reopen both of its theaters starting on Dec. 15, 2020. In a message to spectators, the company’s managing director Alexander Neef, stated that the company will be showing productions of “La Bohème,” as well as concerts by the Academy and Les Arts Florissants. There will also be a recital by {…}
(Credit: © Pascal Albandopooulos) Opéra National du Rhin has announced that the Slovakian tenor Pavol Breslik has canceled his recital in Strasbourg on Oct. 21, 2020. The opera house stated that the reason for cancelation is the indisposition, not COVID-19 related. The cancelation comes after Breslik pulled out of the last two performances of Bizet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles” on {…}
(Credit: Tulane University) American soprano Ruth Falcon died on Oct. 9, 2020, at the age of 77. Falcon graduated from Loyola University of the South and Tulane University. She made her first appearance at the New York City Opera in the role of Micaëla in Bizet’s “Carmen.” Falcon made her first high-profile debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1989, {…}
(Credit: Mikołaj Mikołajczyk) Famed Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecień has announced that he will end his singing career due to ongoing health issues. Kwiecień told the Polish media that he had undergone his first spinal surgery in New York, sustaining a slipped disc injury during a performance of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” at the Metropolitan Opera House. The issue reappeared after a {…}