(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 {…}
(Credit: Michael Cooper) “People are craving music and all the healing, soothing, and bonding elements it provides.” American-Canadian soprano superstar Sondra Radvanovsky was in Rio de Janeiro on March 13, 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in full force. Radvanovsky was slated to perform at the Theatro Municipal, but the performance ended up being canceled. Faced with a {…}
The Opéra National de Paris will continue its “Avant-Premières Jeunes” during the 2020-21 season. The program allows anyone under the age of 28 to purchase discounted tickets (10 euros) for nine distinct performances throughout the season. The goal of the program is to ensure increased access to the theater for younger audiences. The program started back in 2015 and since {…}
(Credit: Oberon’s Grove) French coloratura soprano Christiane Eda-Pierre has died at the age of 88. Eda-Pierre was born in Fort-de-France, capital of Martinique. She came to France to finish her studies at Conservatoire de Paris and in 1957, she made her professional debut in the role of Leïla in Bizet’s “Les pêcheurs de perles.” She went on to perform at {…}
The Opéra National de Paris has announced that it will reopen its doors to the public after the six-month hiatus. The opera house has confirmed in the press release that the Opéra Bastille will reopen on November 23, with the premiere of the first night of the Ring Festival in the concert form. Per the press release, the fully staged {…}
(Credit: Jean-Baptiste-Millot / Sarah Bouasse) The Paris Opera will present two gala performances on July 13 and 14 at the Palais Garnier. The “Concert Solidaire” will honor those that have put their lives on the line over the past few months to manage the COVID-19 crisis. The performances will feature Julie Fuchs, Stéphane Degout, the Orchestre de l’Opéra national de {…}
Operations to renovate certain parts of stage equipment at the Paris Opera has been approved by the organization’s Board of Directors with work slated to begin July 2020. Originally planned for the 2021 off-season, the move advances possibilities for broader programming by mid-2021 when the opera anticipates an environment more conducive to presenting performances. The Palais Garnier stage will be {…}
The Opéra National de Paris has announced its streaming slate for the next month. Starting on Monday, May 25, the company will stream “Boris Godunov.” The opera stars Ildar Abdrazakov, Evdokia Malevskaya, Ruzan Mantashyan, Alexandra Durseneva, Maxim Paster, Boris Pinkhasovich, Ain Anger, Dmitry Golovnin, Evgeny Nikitin, and Peter Bronder. The Mussorgsky opera will stream until May 31, 2020. Then starting on June 1, audiences will get a {…}
(Credit: Vincent Pontet) The Opéra National de Paris is streaming its production of Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” between May 11-17. The production, which is available on the company’s website or through CultureBox, stars soprano Nadine Sierra, Lawrence Brownlee, Florian Sempey, Michele Pertusi, and Frédéric Guieu. The work is conducted by Evelino Pidò and directed by Damiano Michieletto. “Michieletto has a touch {…}
The Opéra National de Paris will lose up to 40 million euros as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with France Inter, Stéphane Lissner, the company’s general director mentioned a cumulative loss, noting that many plans for the 2020-21 season could be disrupted heavily as a result. In the interview, Lissner also mentioned that the protocols for {…}