Luciano Pavarotti, Pene Pati, Ermonela Jaho Sandrine Piau, Lea Desandre, Maria Brea, Dame Sarah Connolly, & Arsen Soghomonyan Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week, Decca celebrates Pavarotti while many artists release solo albums. There are also some historical performances that audiences will not want to miss. Songs of Passion The new album is a collection of vocal and instrumental music by John Dowland and Henry {…}

Oct 4, 2025

Mercury Studios Acquires Global Rights* to Pene Pati Documentary, ‘Tenor’

Mercury Studios has acquired the global rights, excluding premiere rights in France and Germany, to “Tenor,” a new feature documentary chronicling the extraordinary rise of Samoan tenor Pene Pati. The film, which is directed by award-winning New Zealand filmmaker Rebecca Tansley and will be released internationally in 2026, combines performances with intimate storytelling. It narrates Pati’s journey from his roots {…}

Sep 23, 2025

Pene Pati to Make North American Debut at Park Avenue Armory

Pene Pati is set to make his North American Solo recital debut at the Park Avenue Armory. The recital will take place on Sept. 24 and 26 and will feature works by Gabriel Fauré, Henri Duparc, Lili Boulanger, Roger Quilter, Benjamin Britten, and Richard Strauss. Ronny Muchael Greenberg will accompany at the piano. Pati is the first Samoan tenor to {…}

Jun 25, 2025

Benjamin Bernheim, Emily D’Angelo & Aigul Akhmetshina Among Opus Klassik 2025 Award Winners

The Opus Klassik Awards have announced the 2025 winners. The Singer of the Year Awards went to Benjamin Bernheim for “Douce France” and Emily D’Angelo for “Freezing.” Joana Mallwitz was awarded the conductor of the year award for The Kurt Weill Album, while Aigul Akhmetshina won Young Artist of the Year for her album Aigul. Pene Pati’s “Nessun Dorma” and {…}

Jun 22, 2025

San Francisco Opera 2024-25 Review: La Bohème

(Photo: Cory Weaver) Some operas are able to provide an opulent reminder of just why opera exists and how it can conquer hearts and minds. Giacomo Puccini’s “La Bohème” is at the top of that list. Even 130 years after its debut, this comedic tragedy, set in the Latin Quarter of Paris, remains the most popular and most frequently produced {…}

Jun 10, 2025

Sonya Yoncheva, Juan Diego Florez, Sabine Devieilhe, Slávka Zámečníková, Elena Villalòn & Matthias Goerne Headline Opéra National de Bordeaux’s 2025-26 Season

The Opéra National de Bordeaux has announced its 2025-26 season. Here are the vocal performances of the season. Opera The season opens with Stephen Sondheim’s “Company” starring Gaétan Borg, Jasmine Roy, Scott Emerson, Jeanne Jerosme, Sinan Bertrand, Marion Préïté, Arnaud Masclet, Camille Mesnard, Eva Gentili, Loïc Suberville, Camille Nicolas, Neïma Naouri, Myriana Hatchi, and Joseph De Cange. Performance Dates: Sept. 24-27, 2025 Hervé Niquet conducts Purcell’s “King Arthur” with Olivia Doray, Robin Tritschler, Cyril Auvity, {…}

May 31, 2025

Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Sondra Radvanovsky, Ludovic Tézier, Aigul Akhmetshina, Marina Rebeka, Pretty Yende, Anita Rachvelishvili & Elīna Garanča Lead Teatro San Carlo’s 2025-26 Season

The Teatro San Carlo has announced its 2025-26 season. The season opens with Riccardo Frizza conducting Cherubini’s “Medea” in a production by Mario Martone. Sondra Radvanovsky stars in the title role alongside Francesco Meli, Giorgi Manoshvili, Désirée Giove, and Anita Rachvelishvili. Performance Dates: Dec. 3-16, 2025 Jessica Pratt, Maria Agresta, Désirée Giove, Francesco Demuro, and Mimmo Borrelli star in Ennio {…}

May 16, 2025

Adriana Gonzalez, Marina Viotti, Pene Pati, John Brancy, Huw Montague Rendall & Sabine Devieilhe Lead Opéra national du Rhin’s 2025-26 Season

The Opéra national du Rhin has announced its 2025-26 season. Mélissa Petit, Julia Lezhneva, Carlo Vistoli, and Krystian Adam star in Handel’s “Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno.” Thibault Noally conducts. Performance Date: Sept. 14, 2025 Issachah Savage and Errin Duane Brooks star in Verdi’s “Otello” alongside Adriana Gonzalez and Daniel Miroslaw. Speranza Scappucci conducts the production by Ted {…}

Apr 30, 2025

Nicole Car & Karen Chia-ling Ho Lead San Francisco Opera’s ‘La Bohème’

San Francisco Opera’s 2025 Summer Season is set to open with Puccini’s “La Bohème.” The company will revive the production by John Caird, and Ramón Tebar will conduct the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. The company will showcase two different casts. The first will showcase Pene Pati as Rodolfo, Karen Chia-ling Ho as Mimì, Andrea Carroll as Musetta, and Lucas Meachem {…}

Apr 6, 2025

Q & A: Pene Pati on Debuts at the Lyric Opera of Chicago & Metropolitan Opera & Singing Verdi & Puccini

Pene Pati is having a breakout season, making important debuts at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera. The tenor has been hailed for his “extraordinary gift for producing a golden thread of sound” and his “round and sunshine-filled voice.” He has won numerous awards around the world including the Opus Klassik Newcomer of the Year Award, Best {…}

Apr 4, 2025

Michael Fabiano, Lea Desandre, Jessica Pratt, Rachel Willis-Sørensen & Matthias Goerne Lead Opéra National du Capitole de Toulouse’s 2025-26 Season

The Opéra National du Capitole de Toulouse has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera Hervé Niquet conducts a production of Massenet’s “Thaïs” with Stefano Poda directing. Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Tassis Christoyannis, and Jean-François Borras star. Performance Dates: Sept. 26-Oct. 5, 2025 Thomas Dunford conducts Handel’s “Theodora” in concert with Lea Desandre, Véronique Gens, Hugh Cutting, Laurence Kilsby, and Alex Rosen. Performance Date: {…}