Gustavo Dudamel, Pretty Yende, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha & Nicholas Brownlee Lead LA Philharmonic’s 2025-26 Season

The LA Philharmonic has announced its 2025-26 season. Gustavo Dudamel and Los Angeles Master Chorale perform Ellen Reid and Strauss. Performance Dates: Sept. 25-28, 2025 Gustavo Dudamel conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with soloists Chen Reiss and Beth Taylor. Performance Dates: Oct. 9-12, 2025 Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts a program of music by Debussy, Gabriella Smith, and Scriabin with soloists Pekka {…}

Mar 16, 2025

Jonas Kaufmann, Sonya Yoncheva, Diana Damrau, Rolando Villazon, Asmik Grigorian, Ludovic Tézier, Jonathan Tetelman, Serena Sáenz & Sondra Radvanovsky Lead Bayerische Staatsoper’s 2025-26 Season

The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Maurizio Benini conducts Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a new production by Barbara Wysocka. Bekhzod Davronov, Igor Golovatenko, Ludovic Tézier, Serena Sáenz, Nadine Sierra, Riccardo Fassi, and Elmina Hasan star. Performance Dates: March 7-24, 2026 & July 28 & 31, 2026 Lotte de Beer directs a new production of Gounod’s “Faust” with Jonathan {…}

Dec 30, 2024

OperaWire’s 10 Operas to See in the 2025 Spring/Winter Season

The year is at an end. But a new year brings new opera experiences and here at OperaWire, we are pumped for the potential of numerous performances. Here are the 10 productions we are most excited for in the first half of the 2025, in alphabetical order (and each company is limited to a single production on the list). Die {…}

Dec 20, 2024

Paris Opera Play Unveils Streaming Slate for January & February 2025

The Opéra National de Paris has announced the streaming slate for Paris Opera Play during the months of January and February. First up is “Vissi d’arte – Gala Maria Callas,” starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Pretty Yende, Kate Lindsey, and Eve-Maud Hubeaux. Eun Sun Kim conducted the gala, which was be directed by Robert Carsen. The event took place in December 2023. {…}

Dec 11, 2024

Pretty Yende, Lawrence Brownlee, Daniela Barcellona & Vasilisa Berzhanskaya Lead Rossini Opera Festival’s 2025 Season

The Rossini Opera Festival has announced its 2025 season. The 46th edition of the event will take place from August 10 to 22, 2025. Operas The festival will open with a new production of “Zelmira,” conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti. The production will be directed by Spanish director Calixto Bieito, making his debut in Pesaro. Pretty Yende stars in the title {…}

Dec 4, 2024

Benjamin Bernheim, Julie Fuchs, Pretty Yende, Nadine Sierra Among Headliners of Notre-Dame Reopening Concert

(Photo by Manon Leprevost) On Dec. 7, a concert will be held to commemorate the reopening of Notre Dame. The showcase commences at 9 p.m. local time and will feature numerous classical music stars, including several opera superstars. Among them are Pretty Yende, Nadine Sierra, Benjamin Bernheim, and Julie Fuchs, all regulars of the Opéra National de Paris. Also on {…}

Nov 28, 2024

Pretty Yende & Xabier Anduaga Lead New ‘La Fille du Régiment’ at Bayerische Staatsoper

The Bayerische Staatsoper is set to present a new production of Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment.” The new production will be directed by Damiano Michieletto, who is returning to the Bayerische Staatsoper after his acclaimed “Aida.” The show centers on the search for one’s own identity and Michieletto explains, “The story moves between two levels – nature and the city. Nature {…}

Oct 29, 2024

Pretty Yende & Lea Desandre Headline Acte 4’s 2024-25 Season

Acte 4 has announced its 2024-25 season. This article only features vocal works. Sopranos Emőke Baráth and Lauranne Oliva, countertenor Tim Mead, tenor Robin Tritschler, and baritone Benjamin Appl are soloists in Handel’s “Messiah.” They are joined by The Spiritual Concert orchestra and choir and directed by Hervé Niquet. Performance Dates: December 11, 2024 Mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre sings Sapho, Iphise and Eglé {…}

Oct 24, 2024

Jessica Pratt, Carmen Giannattasio, Anastasia Bartoli & Juliana Grigoryan Lead Teatro Comunale di Bologna’s 2025 Season

The Teatro Comunale di Bologna has announced its 2025 season. Opera The season opens with Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West” with Riccardo Frizza conducting a cast that includes Carmen Giannattasio, Angelo Villari, and Claudio Sgura. Paul Curran directs. Another cast includes Ann Petersen, Amadi Lagha, and Gustavo Castillo. Performance Dates: Jan. 24-30, 2025 Jessica Pratt, Giovanni Sala, Marko Mimica, and Lucas Meachem lead Donizetti’s {…}

Sep 26, 2024

Benjamin Bernheim & Christian Van Horn Lead HD Performance of Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Les Contes d’Hoffmann’

(Credit: Karen Almond / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera’s 2024-25 live in HD series is set to open with Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” The opera will be shown in HD on Oct. 5 with Benjamin Bernheim taking on the lead role. The HD will mark his second following his acclaimed run of Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette.” He will be joined by {…}

Sep 24, 2024

CD Review: Jonas Kaufmann’s ‘Puccini: Love Affairs’

“Puccini: Love Affairs” is Sony Classical’s response to the marketing of the centenary of the Lucchese composer’s death. Sadly, instead of a complete opera recording, it is yet another compilation (in the fullest sense!) of familiar duets, and an aria from “Tosca” and “La Bohème” each. Jonas Kaufmann – its titular singer – represents the main selling point. The German {…}