The Canadian Opera Company is set to present Verdi’s “Macbeth” in a new production Sir. David McVicar. The production, which will star Quinn Kelsey in the title role and Sondra Radvanovsky as Lady Macbeth, will be performed at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts between April 28 and May 20, 2023. Kelsey will make his role debut as {…}
Opera Philadelphia has announced its 2023-24 season. Dubbed Festival 023, the company will bring music to venues around the city. The following productions are included in the Festival. The world premiere of composer Rene Orth and librettist Hannah Moscovitch’s “Ten Days in a Madhouse,” starring Kiera Duffy, Will Liverman, and Raehann Bryce-Davis. Joanna Settle directs, and Daniela Candillari conducts. The work is co-commissioned {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) Thirty-four years ago, Sonja Frisell’s monumental “Aida” production premiered at the Met to tremendous success. Not only did it become one of the company’s most beloved productions due to its elegant and epic sets that recreated Egyptian architecture. The production had horses, large crowds of people, and extravagant costumes. It was what operagoers wanted {…}
The Metropolitan Opera will reprise Verdi’s “Aida” in a staging by Sonja Frisell, which will mark the last time the production will be seen on the Met stage. The production, which premiered in 1988, has been performed over 240 times and features production designer Gianni Quaranta’s sets. The revival will be performed 15 times from Dec. 3, 2022 through April {…}
(Credit: Curtis Brown) In a recent interview with OperaWire, composer Lori Laitman noted that Verdi’s “Rigoletto” was among her favorite operas. “Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’ is one of my favorites and the use of music to reveal the horrific fact that the Duke is still alive is so chilling,” she noted. Taking in the work on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 for the {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) Update: Quinn Kelsey has provided a statement regarding his withdrawal from the Paris Opera productions. He said, “I have had to cancel my contracts this season at the Opéra National de Paris in order to welcome the arrival of my daughter, scheduled to ‘make her debut’ in February 2023. I love my work, but my {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is set to revive Vedi’s “Rigoletto” for 14 performances. The opera, which is set to run between Nov. 10 and Dec. 29, will showcase Benjamin Bernheim in his highly anticipated company debut as Duke. He will share the run with Stephen Costello. Baritone Quinn Kelsey and soprano Rosa Feola will reprise their roles of Rigoletto and Gilda {…}
(Credit: Evan Zimmerman) Met audiences love “La Bohème.” The company has staged the opera 1,356 times over the past 122 years and has presented the Zeffirelli production for the last 40. The years-long affair with Puccini’s story of Parisian bohemians centers on one of the most potent motivating forces in our lives: love, and we like to see romance play {…}
PBS’s Great Performances at the Met will continue on June 17 with a presentation of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” The opera, which was directed by Bartlett Sher, stars Quinn Kelsey, Piotr Beczala and Rosa Feola. Conductor Daniele Rustioni leads the cast and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard hosts the program. Of an early performance in the run, OperaWire’s review noted that Feola “brought beautiful {…}
The Canadian Opera Company has announced its 2022-23 season featuring seven productions and a world premiere. The season kicks off with Richard Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” directed by Christopher Alden and stars Danish bass-baritone Johan Reuter. The cast also includes Marjorie Owens as Senta, Franz-Josef Selig, Miles Mykkanen, Christopher Ventris, and Rosie Aldridge. COC Music Director Johannes Debus leads the {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced a cast change for its performance of “Tosca” on Feb. 12, 2022. The company noted that Quinn Kelsey will step into the role of Scarpia taking over for Markus Marquardt who, unfortunately, had to cancel at short notice. Kelsey is currently at the Semperoper rehearsing a new production of “Aida” which is set to open on {…}
