The theme of the weekend is world premieres. There are a lot of them. That said, we did find some space for a classic opera in there. Roberto Devereux – Los Angeles Opera To kick things off we head to LA where the company will showcase the bel canto masterpiece with Angela Meade as the famed Queen Elisabeth and Ramón {…}
(Credit: Pictures courtesy of the Lyric Opera of Chicago) The Lyric Opera of Chicago’s has announced its 2020-21 season celebrating its 66th season. The season will include three Lyric premieres, two Lyric Original productions, nine operas, three concert events and one musical. Main Stage The first production of the season will be the famed double bill of Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” {…}
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2020-21 season, featuring a number of vocal and orchestral works. For the purpose of this article, we will highlight vocal works. Canadian mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo will take part in a concert featuring Mozart arias conducted by Gustavo Gimeno. Performance Dates: Sept. 23-27, 2020 Soprano Karina Gauvin performs in a concert featuring works by {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl/ Metropolitan Opera) On Jan. 10, 2020 Verdi’s “La Traviata” returned to the stage in Michael Mayer’s production. It was the first revival of the production which scored a divisive reaction from the critics and the audience last season when it premiered. For this revival the Met brought superstar Aleksandra Kurzak, who was taking on the role of {…}
Quinn Kelsey is set to sing the role of Nottingham at the LA Opera in the upcoming production of “Roberto a Devereux.” The LA Opera announced that Kelsey will replace Plácido Domingo, who was originally scheduled to sing the role but canceled amidst allegations of sexual harassment. This season, Kelsey returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for his role {…}
It’s time for another weekend of opera, with a wide range of impressive offerings coming from around the continent. This week’s selections include a number of repertory staples as well as some unique modern operas by living composers. Frida – Atlanta Opera, Georgia The Atlanta Opera closes out its production of “Frida” with two performances on Friday and Sunday. The {…}
Quinn Kelsey has canceled his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” The baritone announced via Instagram that due to a minor surgery after suffering an infection in the abdomen, he was forced to cancel his debut. As a result, George Petean will replace Kelsey in the role of Enrico. Petean will join Pretty Yende, Javier Camarena, and {…}
The Zurich Opera has announced its 2019-20 season which will feature a whopping 11 opera premieres and 17 opera revivals. Premieres “The Makropulos Case” will be the first offering of the season with Evelyn Herlitzius starring as Emilia Marty. Other cast members will include Sam Furness, Kevin Conners, Deniz Uzun, Scott Hendricks, and Spencer Lang, among others. Dmitri Tcherniakov will direct while {…}
Verdi’s “La Traviata” will be showcased on PBS as part of the Great Performances at the Met. The broadcast is set for April 5, 2019 at 9 p.m. The opera showcases Diana Damrau as the tragic heroine in Michael Mayer’s new production. Juan Diego Flórez is Alfredo while Quinn Kelsey is his father Germont. The performance was hosted by Anita {…}
The Festival Castel Peralada has announced its 2019 slate. The festival will feature a number of performances from many different musical genres, but the emphasis here will be on vocal performances or operas. Things kick off with the world prmeiere of “Dialègs de Tirant e Carmesina,” a new chamber opera with music by Joan Magrané and a libretto by March {…}
On March 7, 2019, the Metropolitan Opera was celebrating a historical evening. It was the final performance of Sonja Frisell’s legendary production of “Aida,” which has been around for 31 years. Yet for all the publicity that attracted a rapturous audience, the historical evening was business as usual and an anticlimax. The performance featured no tribute or any type of {…}
