Elīna Garanča, Cecilia Bartoli & Thomas Blondelle Lead Lucerne Festival’s 2025 Summer Seson

The Lucerne Festival has announced its 2025 summer season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. The Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Riccardo Chailly perform Mahler with Elīna Garanča. Performance Date: August 15, 2025 The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra and Keri-Lynn Wilson perform Strauss and Beethoven. Rachel Willis-Sørensen is the guest soloist. Performance Date: August 18, 2025 Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di {…}

Oct 30, 2024

Metropolitan Opera 2024-25 Review: Il Trovatore

(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) You’ve heard the cliché that Caruso famously said about doing a production of “Il Trovatore…” You know it. I won’t repeat it. The spirit of the idea stands, but the reality is that it takes far more than just sticking four superstars on stage and letting magic happen. It doesn’t always work that way. {…}

Oct 25, 2024

Michael Fabiano & Rachel Willis-Sørensen Lead Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Il Trovatore’

(Credit: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera) The Metropolitan Opera is set to revive Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” with Michael Fabiano singing the lead role of Manrico. The American tenor will make his role debut in Sir David McVicar’s acclaimed Goya-inspired production. Manrico will also be performed by Gwyn Hughes Jones in the final two performances, reprising the last role he sang at the {…}

Sep 3, 2024

Xabier Anduaga, Michael Spyres, Jamie Barton, J’Nai Bridges, Rachel Willis-Sørensen Headline 2024 Richard Tucker Gala

(Image courtesy of Richard Tucker Foundation) The Richard Tucker Foundation has announced its 2024 gala, scheduled for Oct. 27, 2024. This year’s event will feature the talents of Xabier Anduaga and Michael Spyres, who are presented as a special guest. He is joined by past winners including Jamie Barton (Richard Tucker Award 2015), Stephanie Blythe (1999 Richard Tucker Award), J’Nai {…}

Aug 23, 2024

National Symphony Orchestra Presents Strauss Concerts

(Credit: Andrew Eccles) The National Symphony Orchestra is set to open its 2024–2025 season with a variety of concerts featuring classics, new works, and collaborations. In a statement, Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, The Roger Sant and Congresswoman Doris Matsui Chair said, “It is a joy for me to be returning to Washington, D.C., to open my eighth season as Music {…}

Jul 8, 2024

Santa Fe Opera Announces New Cast Change for ‘Don Giovanni’

The Santa Fe Opera has announced that international soprano and former Santa Fe Opera Apprentice singer Rachel Willis-Sørensen will join the cast of “Don Giovanni.” The soprano will perform the role of Donna Anna for six performances between July 29 and August 23. Recently, Apprentice singer Rachel Fitzgerald made her Santa Fe Opera debut in the role, with performances on June {…}

May 13, 2024

Anna Netrebko, Juan Diego Flórez, Diana Damrau, Lise Davidsen, René Pape & Rachel Willis-Sørensen Lead Staatsoper Unter Den Linden’s 2024-25 Season

The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Luca Salsi and Anna Netrebko team up for Verdi’s “Nabucco.” Ivan Magrì, Marina Prudenskaya, and René Pape join them. Anastasia Bartoli also performs. Bertrand de Billy conducts the new production by Emma Dante. Performance Dates: Oct. 2-26, 2024 Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” receives a new production featuring multiple casts. {…}

May 3, 2024

Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Benjamin Appl, Sir Bryn Terfel, Roderick Williams, Elena Pankratova Headline Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2024-25 Season

(Credit: Chris Christodoulou) The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a rundown of the vocal performances on offer. The season opens with a concert featuring soprano Sarah Wegener. The program includes Strauss’ “Four Last Songs” and works by Juan Bautista Plaza and Mahler. Domingo Hindoyan conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. 17 & 20, 2024 Next up is {…}

Apr 30, 2024

Pretty Yende, Sonya Yoncheva, Juan Diego Flórez, Allan Clayton, Lise Davidsen, & Lisette Oropesa Lead Royal Opera House’s 2024-25 Season

The Royal Opera House has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the season. Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” will open the season with a cast that includes Luca Micheletti, Ying Fang, Huw Montague Rendall, Jacquelyn Stucker, and Ginger Costa-Jackson. Performance Dates: Sept. 2-15, 2024 Verdi’s “La Traviata” will feature two casts. The first cast will be headlined {…}

Mar 16, 2024

Jonas Kaufmann, Elīna Garanča, Nicholas Brownlee, Lisette Oropesa, Pretty Yende & Christopher Maltman Lead Bayerische Staatsoper’s 2024-25 Season

The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Tobias Krazter directs a new production of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” with Nicholas Brownlee, Milan Siljanov, Sean Panikkar, Markus Brück, Matthias Klink, Matthew Rose, Timo Riihonen, Ekaterina Gubanova, Mirjam Mesak, and Wiebke Lehmkuhl. Vladimir Jurowski conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. 27, 2024-July 31, 2025 Damiano Michieletto directs Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment” with {…}

Mar 14, 2024

Sondra Radvanovsky, Morris Robinson, Rachel Willis-Sørensen & Thomas Hampson Lead National Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-25 Season

The National Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances on offer. Eugene Rogers conducts Morris Robinson in a program that includes music by Jessie Montgomery, Aaron Copland, and Carlos Simon. Performance Date: Sept. 14, 2024 Gianandrea Noseda and Rachel Willis-Sørensen join forces for music by Carlos Simon, Strauss, and Beethoven. Performance Dates: Oct. {…}

Rachel Willis-Sorensen