The Cincinnati May Festival announced its 2025 edition. First up is “All Together Now.” The showcase features the May Festival Chorus, May Festival Youth Chorus, and Cincinnati Boychoir in performance. Performance Date: Feb. 16, 2025 Ramón Tebar conducts Verdi’s “Requiem.” He leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, May Festival Chorus, and Cincinnati Boychoir. Performance Date: May 16, 2025 Matthew Swanson, Jason {…}
(Photo credit: Andrew Eccles) Renée Fleming has been named the Festival Director of the 2025 Cincinnati May Festival. “I’m honored to serve as Festival Director for the 2025 May Festival, and to collaborate with Matthew Swanson and the Chorus,” said Fleming. “Cincinnati is famous for its vibrant music scene, as well as its discerning and engaged audience, giving us the {…}
(Photo credit: Andrew Eccles) The National Arts Centre Orchestra is set to present its 2024 SPHERE Festival in Ottawa. For over 10 days, musicians, actors, dancers, artists, scientists, and community leaders from all over the country will collaborate on performances, conversations, and installations. The multidisciplinary festival’s theme is the vital role of water and rivers. Soprano Renée Fleming will perform {…}
(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 {…}
On August 8, 2024, American soprano Renée Fleming is set to make a guest appearance with the Afghanistan Youth Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The event will be live streamed for free on the center’s Millennium Stage. The ensemble of the displaced, co-educational Afghanistan National Institute of Music will join Fleming for a performance of “You’ll Never {…}
Tulsa Opera has announced its 2024-25 season, which will feature five productions and concerts. “Tulsans love singing, instrumental music, dance, visual art, and theater,” said Artistic Director Aaron Beck in an official press release. “Opera has all of those and more. We chose our 2024-25 season with this in mind – a wide variety of works to cater to a {…}
(Photos: Evan Zimmerman / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera presented the tenth performance of composer Kevin Puts’s “The Hours,” with libretto by Greg Pierce, on Friday, May 10th 2024. In November 2022, OperaWire reviewed “The Hours” debut with great attention towards how the opera came to the Met, including Kevin Puts’s score, Greg Pierce’s libretto, and the undeniable beauty of the {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will experience numerous debut albums, a few complete operas, and some special choral works. Here is a look at the new releases. Orfeo ed Euridice Erato releases Jakub Józef Orliński’s interpretation of Gluck’s masterpiece. Recorded in Orliński’s native city, Warsaw, {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is set to revive Kevin Puts’ “The Hours” for eight performances. The opera, which opens on May 5, will star Kelli O’Hara, Renée Fleming, and Joyce DiDonato, all reprising their roles. Kensho Watanabe returns to the podium and the cast will be rounded out by tenor William Burden, tenor Sean Panikkar, bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen, and bass-baritone Brandon {…}
New Jersey Performing Arts Center has unveiled its 2024-25 season. There is one vocal performance on offer. “Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene with Renée Fleming” features the famed soprano taking on a program inspired by her Grammy-Award winning album of the same title. Xian Zhang conducts the New Jersey Symphony in the concert, which will be accompanied by a film {…}
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performance. Andris Nelsons conducts the opening night concert with Lang Lang and Gina Alice Redlinger as well as Susan Graham and Keila Wakao. The program includes music by Carlos Simon, Ravel, Canteloube, Saint-Saens, and Ravel. Performance Date: Sept. 19, 2024 Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler’s {…}