(Photo: Studio UV – Fondazione Teatro Donizetti) At the beginning of the 1840s, Gaetano Donizetti was the most celebrated Italian opera composer in Europe. After conquering Paris with adaptations of his Italian successes and new works such as “La fille du régiment” and “La favorite,” his life unfolded in constant travel between the continent’s principal musical centers. He composed with {…}
Ennio Morricone’s sole opera “Partenope” will receive its world premiere at Teatro San Carlo. The work will be performed on Dec. 12 and 14 and will be conducted by Riccardo Frizza. The new Teatro San Carlo production will be entrusted to the vision of Vanessa Beecroft who will work alongside Daniela Ciancio and Danilo Rubeca. The cast will include Jessica {…}
The Musicians Foundation will present “Behind the Baton: Insights from a Maestro” on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. The event, scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the United Palace Theater in New York City, will feature Riccardo Frizza, Musical and Artistic Director of the Donizetti Opera Festival, in conversation with opera expert Fred Plotkin. Frizza is in the midst of {…}
Riccardo Frizza has canceled his upcoming performance of “Maria Padilla” at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville. The conductor took to social media and said, “Dear friends of Teatro de la Maestranza, with all my regret I have to cancel my debut with ‘Maria Padilla’ in concert form, scheduled for May 2. It was a date I was looking {…}
Back in 2022, the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo featured a production of Donizetti’s “La Favorite” using a new critical French edition and with no cuts (including the whole ballet). For that occasion Ricardo Frizza was the conductor. Now, a few years later, ABAO Bilbao is bringing back that same Bergamo production, in coproduction with Opéra National de Bordeaux, as well {…}
Ricardo Frizza has been named the new Artistic Director of the Donizetti Opera Festival. The news was announced following a Dec. 4 Board of Directors of the Fondazione Teatro Donizetti meeting. The Board unanimously voted to appoint Frizza as the new artistic director. The appointment marks a continuation of the festival’s ongoing success and stability, as Frizza has also served {…}
The Festival Verdi is set to present Verdi’s “Attila” in two concert performances. Riccardo Frizza will return to the festival to conduct after his acclaimed performances of “Simon Boccanegra” in 2022. He will lead a cast that includes Giorgi Manoshvili as Attila, George Petean as Ezio, Marta Torbidoni as Odabella, and Luciano Ganci as Foresto. Frizza will conduct the Filarmonica {…}
Riccardo Frizza has been named “Cavaliere dell’Ordine al merito della Repubblica” in Italy. The conductor took to social media to thank President Sergio Mattarella and thanked consul Cappelli Bigazzi for awarding him the honor during a ceremony in Tenerife on the day of the Festa della Repubblica. This summer the Italian conductor leads a production of “Maria Stuarda” at the {…}
On March 23, 2024, Müpa’s Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest will showcase Riccardo Frizza in Mahler’s Symphony No.8. Frizza will lead the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the best of the male, female, and children’s choirs. Soloists include Csilla Boross, Kinga Kriszta, Ágnes Molnár, Szilvia Vörös, Atala Schöck, Boldizsár László, Levente Molnár, and Simon Lim. In a statement {…}
(Film still: provided by Unison Media & IMAX) “Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing: Venice (2023)” debuted in IMAX theaters on September 16, 2023. This very special feature-length film captures the most beautiful parts of Venice and explores opera’s nuanced details in vivid IMAX and Stage Access display. Fleming’s natural gift for storytelling and enriching the minds of audiences through her {…}
The Teatro Grande di Brescia is set to present Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The performances will feature the first time Riccardo Frizza conducts the opera in a return to his hometown. He will lead a cast that includes Vittoria Yeo, Sergio Escobar, Asude Karayavuz, and Devid Cecconi. Greek director Rodula Gaitanou will helm the production which is set to be performed on {…}
