Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Flórez, Aleksandra Kurzak Headline Opernhaus Zürich Streams Throughout January & February

(Images source: MEZZO TV website) Opernhaus Zürich will broadcast three operas on MEZZO TV throughout January and February 2021. First up will be Bellini’s operatic jewel “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” featuring Joyce DiDonato in the role of Romeo, Olga Kulchynska as Giulietta, Benjamin Bernheim in the role of Tebaldo, Alexei Botnarciuc as Capellio, and Erik Anstine as Lorenzo. Opernhaus {…}

Jan 16, 2021

Obituary: Elijah Moshinsky Dies at 75

(Credit: Opera Australia official website) Celebrated Australian opera director Elijah Moshinsky has died at the age of 75. Moshinsky graduated from the University of Melbourne and made his operatic debut in 1975 at the Royal Opera House with a production of Britten’s opera “Peter Grimes.” The famed director went on to stage a number of highly successful productions at the {…}

Jan 4, 2021

Obituary: Hungarian Baritone Sándor Sólyom-Nagy Dies at 79

(Credit: Csudai Sándor-Origo) Famed Hungarian baritone Sándor Sólyom-Nagy has died at the age of 79. Sólyom-Nagy graduated from the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest in 1966. He became a member of the ensemble of the Hungarian State Opera, and quickly became one of the leading baritones. Sólyom-Nagy also performed on the stages of the Wiener Staatsoper and the Bayerische {…}

Dec 29, 2020

Obituary: Tenor Angelo Mori Dies at 86

Famed Italian tenor Angelo Mori has died at the age of 86. Mori studied at the Scuola di Teatro La Fenice. He made his operatic debut in 1962 in the role of Duca di Mantua in Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” His vast repertory included roles of Don José in Bizet’s “Carmen,” Don Alvaro in Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino,” Radames in “Aida,” {…}

Dec 27, 2020

Gran Teatre Del Liceu To Stream Trio of Verdi Operas Throughout Holiday Season

(Image source: MEZZO TV) The Gran Teatre Del Liceu will broadcast three operas by Verdi on MEZZO TV throughout the holiday season. First up will be “Rigoletto” starring tenor Javier Camarena in the role of Duca di Mantua, soprano Desirée Rancatore as Gilda, bass Ante Jerkunica as Sparafucile, and baritone Carlos Álvarez in the title role. Riccardo Frizza conducted the {…}

Dec 13, 2020

Russian Baritone Boris Statsenko Hospitalized With COVID-19

(Credit: Deutsche Oper am Rhein official website) Famed Russian baritone Boris Statsenko has posted on his Facebook account that he is in the hospital, being treated for a heavy form of COVID-19. “I am positive for COVID-19, and my lungs have suffered 50% damage,” wrote Statsenko on his social media account. Statsenko has appeared on many international operatic stages, including {…}

Nov 11, 2020

Todd Thomas, Sarah Coburn, and Morris Robinson Feature in Tulsa Opera’s Baseball Staging of ‘Rigoletto’

On November 12, 2020, Tulsa Opera is set to launch an audiovisual version of Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” which was performed and filmed in ONEOK Field baseball stadium in October. This “Rigoletto” film will be free to stream worldwide from Tulsa Opera’s YouTube channel and website. Directed by James Robinson, the re-imagined production is the first staged grand opera in the United {…}

Oct 27, 2020

Q & A: Leo Nucci on COVID-19, His Return to the Stage & the Teatro alla Scala

Leo Nucci is one of the most famous baritones in the world. During his career, he has performed dozens of roles, but the one for which he is certainly most famous is that of Rigoletto. He has performed his signature role more than 500 times all over the world including Teatro alla Scala, Arena di Verona, Opernhaus Zurich, Teatro Regio {…}

Oct 21, 2020

Obituary: Lithuanian Bass Vaclovas Daunoras Dies at 84

(Credit: Martyno Aleksos) Famed Lithuanian bass Vaclovas Daunoras has died on Oct. 19, 2020, at the age of 84. He had studied at the Lietuvos muzikos ir teatro akademija from 1957 to 1962 and made his professional debut in 1960 in the role of Escamillo in Bizet’s “Carmen.” Daunoras worked with such organizations as the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theater, {…}

Oct 18, 2020

Word Search: Find the First Name of these Historic Duke of Mantua Interpreters

For this week’s word search, we turn to Verdi’s Rigoletto and ask you to find the first name of these famed Duke of Mantua interpreters throughout history. Instructions: You are free to solve the word search directly on your mobile or desktop device; just click the first and last letter of each word for it to appear on the screen. {…}

Sep 22, 2020

Andrew Harris Steps Into the Cast of ‘Die Walküre’ at Deutsche Oper

(Credit: Deutsche Oper Berlin official website) Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced that bass Andrew Harris will take over the role of Hunding in the upcoming performances of Wagner’s “Die Walküre,” replacing Tobias Kehrer. Harris has performed the roles of Don Basilio in Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” Sparafucile in Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” Masetto in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” and Stefano Colonna in {…}