Plácido Domingo, Mirella Freni, Anna Netrebko Headline La Scala’s Streaming Options This Week (April 20-26)

(Credit: Brescia e Amisano) The Teatro alla Scala has announced its upcoming opera streams via Raiplay and Rai5. On Monday, April 20, the company will present Mozart’s “Lucio Silla” on Raiplay with Kresimir Spicer, Lenneke Ruiten, Marianne Crebassa, Inga Kalna, and Giulia Semenzato. On that same day, Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco” will be presented on Rai5 with Anna Netrebko, Francesco Meli, {…}

Mar 26, 2020

Jonas Kaufmann, Patricia Petibon & Sonya Yoncheva Lead Théâtre des Champs-Elysées’ 2020-21 Season

(Credit:Javier del Real/© Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical/ Bernard Martinez) The Théâtre des Champs-Elysées has announced its 2020-21 season featuring a vast array of programs and stars. Here are opera and vocal performance highlights of the season: Operas Handel’s Messiah is set to be directed by Robert Wilson with Marc Minkowski conducting. The cast includes Elena Tsallagova, Helena Rasker, Richard {…}

Mar 3, 2020

Rolando Villazón, René Pape, Anja Harteros Highlight Semperoper Dresden’s 2020-21 Season

(Credit: Jiyang Chen / Marco Borggreve) The Semperoper Dresden has announced its 2020-21 season featuring seven new operatic productions and a number of revivals. Here is a look at the operatic productions. Premieres The first new production of the season will be Rossini’s “Guillaume Tell,” written by de Jouy and Bis. The new production by Georg Schmiedleitner will star Christoph {…}

Feb 29, 2020

Q&A: Soprano Elena Tsallagova on Her Love for Mozart, Learning from Ileana Cotrubas, Russian Roots

(Credit: Allan Richard Tobis) Russian lyric coloratura soprano Elena Tsallagova is a member of the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. She has performed on a number of the biggest opera stages in the world, including Opéra National de Paris and Lyric Opera of Chicago, among others. Known for her deep vocal versatility and theatrical prowess, Tsallagova has performed title {…}

Jan 16, 2020

Rolando Villazón & Emőke Baráth Lead CD/DVD Release – Week Of Jan. 13

This week three new albums are set for release including a compilation by one of the great Mozart interpreters of our time and a complete opera recording of one of Handel’s first works. Mozartismo This new album is a personal retrospective including Rolando Villazón’s favorite tracks, with famous arias from his recordings of Mozart operas “Don Giovanni,” “Cosi fan tutte,” {…}

Jan 10, 2020

Rolando Villazón, Elena Tsallagova, Florian Boesch, Christiane Karg Among Major Figures of Mozart Week 2020

Mozart Week 2020 will be taking place in Salzburg, from January 23 to February 2, 2020. The festival will showcase several important works by the famed composer with “Der Messias” coming into spotlight. Robert Wilson will stage the “Messiah,” one of the four Händel oratorios which Mozart subtly reworked. The great composer translated the text into German, re-ordered the work, {…}

Dec 17, 2019

Rolando Villazón Directs New Production Of ‘I Puritani’

On Dec. 18, 2019, Bellini’s “I Puritani” is set to open at the Deustsche Oper am Rhein in a new production by Rolando Villazón. The new production is set to star Operalia award winners Adela Zaharia and Ioan Hotea in their debuts as Elvira and Arturo. Antonino Fogliani conducts the production which will open at the Opernhaus Düsseldorf. In a {…}

Aug 1, 2019

Rolando Villazón & Poul Ruders Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Three releases lead this week with one continuing a Mozart series and another featuring a world premiere. The Thirteenth Child Poul Ruders’ latest opera gets a world premiere recording following the first performances at the Santa Fe Opera. The cast includes Sarah Shafer as Princess Lyra, Tamara Mumford as Queen Gertrude/Ghost of Gertrude, Ashraf Sewailam as Drokan, Alasdair Kent as Prince {…}

Jun 6, 2019

Rolando Villazón To Make Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Debut

Rolando Villazón is set to make his Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod debut at the festival’s Classical Gala on Jul. 2, 2019. According to the press release, the star tenor is honored to be following in the footsteps of Luciano Pavarotti, who “first sang [on the Llangollen stage] with his father’s choir from Modena in Italy in 1955 before returning in {…}

May 23, 2019

Conductor James Hendry To Make His Welsh Debut At The 2019 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod

On Jul. 2, 2019, British conductor James Hendry will make his Welsh debut at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. He will lead the British Sinfonietta through an “opera pick and mix” concert, with repertoire ranging from opera to orchestral works to musical theatre. According to the press release, the Kingston upon Hull native’s “raw, emotive conducting style” is inspired by {…}

May 21, 2019

Salle Gaveau 2018-19 Review: Rolando Villazón In Concert

“How is he? How is his voice?” “How was it?” “Do you still like him singing?” I keep hearing these questions from everyone, every single day since I attended Rolando Villazón’s concert in Paris last week. The health issues that have plagued Rolando Villazón and his voice are very well-known around the world and they have been publicized throughout. And {…}

Rolando Villazon