Many opera companies get back in on the action this weekend from all around the country in one of the busier weekends of the season. The Dallas Opera makes its great return on Friday, March 10 with a production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Hui He stars in the leading role with Gianluca Terranova, Lucas Meachem and Manuela Custer rounding out the {…}
The Houston Grand Opera makes a big return as opera companies slowly but surely get prepared for the spring. Houston’s opening comes on Friday Jan. 20 with a production of John Adams’ “Nixon in China.” Scott Hendricks, Andriana Chuchman and Chad Shelton lead the production which will also take the stage on Sunday, Jan. 22. The Metropolitan Opera continues its {…}
Having a hard time catching the explosive chemistry between superstars Vittorio Grigolo and Diana Damrau at the Metropolitan Opera in this year’s “Roméo et Juliette?” You can catch them in cinemas this weekend anywhere in the world on Saturday, Jan. 21., 2017 As part of the Met’s Live in HD series, the company will showcase the third-to-last performance of this {…}
Juan Diego Flórez returns to live streams world wide on Wed. Feb. 1, 2017 in a performance of Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” starring Aida Garifullina under the baton of Plácido Domingo live from the Vienna State Opera. The performance kicks off at 7 p.m. local time and runs through 10 p.m. (around 1 p.m. for those on the Eastern Standard {…}
As opera lovers prepare for a new cast in Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette,” Stephen Costello and Pretty Yende will preview arias and duets on Valentine’s Day. The two singers will participate in WQXR’S Classical Beer Jam at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in downtown Manhattan, marking their first public appearance together. The event will take place on Feb. 14 and {…}
Another weekend in 2017, even more operatic activity around the United States. Of course the Metropolitan Opera continues its busy schedule with “Il Barbiere di Sivilgia,” “La Bohème” and “Roméo et Juliette” the three major offerings with such stars as Javier Camarena, Pretty Yende, Ailyn Pérez, Michael Fabiano, Vittorio Grigolo and Diana Damrau leading the casts for their respective operas {…}
Joseph Calleja will appear in the Official Opening Concert of the 2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. The tenor made the announcement via social media on Thursday. He will perform selections from “Die Zauberflöte,” Flotow’s “Martha,” “Roméo et Juliette,” “Werther,” “Tosca,” “Le Cid” and a number of Verdi operas including “Rigoletto” {…}
French soprano Géori Boué passed away on Thursday at the age of 98. The singer was born on October 16, 1918 in Toulouse and managed an exemplary career in her native country. She studied at the Music Conservatory in Touluse, taking on voice with Claude Jean, piano and harp. She made her debut in Toulouse in 1938 and rose to fame {…}
The weekend of Jan. 6-8 will see the return of many prominent opera companies around the country after a lengthy holiday hiatus. The Metropolitan Opera, which continues throughout the year, will feature three popular works including “La Boheme,” an HD performance of Verdi’s “Nabucco” and evening showcase of Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” starring Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo. Nabucco stars {…}
This review is written for the performance on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. Romeo and Juliette are undeniably the most famous couple in all of western literature and quite possibly the world. In hands of the famous bard, the two star-crossed teens fighting for their love in the midst of a family feud is one filled with tremendous emotional weight and {…}
Rising opera star Pretty Yende will be performing on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday evening. She will be the live performance segment of the show, which will also feature Oprah Winfrey. Colbert has invited prominent opera stars before to be on his show. In 2012, he featured Placido Domingo in a memorable episode that saw the two {…}