Renée Fleming, Isabel Leonard, Ana María Martínez & Rusell Thomas Lead LA Opera’s 2023-24 Season

LA Opera has announced its 2023-24 season. Lucas Meachem, Guanqun Yu, Isabel Leonard, Anthony León, Craig Colclough, Meigui Zhang, Alan Williams, and Peixin Chen star in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” James Conlon conducts Kasper Holten. Performance Dates: Sept. 23–Oct. 15, 2023 Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” will star Emmett O’Hanlon, Isabel Leonard, Edgardo Rocha, Paolo Bordogna, and Luca Pisaroni. Louis Lohraseb conducts {…}

Jan 30, 2023

Russell Thomas to Give Recital at LA Opera

(Credit: Fay Fox) Tenor Russell Thomas will perform a recital on Feb. 25, 2023 at the Los Angeles Opera’s Zipper Concert Hall. Thomas, who is also the company’s Artist-in-Residence, will present a program of new music created by three Black composers. The works include “Love and Light” by Jasmine Barnes, based on text by Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton; Damien Geter’s “Annunciation” {…}

Dec 31, 2022

Opéra National de Paris 2022-23 Review: La Forza del Destino

In very direct terms: Paris’s “La Forza del Destino” is the best production of the opera company this season so far. The success is living proof of the golden rule of opera: great music with great musicians make opera (always) great. It seems to be an easy rule, but it is often forgotten. “La Forza” is an Opera with capital {…}

Dec 3, 2022

Rafael Dávila to Sing Final Performance of ‘Don Carlo’ at Metropolitan Opera

(Credit: Ken Howard) Russell Thomas has canceled the final performance of “Don Carlo” at the Metropolitan Opera on Dec. 3. As the result, the company has announced that Rafael Dávila will sing the title role. This is the third time that Dávila takes the stage in this production. He also replaced Thomas on Nov. 7, 2022 and Nov. 30, 2022. {…}

Nov 30, 2022

Metropolitan Opera Announces Major Cast Change for ‘Don Carlo’

(Credit: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera) Rafael Dávila is set to take the stage for Verdi’s “Don Carlo” at the Metropolitan Opera for the performance on Nov. 30, 2022. The company made the announcement via social media. He will take over for tenor Russell Thomas. This is the second time that Dávila takes the stage in this production. He also replaced Thomas {…}

Nov 21, 2022

Review: Richard Tucker Gala 2022

Photos: Dario Acosta The Richard Tucker Award and Gala came back in full force after two years with no awards. A galaxy of operatic stars was on hand for the event held in the newly renovated David Geffen Hall, which was designed to remedy the venue’s seemingly intractable issue with—of all things—acoustics. (Geffen Hall is the home of the New {…}

Nov 5, 2022

Metropolitan Opera 2022-23 Review: Don Carlo

(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) ***This review was written in collaboration with David Salazar*** But before we get to the opera, let’s kick things off by addressing the elephant in the room. Last season, the Met Opera opened this very opera with a potent political act – the performance of the Ukrainian national anthem. In a time of war {…}

Nov 2, 2022

Artist of the Week: Russell Thomas

Russell Thomas is one of today’s great Verdi tenors. He has performed all over the world in some of the composer’s most difficult roles, garnering great acclaim. This week he returns to the Metropolitan Opera for his first headliner. Thomas made his debut at the Met in 2005 as the Heralder in “Don Carlo” and has since performed supporting roles {…}

Oct 29, 2022

Russell Thomas Leads Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Don Carlo’

(Credit: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera) Verdi’s “Don Carlo” is set to return to the Metropolitan Opera for nine performances in the four-act Italian version. The opera, which is set to be performed between Nov. 3 and Dec. 3, 2022 will star Russell Thomas in the title role. Interestingly, Thomas will sing “Don Carlo” at the Met for the first time, 17 years {…}

Oct 22, 2022

Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Sonya Yoncheva, & Juan Diego Flórez Among Headliners at Festpielhaus Baden-Baden’s 2023 Season

The Baden-Baden Festspielhaus has announced its 2023 season which will celebrate its 25th anniversary. The season opens with Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tézier singing famous duets from operas by Verdi, Puccini and Ponchielli. Performance Dates: Jan. 8, 2023 Osterfestpiele Baden-Baden Kirill Petrenko conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker in Strauss’ “De Frau ohne Schatten.” Paul Zoller directs a cast that includes Iréne {…}

Jul 18, 2022

Royal Opera House 2021-22 Review: Otello

Photo: Clive Barda 2022 ROH This first revival of Keith Warner’s production of Verdi’s “Otello” (libretto by longstanding collaborator Arrigo Boito) comes with a frisson of contextual excitement. Warner’s expressionist production opened in 2017 starring Gregory Kunde and Jonas Kaufmann, and tried to give the piece a more existentialist reading that turned away from the problems that skin color presents {…}