Photo: David Ruano/Gran Teatre del Liceu Željko Lučić’s Strong Macbeth Serbian baritone Željko Lučić replaced Spanish bass-baritone Carlos Alvarez—who unfortunately had to cancel due to illness—in the role of Macbeth for Verdi’s eponymous opera, currently staged at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu. Lučić has regularly performed at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, where he has given us most of his {…}
(This review is for the Oct. 30, 2022 performance with Anna Netrebko, Jorge de Leon, Ketevan Kemoklidze, Gevorg Hakobyan and Simón Orfila.) The Teatro Real opened its 2022-23 season at the Madrid Coliseum with Verdi’s masterpiece “Aida” (the season had officially opened with five performances of Philip Glass Orphée at Teatro del Canal theatre). Anna Netrebko was originally set to {…}
Spain’s Teatro Villamarta de Jerez has announced its 2022-23 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances of the season. The season opens with “La Tabernera del Puerto” by Sorozabel in a production by the Universidad de Cádiz. Juan Manuel Perez Madueno conducts the production by Miguel Cubero. Performance Date: Oct. 1, 2022 Ruth Rosique and Juan Carlos Garbayo {…}
On April 6, the Bolbaro Opera is set to present Rossini’s “Giovanna d’Arco” and Stabat Mater. The concert, which will be presented at the Teatro Arriaga will feature soloists Angela Meade, Chiara Amarù, Paolo Fanale, and Simón Orfila. Amarù will debut with the company substituting the originally scheduled Marianna Pizzolato. Nicola Luisotti will conduct the Orquesta Sinfónica Verum and the {…}
The Bilbao Opera is set to open a production of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” on Oct. 23 at the Euskalduna Bilbao. The work, which marks the first production for the Bilbao season, will star Michael Fabiano as Hoffmann, Jessica Pratt as the four heroines, Simón Orfila as the four villains, and Elena Zidhkova as the Muse. The cast will be {…}
The ABAO Bilbao Opera in Spain has announced its 2021-22 season. The season opens with a production of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” starring Jessica Pratt, Michael Fabiano, Elena Zhidkova, and Simón Orfila. The opera will be directed by Vincent Huguet and conducted by Carlo Montanaro. Performance Dates: Oct. 23 – Nov. 1, 2021 Next up “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci” will be {…}
The Bilbao Opera of Spain will present La Gala Abao on April 24, 2021. The company will present a combined program of opera and zarzuela for the first time featuring Carmen Solís, Itziar de Unda, Silvia Tro Santafé, Celso Albelo, Moisés Marín, Sergio Escobar, Juan Jesús Rodríguez, and Simón Orfila. Óliver Díaz will conduct the Bilbao Sinfonietta. The concert will {…}
The Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville will celebrate its 30th anniversary on May 2 with a gala concert. The showcase will feature a cast of singers that includes Carlos Álvarez, Simón Orfila, Xabier Anduaga, José Bros, Ainhoa Arteta, Leonor Bonilla, and Rocío Ignacio, accompanied by the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville (ROSS) and the choir of the AA of {…}
ABAO Bilbao Opera has canceled its May production of “Tosca” and announced new recital performances as part of its ABAO On Stage cycle. Due to the sanitary restrictions imposed by the authorities in light of the continued spread of COVID-19, the organization has decided to cancel its presentations of “Tosca.” To move forward with the production, the company would have {…}
Ópera de Oviedo has announced its 2021-22 season. The Spanish season will open with Verdi’s “Nabucco” featuring Ángel Òdena in the title role, Silvia Dalla Benetta, Antonio Gandía, Simón Orfila, and Theresa Kronthaler. Gianluca Marcianò conducts. Performance Dates: September 2021 The second opera of the season will be Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” with Lucas Macías Navarro conducting and Albert Estany directing {…}
(Credit: Michael Cooper) Celebrated American-Canadian soprano Sondra Radvanovsky will return to the stage in a live concert on Sept. 3, 2020 at the Teatro Colón in A Coruña, Spain. The famed soprano will be joined onstage by baritone Carlos Álvarez, tenor Alejandro Roy, and bass Simón Orfila. Radvanovsky’s first live performance after a six-month hiatus will feature different excerpts from {…}
