(Photo: Stephan Rabold) Gaspare Spontini’s “La Vestale” occupies a curious position in operatic history: once enormously successful and today rarely performed. Premiered at the Paris Opéra in 1807, to a French libretto by Étienne de Jouy, the three-act tragédie lyrique became Spontini’s international breakthrough. Dedicated to Empress Joséphine, it emerged directly from Napoleonic France, and its combination of monumental choral {…}
The Swiss Orchestra announces its 2026-27 season. This article only features vocal performances. Sonya Yoncheva and Piotr Beczała perform operatic highlights in the “Opera Gala.” Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer conducts. Performance Date: Aug. 30, 2026 Thomas Hampson sings works by Schubert, Mahler, Mendelssohn, Joachim Raff, and George Templeton Strong. Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer conducts. Performance Dates: Nov. 29, Dec. 2 & 6, 2026 Read {…}
It’s that time of the year again! The 2026-27 season is about to begin and audiences are getting ready to choose performances as they head back to the opera. With so much to choose from, OperaWire is breaking down 10 opera productions that are must-sees. “Lincoln in the Bardo” at the Metropolitan Opera – Oct. 19-Nov. 14, 2026 The Metropolitan {…}
The Teatro San Carlo has announced its 2026-27 season. Mariangela Sicilia, Marta Torbidoni, Piotr Beczała, Stefan Pop, Igor Golovatenko, Franco Vassallo, Michele Pertusi, Gabriele Sagona, Martina Belli, and Marko Mimica star in Verdi’s “Luisa Miller.” Daniel Oren conducts the production by Davide Livermore. Performance Dates: Dec. 2-10, 2026 Anna Pirozzi, Karah Son, Jorge de León, Giorgio Berrugi, Veronica Simeoni, Chiara Tirotta, Marco {…}
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is set to present Dvořák’s “Rusalka” for the first time starring Sonya Yoncheva, who is set to make her role debut. The star soprano will be joined by a cast that includes Pavel Černoch as the Prince, Jongmin Park as Vodník, Jennifer Johnston as Ježibaba, and soprano Emma Bell as the Foreign Princess. The Wood Sprites {…}
The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma has announced its 2026-27 season. Opera The season opens with Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress” with Michele Mariotti conducting a new production byRafael R. Villalobos.The cast includes Lawrence Brownlee, Jennifer Larmore,Daniela Barcellona, Alex Esposito, Rosalia Cid, Simone Alberghini, and Ya-Chung Huang. Performance Dates: Nov. 27-Dec. 5, 2026 Two cast will perform Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier.” Sonya Yoncheva, {…}
(Credit: Manfred Baumann) Sonya Yoncheva has been awarded the European Culture Prize 2026. Yoncheva will receive the Prize on Sept. 4 at the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and is being recognized for her outstanding artistic personalities of the international music scene. In a statement, Reiner Schränkler, Chairman of the European Cultural Forum said, “Sonya Yoncheva embodies in a special way the cultural {…}
The Greek National Opera has announced its 2026-27 season. Dimitra Galani, Savina Yannatou, and Yannis Palamidas lead the music theatre tribute “Even If You Go Away…: Tribute to Marianina Kriezi”, conceived and curated by Galani with supervising direction by Katerina Petsatodi. The GNO Children’s Chorus participates. Performance Dates: Oct. 1 – 7, 2026 The GNO travels to Carnegie Hall for {…}
Sonya Yoncheva has officially ĪCŌN, a new audiovisual project connecting bel canto and new technologies with the first video single, “Ah, non credea mirarti” from Bellini’s “La sonnambula.” The new video is available on YouTube and musical selections will be accompanied with a video created through the us of AI. In a statement Yonchev said, “ĪCŌN was recorded in a theatre {…}
The Teatro Real de Madrid has announced its 2026-27 season. Opera Sondra Radvanovsky and Saioa Hernández lead Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” with Lucas Meachem, Szymon Mechliński, Brian Jagde,, Michael Fabiano and Jorge de Leon. Nicola Luisotti conducts Carlos Wagner’s production. Performance Dates: Sept. 23-Oct. 11, 2026 Paul Agnew conducts Handel’s “Riccardo Primo, rè d’Inghilterra” with Jakub Józef Orliński, Melissa Petit, Alex Rosen, {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced its 2026-27 season. Premiere Zemlinsky’s “Eine Florentinische Tragödie” and Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” will be performed in a new production with Dmitry Golovnin, Christopher Maltman, Florian Boesch, and Asmik Grigorian. Alain Altinoglu conducts the new production by Vasily Barkhatov. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-12, 2026 Barrie Kosky directs a new production of Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” with {…}