(Photo © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Tristram Kenton) There was much to fuel the excitement around a brand new production of Franz Lehár’s “The Merry Widow” for Glyndebourne Festival Opera this year. It’s the first time the work has ever been mounted there, and it’s always a treat to see what the slickly-oiled operatic operation, with its six weeks of {…}
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a rundown of the classical vocal performances on offer. Karl-Heinz Steffens conducts music by Vaughan Williams, Beethoven, and Holst. The program features the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus. Performance Dates: Oct. 2 & 4, 2024 Soprano Anna Devin and baritone Andrew Foster-Williams will be featured in a program that includes works by {…}
The Irish National Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. The company will open with a double bill featuring “Mary Motorhead” and “Trade.” Naomi Louisa O’Connell, Oisin O’Dalaigh, and John Molloy star in the production. Elaine Kelly conducts and Tom Creed directs. Performance Date: August 8–Oct. 23, 2024 Paula Murrihy and David Portillo lead Berlioz’s “Béatrice and Bénédict,” alongside Anna Devin, {…}
Opera North has announced its 2024-25 season. The season opens with Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” with Claire Lees, Soraya Mafi, Egor Zhuravskii, Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, Anna Dennis, Msimelelo Mbali, Justin Hopkins, Emyr Wyn Jones, Pasquale Orchard, Colin Judson, and Andri Björn Róbertsson. Christoph Koncz, Patrick Lange, and Emilia Hoving share the podium and James Brining directs. Performance Dates: Sept. 27, {…}
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, under Chief Conductor Domingo Hindoyan, has announced its 2023-24 season. Here is a breakdown of the vocal performances on offer. There will be a performance of Beethoven’s “Mass in C” alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir. Jennifer France, Claire Barnett-Jones, Oliver Johnston, and Dominic Sedgwick will be the soloists. The performance will also feature music by {…}
The Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie has announced its 2022-23 season featuring a number of productions, concerts and special guests. Here is a look. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “Rigoletto” starring Sergio Vitale, Rosa Feola, Pene Pati, Agnès Letestu, and Paul Gay. Ben Glassberg conducts the production by Richard Brunel. Performance Dates: Sept. 22-Oct. 2022 “Mon amant de Saint-Jean” will {…}
Every element in Seattle Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” which I saw on opening night, focused the production into a sunny comedy brimming with goodwill. You’d have to look hard to find any political overlays, class resentment, sexual aggression, or personal bitterness on stage amidst the humorous antics. Any elements of the story that might harbor threats of dark antagonism {…}
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is set to present its program “Total Immersion: Music for the End of Time” on Jan. 23, 2022 in Barbican Hall. Events for Total Immersion Day will begin that morning at 10:30 a.m. with the showing of the film “The Music of Terezín.” The first concert starts at 1:30 p.m. featuring “The Theresienstadt Orchestra,” followed by {…}
The English National Opera has announced its 2021-22 Season featuring new productions of classic and modern masterpieces. Natalya Romaniw, David Junghoon Kim, Roland Wood, and William Thomas star in Puccini’s “Tosca” in a semi-staged production conducted by Richard Farnes. Performance Dates: August 27 & 29, 2021 Carolyn Kuan conducts Glass’ “Satyagraha” with Sean Panikkar, Musa Ngqungwana, William Thomas, Sarah Pring, Felicity Buckland, Gabriella Cassidy, James Cleverton, and Ross Ramgobin. {…}
The Seattle Opera has announced its 2021-222 season. The season opens with “La Bohème” starring Kang Wang, Yosep Kang, Talise Trevigne, Michael Chioldi, John Moore, Ginger Costa-Jackson, Brandie Sutton, Ashraf Swailam, Federico de Michelis, Eugene Villanueva, Theo Hoffman, and Barry Johnson. Joseph Colaneri conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. 16-30, 2021 Key’mon Murrah, Christopher Ainslie, Sharleen Joynt, Deanna Breiwick, and Shelly Traverse {…}
The Leeds Lieder in the United Kingdom has announced its slate for the 2021 festival, which is set to take place between June 17-20. The festival will be performed for a socially distanced audience and streamed live via the organization’s digital platform. Performances will be available for a month. “In a year when art and music have been needed more {…}