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 {…}
(Credit: Curtis Brown) In a recent interview with OperaWire, composer Lori Laitman noted that Verdi’s “Rigoletto” was among her favorite operas. “Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’ is one of my favorites and the use of music to reveal the horrific fact that the Duke is still alive is so chilling,” she noted. Taking in the work on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 for the {…}
(Credit: Speranza Scappucci official website) The Teatro alla Scala has announced that conductor Evelino Pidò has withdrawn from the production of Bellini’s “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” due to a health emergency. As a result, Speranza Scappucci, the Music Director of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, will take over in the pit. Scappucci will lead a cast that includes Marianne {…}
(Credit: Speranza Scappucci official website) Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège has officially announced that Speranza Scappucci will not renew her term as the Music Director of the house, which is set to expire at the end of the 2021-22 season. Per an official statement, Scappucci declined the offer made by ORW’s General Director Stefano Pace to extend her term as the {…}
The General and Artistic Director of Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège Stefano Pace has announced that tenors Maxime Melnik and Zeno Popescu will no longer be appearing in the Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera and Gianni Santucci’s production of Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” Per the statement, two singers were dropped from the production because it was estimated that they did not satisfy {…}
(Credit: Speranza Scappucci official website) The Musical Director of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège Speranza Scappucci has received the first edition of the De Sanctis Europa Prize, at the residence of the Italian Ambassador in Brussels. The De Sanctis Prize is an important Italian distinction, conferred by the De Sanctis Foundation in collaboration with the Council of Ministers and the {…}
Speranza Scappucci has been named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Republic. In a statement via social media Scapucci said, “It is with immense joy and deep honor that I announce today that the French Minister of Culture, Roselyne BACHELOT-NARQUIN, whom I thank from the bottom of my heart, has bestowed on me the honor of Chevalier {…}
There has been a major cast upheaval for the Opéra Royal de Wallonie. Per the original season announcement, the production was set to feature Serena Farnocchia, Nino Surguladze, Marianne Cornetti, Lionel Lhote, and Gianluca Terranova with Speranza Scappucci in the podium. Lhote, Surguladze, Cornetti, and Scappucci remain scheduled, but there has been a plethora of changes across the board. The title role {…}