(© Carlita Sari) Elijah Moshinsky’s production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s (not to be mixed up with the British pop star!) “Hänsel & Gretel” premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 1992 to great acclaim and its first revival took place a few days ago. Considering that this delightful work features as No. 9 on Bachtrack’s worldwide review of most performed operas {…}
Opera Australia has announced the cast for its 70th Anniversary Gala on May 17. The evening, which will take place t the Regent Theatre, will celebrate its extraordinary contribution to Australia’s cultural landscape over the past seven decades. The evening will include Emma Matthews, Stacey Alleaume, Olivia Cranwell, Jane Ede, Sian Sharp, Diego Torre, Filipe Manu, Iain Henderson, Andrii Kymach, Luke {…}
Australia’s Handa Opera at Millthorpe has unveiled its 2026 slate. The season opens with a recital starring Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto, alongside by pianist Natalia Sidorenko. Per an official press release, Artistic Director and CEO Lyndon Terracini said, “Ferruccio is one of the greatest voices of his generation and Elena is a force to be reckoned with. They’ve both sung {…}
Opera Australia has announced its 2026 season. Sidney Summer 2026 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will be conducted by Andrea Battistoni, Paul Fitzsimon, and Erina Yashima. It will be directed by Moffatt Oxenbould and will star Guanqun Yu, Vittoria Yeo, and Olivia Cranwell alongside Robert Watson and Oreste Cosimo. Performance Dates: Dec. 31, 2025-March 25, 2026 Ann Yee directs a new production {…}
The Scottish Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera The season opens with Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex” with Stuart Stratford conducting and Roxana Haines directing. The cast will include Shengzhi Ren, Kitty Whately, Roland Wood, Callum Thorpe, Seumas Begg, and Emyr Wyn Jones. Performance Dates: August 12-19, 2024 Britten’s “Albert Herring” will be conducted by William Cole and directed by Daisy {…}
The Deutsche Oper am Rhein has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Verdi’s “Nabucco” will be directed by Ilaria Lanzino. Vitali Alekseenok and Katharina Müllner conduct a cast that includes Alexey Zelenkov, Eduardo Aladrén, Jussi Myllys, Liang Li, Svetlana Kasyan, and Marigona Qerkezi. Performance Dates: Sept. 15-Dec. 25, 2024 Christoph Stöcker and Katharina Müllner conduct Jerry Bock, Joseph Stein, and Sheldon Harnick’s {…}
(Photo credit: Keith Saunders) Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” has a bit of everything – part-serious opera, part-singspiel, part-burlesque, part-ritual. Music commentators often seem much exercised with how to categorize it. That thought arose while watching Kate Gaul’s new production of “The Magic Flute” on February 1. This was the third opera in Opera Australia’s 2024 summer season at Sydney Opera {…}
(Photo credit: Jeff Busby) Elijah Moshinsky’s 1991 production of “Rigoletto” has been seen a number of times in Sydney since its first performance season, and so it would be unsurprising if the recent season at Sydney Opera House, which began on June 13, restaged by Shane Placentino, attracted the odd suggestion that it is time to retire this version. The {…}
OperaVision has announced its April 2023 slate. First up, the company will showcase “Aida” from the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.” The production stars Krassimira Stoyanova, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Gregory Kunde, and Vladimir Stoyanov in a production by Davide Livermore. Michele Mariotti conducts. Streaming Date: April 7, 2023 Next up is Birmingham Opera Company’s “The Decision.” The opera stars Aimee Berwick, Paksie {…}
Australia’s Pinchgut Opera has announced its 2023 season The season opens with “Membra Jesu Nostri” by Dieterich Buxtehude. Performance Dates: April 1-5, 2023 Nicholas Tamagna, Madeleine Pierard, Jacob Lawrence, Lauren Lodge-Campbell, OwenWilletts, Russell Harcourt, Louis Hurley, Andrew O’Connor, and Chloe Lankshear star in “Giustino” by Giovanni Legrenzi. Erin Helyard conducts Dean Bryant’s production. Performance Dates: May 25-31, 2023 “Pleasures of {…}
Opera Australia has announced its 2023 season which will mark the 13th and final season of Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini’s tenure. Sydney Summer Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” will be conducted by Guillaume Tourniaire in Sir David McVicar’s production. The opera will star Ukranian baritone Andrei Kymach in the titular role, Israeli bass Yuri Kissin as Leporello, and Sophie Salvesani as Donna {…}
