Anna Netrebko, Elīna Garanča, Lisette Oropesa, Emily D’Angelo, Aigul Akhmetshina, Malin Byström, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Angel Blue & Charles Castronovo Lead Royal Opera’s 2026-27 Season

The Royal Opera has announced its 2026-27 season. New Productions Evgeny Titov directs a new production of Wagner’s “Parsifal,” conducted by Jakub Hrůša. Stanislas de Barbeyrac sings the title role, with Ekaterina Gubanova as Kundry, Christian Gerhaher as Amfortas, Brindley Sherratt as Gurnemanz, and Mark Stone as Klingsor. Performance Dates: Oct. 1–17, 2026 Philipp Stölzl directs a new production of {…}

Mar 26, 2026

Sabine Devieilhe & Tamara Bounazou Among Winners at 2026 Victoires de la Musique Classique

The Victoires de la Musique Classique announced its 2026 laureates on March 20 in France. Soprano Sabine Devieilhe took the award for Artiste lyrique, taking home the prize over tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac and soprano Julie Fuchs. In the Révélation Artiste lyrique category, soprano Tamara Bounazou won over Lóntine Maridat-Zimmerlin and Lucie Peyramaure. In the recording category, Alpha Classic’s rendition {…}

Mar 4, 2026

Matthias Goerne, Matilda Sterby, Christopher Maltman & Elisabet Strid Lead 2026 Birgit Nilsson Festival

The Birgit Nilsson Festival has announced its 2026 season. Here is the a look at the vocal performances. Opera singer and actor Richard Hamrin, together with pianist Eric Skarby, takes the audience on a personal journey through the life and music of this magnificent and controversial prima donna. Performance Date: August 3, 2026 Two of Sweden’s most beloved opera stars {…}

Jan 23, 2026

Opernhaus Zürich 2025-26 Review: Carmen

(Credit: Toni Suter) Few operas are as iconic or as enduringly popular as Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.” Since its 1875 premiere at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, the work has captivated audiences with its indelible melodies and its unsentimental, ground-level portrayal of passion, obsession, and freedom. Set in 19th-century Spain, “Carmen” charts the collision between a woman’s fierce independence and a man’s {…}

May 20, 2025

CD Review: Decca’s ‘Der fliegende Holländer’

Drawn from two live performances in 2024, the Decca release of “The Flying Dutchman” arrives with no small sense of occasion. Its cast alone—Lise Davidsen, Gerald Finley, Stanislas de Barbeyrac—promises one of the most congenial pairings in recent memory. “The Flying Dutchman” has always occupied a somewhat ambivalent place in the Wagnerian discography: too early to be “Tristan,” too compact {…}

Apr 2, 2025

Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Sabine Devieilhe, Piotr Beczała, Nicole Car, Saioa Hernández, Freddie De Tommaso, Thomas Hampson, Pretty Yende & Renée Fleming Lead Opéra National de Paris 2025-26 Season

The Opéra National de Paris has announced its 2025-26 season. The season opens with Puccini’s “La Bohème,” featuring Nicole Car, Yaritza Véliz, Charles Castronovo, Joshua Guerrero, Andrea Carroll, Étienne Dupuis, Xiaomeng Zhang, and Alexandros Stavrakakis. Domingo Hindoyan conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 12-Oct. 14, 2025 Cecilia Molinari leads Handel’s “Ariodante” alongside Luca Tittoto, Jacquelyn Stucker, Sabine Devieilhe, Rupert Charlesworth, Christophe Dumaux, {…}

Nov 26, 2024

Nahuel di Pierro, Mikheil Sheshaberidze & Stanislas de Barbeyrac Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. As the holiday arrives, audiences will be able to experience a Puccini extravaganza as well as world premiere recording and debut albums. There are also two DVDs that should be seen. Giacomo Puccini – The Warner Classics Edition Celebrated for his masterful compositions {…}

Jul 10, 2024

Festival d’Aix en Provence 2024 Review: ‘Iphigénie en Aulide’ & ‘Iphigénie en Tauride’

(Photo credit: Monika Rittershaus) Who’s afraid of double bills? We all love “Cav.” and “Pag.,” and there is some room in everyone’s heart for a “The Human Voice” meets “Bluebeard’s Castle;” nevertheless, Gluck’s Iphigenia operas performed together was a bit of a challenge. The operas, lasting two hours each, are easily stand-alone pieces, and—even though they share a protagonist—they appear {…}

Jul 3, 2024

Ekaterina Semenchuk, Corinne Winters & Dimitri Platanias Lead Greek National Opera’s 2024-25 Season

The Greek National Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. Corinne Winters, Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyanniszu, Alexandre Duhamel, Dionysios Sourbis, and Stanislas de Barbeyrac star in Gluck’s “Iphigénie en Aulide” & “Iphigénie en Tauride” double bill. Michael Hofstetter conducts the new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov. Performance Dates: Oct. 10-30, 2024 Rachmanioff’s “Aleko” and Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” will be presented in a double {…}

Jun 28, 2024

Arte to Stream Three of Festival Aix-En-Provence’s 2024 Productions

Arte is set to present three of Festival Aix-En-Provence’s productions on its streaming platform. It all starts with “Iphigénie en Aulide-Iphigénie en Tauride” on July 11 and will be available until Dec. 11, 2025. The productions stars Corinne Winters, Russell Braun, Véronique Gens, Alasdair Kent, Nicolas Cavallier, Soula Parassidis, Florian Sempey, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, and Alexandre Duhamel. Emmanuelle Haïm conducts the production by Dmitri Tcherniakov. Then on July 12, {…}

Oct 3, 2023

Omer Meir Wellber Lead Teatro dell’Opera di Roma’s ‘Die Walküre’

(credit: Luca Pezzani) On Oct. 6, the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma is set to present the first act of Wagner’s “Die Walküre” in concert form. The concert will mark the debut of Omer Meir Wellber with the company. The concert will be broadcast on Radio3 Rai. The concert will feature Stanislas de Barbeyrac who makes his role debut as Siegmund, {…}