(Photo credit: Music Academy of the West) The Music Academy of the West announces its 2026 Summer Music Festival and School under the theme, “American Mosaic.” Here’s a look at the classical voice events. “Oh Beautiful: Songs from Home” features the Music Academy’s Lehrer Vocal Institute fellows performing art songs from their native land. Performance Date: July 1, 2026 The Lehrer {…}
The Minnesota Opera has announced its 2026-27 season. The season opens with Kamala Sankaram and Minita Gandhi’s “The Many Deaths of Laila Starr” which was commissioned and developed through Minnesota Opera’s New Works Initiative. Christopher Franklin conducts the production by Mary Birnbaum. The cast includes Leela Subramaniam, Omar Najimi, Efraín Solís, Mariam Mouawad, Ashraf Sewailam, and Emily Finke. Performance Dates: Oct. 31-Nov. 8, 2026 Händel’s {…}
The Orchestra Now (TŌN) has unveiled its 2025-26 season. Here is a rundown of the vocal performances on offer. Mahler’s Third Symphony takes the spotlight at The Fisher Center at Bard. Stephanie Blythe will be the soloist. The program also includes the Bard Conservatory Preparatory Chorus and Bard College Chamber Singers. Leon Botstein conducts. Performance Date: Sept. 20 & 21, 2025 {…}
Opera Philadelphia is set to open its 2025-2026 Season with “Vox Ex Machina,” a 50th Anniversary celebration on Sept. 13, 2025. The anniversary concert will feature opera stars mezzo Stephanie Blythe, soprano Nicole Heaston, baritone Will Liverman, mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, and the General Director himself, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. In a unique synesthetic experience, each singer’s aria will become a {…}
The Orchestra Now has unveiled its 2024-25 season, the 10th in its history. “As The Orchestra Now celebrates the milestone of its 10th anniversary season, I am deeply gratified by what we’ve achieved,” said Music Director and founder Leon Botstein in an official press release. “What began as an idealistic vision in 2015 has fully blossomed and taken root around {…}
The Chamber Society of Lincoln Center has announced its 2024-25 season featuring a number of vocal performances. Here is a look. The company will present an Opening Night concert entitled “Haydn’s Suprise” dedicated to Haydn. Soloists include Stephanie Blythe, Michael Stephen Brown, Wu Han, Aaron Boyd, Daniel Phillips, Pinchas Zukerman, Paul Neubauer, David Finckel, Nina Bernat, and the Viano Quartet. {…}
The Orchestra Now has unveiled its 2023-24 season. “As we approach the ninth successful season of TŌN, I am exceedingly proud of all we have accomplished since the Orchestra was launched in 2015,” said Music Director Leon Botstein in an official press statement issued by the company. “I am delighted to continue that impressive record in the 2023-24 season with {…}
This week the San Diego Opera is set to present two of Puccini’s operas from “Il Trittico;” “Gianni Schicchi” and “Suor Angelica.” The event is special as it will see Stephanie Blythe making history by becoming the first mezzo to perform the role of “Gianni Schicchi.” Blythe is no stranger to the opera “Gianni Schicchi” as she has played the {…}
Listeners can refer to her however they wish, but Stephanie Blythe has always resisted categorizing herself as a mezzo-soprano, an alto, a contralto, or any other voice type. In her mind, she is a “vocalist.” Considering her upcoming appearances at San Diego Opera, her second foray into a role outside her gender, any attempt to categorize her voice will be {…}
The Giargiari Bel Canto Competition has announced this year’s judges. The panel will include mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, conductor Joseph Colaneri, and manager Alex Fletcher. Blythe is a renowned opera star who has appeared with such companies as Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Paris National Opera, and San Francisco, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Seattle Operas, among others. Colaneri, {…}
The Metropolitan Opera Guild has announced that it will celebrate the legacy and impact of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Guild’s 88th Annual Luncheon. The event, which is set to take place on Nov. 10, 2022 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City will feature spoken and musical tributes by LYADP alumni Stephanie Blythe, Michelle Bradley, {…}
