Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Review – Cendrillon: Laurent Pelly, Joyce DiDonato & Company Deliver Exquisite Evening of Massenet Fairy Tale

Jules Massenet is one of the great composers that can’t be called an auteur in the traditional sense. When you go to any performance of music by virtually any composer, you can pretty much guarantee that said composer’s voice will come through consistently even if the means or style deviates ever so slightly. Verdi remains Verdi whether you are listening to {…}

Apr 23, 2018

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Live in HD Preview: Joyce DiDonato to Light Cinemas For 8th Time in ‘Cendrillon’

This Saturday, audiences around the world will get a chance to see Massenet’s “Cendrillon” in cinemas as part of the company’s famed Live in HD broadcast. The showcase kicks off at 12:25 p.m. EDT and will star Joyce DiDonato as Cendrillon, Kathleen Kim as La Fée, Alice Coote as the Prince, Stephanie Blythe as Madame de la Haltière, and Laurent {…}

Apr 5, 2018

Stephanie Blythe To Debut New Cabaret Show ‘The Tender Trap’

World-renowned opera singer and recitalist Stephanie Blythe will premiere her new cabaret act, “The Tender Trap,” as a special benefit for The Mabel Mercer Foundation on June 14, 2018 at Feinstein’s / 54 Below. The acclaimed Mezzo will celebrate “love, obsession, and the stuff in between,” in a repertoire selected from the Great Popular Songbook of the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s, considered {…}

Mar 20, 2018

Stephanie Blythe, Patricia Racette & Anthony Roth Costanzo Headline Opera Philadelphia’s 2018-19 Season

Opera Philadelphia has announced its 2018-19 season. The season will see the company continue to shape the future of opera. The 2018-2019 season will kick off on September 20-30 with the festival’s second edition, O18, comprising five operatic happenings – two world premieres, two new productions, and a three-part cabaret event – at multiple venues across the city. The season will {…}

Mar 12, 2018

New York Choral Society To Honor Stephanie Blythe

The New York Choral Society will honor Stephanie Blythe in the company’s annual Spring Gala. The company will honor Blythe with the NYChoral Award for musical excellence. Blythe has performed all around the world and is considered one of the greatest mezzos of her generation. She returns to the Metropolitan Opera for “Cendrillon” and is also scheduled to make an appearance {…}

Mar 12, 2018

Stephanie Blythe, Anna Christy & Massimo Cavalletti Headline Palm Beach Opera’s 2018-19 Season

The Palm Beach Opera has announced its 2018-19 season featuring three opera productions and gala performances showcasing rising stars of the opera world. Here is a look. The season opens with a Rising Stars of Opera gala offering a unique opportunity to enjoy exceptional singers on the brink of international stardom and singers of the Palm Beach Opera’s Benenson Young {…}

Jan 25, 2018

Dallas Opera 2018-19 To Include Gregory Kunde, Anja Kampe & Angela Meade

The Dallas Opera has announced its 2018-19 season, which is set to include five classic operas and numerous international stars. The season kicks off on Oct. 12, 2018 with Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” starring Greer Grimsley in the title role, Anja Kampe in her Dallas debut, and Jay Hunter Morris. Music director Emmanuel Villaume conducts. Performance Date: Oct. 12-20 (4 {…}

Dec 30, 2017

The 5 Performances From 2017 I Will Remember the Most

It’s popular to make year-end lists, and I saw between 30-35 performances during the calendar year. Much of what I saw was terrific and, of course, there were many more outstanding performances that I didn’t see. These are the five that I will remember the most from what I saw; they are not necessarily the best but will remain in {…}

Dec 11, 2017

Richard Tucker Gala 2017 Review: Stephanie Blythe & Ailyn Perez Shine As Nadine Sierra Shows Promise

Every year the Richard Tucker Foundation awards a promising young American opera singer with the annual Richard Tucker Award. The award comes with a star-studded gala that showcases the victorious artist alongside some of the greatest singers in the world, many of which are also previous winners. This year Nadine Sierra was given the award and headlined the gala at {…}

Aug 7, 2017

San Francisco Opera Announces Major Cast Change for ‘Elektra’

Michaela Martens will replace Stephanie Blythe in the San Francisco Opera’s upcoming production of “Elektra.” Martens will appear in the role of Klytemnestra in a new staging by Keith Warner, which starts on Sept. 9, 2017. She is set to take on Klytemnestra with Houston Grand Opera in January 2018 as well. Martens’ San Francisco Opera debut came in 2015 {…}

Jul 4, 2017

Stephanie Blythe to Perform in BSO’s Tanglewood ‘Rheingold’

There will be a new Fricka in town when the Boston Symphony Orchestra takes on Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” at Tanglewood. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe is stepping in to replace Dame Sarah Connolly for the July 15, 2017, performance which will be conducted by Andris Nelsons. According to reports, Connolly is withdrawing due to illness. The performance is slated to be a major highlight {…}