(Photo: “Dead Man Walking” by Jake Heggie was twenty-five years old on Sunday, September 14th. In San Francisco, its anniversary was celebrated by the opening of a production, one of the 80 productions worldwide, with the composer, Jake Heggie there to receive the San Francisco Opera Medal, and Sister Helen Prejean, from whose book the opera arose, and retold in {…}
GBH Music has partnered with Boston Lyric Opera and New England Conservatory of Music to explore and demystify opera through the new digital video series, “Getting into Opera.” The video series follows emerging vocalists in a masterclass led by guest artists. Episodes already released include “Davóne Tines and Morgan Mastrangelo,” “Susan Graham and Mary Kray,” “Patricia Racette and Emily Michiko {…}
The San Francisco Opera is set to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Dead Man Walking” by San Francisco-based composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrence McNally. The opera, which returns to the War Memorial Opera House stage on Sept. 14 through 28, 2025, will open the season. The opera premiered in 2000 and has since been seen in 80 productions worldwide, {…}
The San Francisco Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. The company is set to present its “Opera Ball,” co-presented with the San Francisco Opera Guild. Performance Date: Sept. 5, 2025 The season opens with Verdi’s “Rigoletto” with Eun Sun Kim conducting the work. Amartuvshin Enkhbat leads the cast in the title role alongside Adela Zaharia, Giovanni Sala, J’Nai Bridges, and {…}
(Photo credit: Tony Hitchcock) Despite winning a Pulitzer Prize and receiving great acclaim following its Metropolitan Opera premiere in 1958, Barber and Menotti’s “Vanessa” is not regularly programmed as a full work. Arias such as “Must the winter come so soon?” and “Do not utter a word” are frequently heard in recitals, but this does not do justice to this {…}
The National Symphony Orchestra is set to present Samuel Barber’s “Vanessa” on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, 2025. The opera, which will be conducted by Gianandrea Noseda and will star Nicole Heaston in the title role, replacing Sondra Radvanovsky, who withdrew for personal reasons. Heaston will be joined by tenor Matthew Polenzani, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, and baritone Thomas Hampson. These performances of Barber’s “Vanessa” {…}
(Photo: Elisa Haberer / Opéra national de Paris) I sensed two ghosts on the stage of Opéra Bastille last night. Don’t worry—they were as nice as ghosts can be. In fact, they were so congenial that they enhanced the operatic experience, turning what would have been a merely jolly evening into a thought-provoking one. The problem is, no matter how {…}
(Credit: Elisa Haberer/ONP) On Nov. 6, 2024, Opera de Paris Play is set to present Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment.” The production will be streamed in Laurent Pelly’s legendary production. It sets the comedy during the 1914 war rather than the Napoleonic Wars and modernizes the piece without sacrificing a single ounce of its brio. Julie Fuchs leads the cast in {…}
The Orchestra of St. Luke has announced its 50th Anniversary season. For the purposes of this article only vocal performances are included. Soprano Erin Morley will perform at the DiMenna Center Benefit. Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham hosts. Performance Date: September 9, 2024 First up in the Chamber Music Series is “Schubert with Liv Redpath and George Li.” They will present works {…}
(Photo credit: Boone Studios) The Ebell of Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring women and building community through arts, culture, and education has announced its 2024-25 season. For the purposes of this article, only opera-related events are included. The new season and series kick off with the annual community open house, featuring The Ebell’s own volunteer Chorale, among {…}
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performance. Andris Nelsons conducts the opening night concert with Lang Lang and Gina Alice Redlinger as well as Susan Graham and Keila Wakao. The program includes music by Carlos Simon, Ravel, Canteloube, Saint-Saens, and Ravel. Performance Date: Sept. 19, 2024 Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler’s {…}