The Oratorio Society of New York has announced its 2018-19 Carnegie Hall season. The organization, led by Kent Tritle, will kick off its season with a performance dedicated to the Centennial of the Armistice and of Polish Independence. The concert will feature Szymanowski’s “Stabat Mater” as well as Gorecki’s “Euntes Ibant et Flebant” and the “Dona nobis pacem” by Vaughan {…}
It is easy to see why Marc Blitzstein’s “Regina” is rarely performed. It’s a demanding work that tackles issues of greed, race relations and other seedy elements of humanity head-on while fusing many musical styles that make it hard to characterize. Because there are so many elements to this opera that includes 10 major characters, it is difficult to mount {…}
PBS will showcase Puccini’s “La Bohème” from the Metropolitan Opera as part of its Great Performances Series on Sunday, May 20, 2018. The broadcast will kick off at 12 p.m. EDT and will showcase soprano Sonya Yoncheva as the tragic Mimì. This was the second of Yoncheva’s big season, during which she appeared on three Live in HD broadcasts. Her {…}
PBS will showcase “L’Elisir D’Amore” from the Metropolitan Opera as part of its Great Performances Series on Sunday, April 29, 2018. The broadcast will kick off at 12 p.m. EDT and will showcase soprano Pretty Yende, tenor Matthew Polenzani, baritone Davide Luciano, and bass Ildebrando D’Arcangelo. The showcase, from February’s Live in HD series, was hosted Susanna Phillips and conducted {…}
Puccini’s “La Bohème” made a return to the Metropolitan Opera on Friday, February 16, 2018, with a cast that is slated for an HD performance a week from today. On the evidence of this opening night performance, that transmission the world over should be quite special. Zeffirelli’s production needs no introduction (though if you want some commentary, check out these {…}
On Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, the Met Opera revives Puccini’s “La Bohème” with a star-studded cast. Every single one of the major artists to take on the opera is a veteran in the part at the Met. So here is a look at their Met trajectory in their respective roles to date. Sonya Yoncheva – Mimì The Bulgarian soprano’s second-ever {…}
Superstar soprano Susanna Phillips will lead a cast in Mozart’s “Great” Mass in a performance at Carnegie Hall. She will be singing alongside soprano Camilla Tilling, tenor Thomas Cooley, bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, and the Westminster Symphony Choir. Maestro Pablo Heras-Casado will lead the Orchestra of St. Luke’s during the performance of Oct. 12, 2017. The performance will also feature a {…}
The Operalia Competition is just days away and in anticipation of the famed event, we will take a look back down memory lane at the opera singers who became stars after big performances at the competition. For today’s installment, we will look at the major stars to come out of the early 2000s. Here are the winners of that decade {…}
Even though the Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-17 season ends in mid-May, the Company is not completely closed for business this summer. In fact, the Met will continue its 2017 Summer Recital Series, now in its ninth year, with six free concerts all across the five boroughs featuring some of the world’s greatest singers. First up are two recitals on June 12 {…}
The Chamber Society of New York has announced its series of concerts for next season. Sure enough, there are some major opera singers putting on unique concert experiences, though the vocal offerings are minimal at best. The one that exudes the biggest star wattage takes place on Sunday Oct. 29, 2017 in a program honoring the 100th birthday celebration of {…}
This review is for the performance on Wednesday January 11 and is written jointly by David & Francisco Salazar. Applause rang from every corner of the Metropolitan Opera, the audience awaiting the final performer to step onstage so that she too could get her accolades. The moment Ailyn Pérez walked out of the iconic golden curtain, she was not only {…}