(Credit: Cassandra Kay) Tamara Wilson will become the first soprano in 106 years to perform at “Aida” in the Arena di Verona without blackface. The soprano took to Instagram stating that her first performance on July 21 was the first time she had been put in costume and that she had been painted in the traditional makeup that has been {…}
The Dora Award nominations have been announced with the Canadian Opera leading the way. In the Outstanding Production category, the Canadian Opera’s production of “La Bohème,” “Hadrian,” “Otello,” and “Eugene Onegin” are nominated alongside “Kopernikus” for the Against the Grain Theatre. Meanwhile, in the Outstanding Performance by an Individual category, Angel Blue, Ambur Braid, Gerald Finley, Thomas Hampson, Tamara Wilson, {…}
The Santa Fe Opera has announced its highly anticipated 2020 season featuring a number of unique new productions, role debuts, and one world premiere. Emily D’Angelo, Jack Swanson, and Audun Iverson highlight Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Corrado Rovaris conducting. Scott Conner and Kevin Burdette round out the cast. Performance Dates: July 3-August 29, 2020 Eric Ferring. Joelle Harvey, {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced its casting for its star-studded 97th annual festival. La Traviata Four sopranos will share the leading role of Violetta Valéry, including Aleksandra Kurzak, Irina Lungu, Lisette Oropesa, and Lana Kos, while four tenors will share the role of Alfredo Germont, including Pavel Petrov, Vittorio Grigolo, Raffaele Abete, and Stephen Costello. Leo Nucci, Simone Piazzola, {…}
The Canadian Opera Company has announced its 2019-20 season with six productions, including two new ones for the company. Here is a look at what to expect. Carlo Rizzi conducts a new production of Puccini’s “Turandot” by Robert Wilson. Tamara Wilson and Marjorie Owens share the title role with Sergey Skorokhodov and Kamen Chanev alternating the role of Calaf. Joyce El-Khoury and {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced its 2019-20 season which includes seven operas, including five new productions, one world premiere, and one company premiere. The season kicks off with Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a new production by Tomer Zvulun. The famed Italian work will feature Brian Mulligan in the title role and Mané Galoyan and Arturo Chacón-Cruz as Gilda and the {…}
Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” is an audience favorite and a timeless classic and seeing Sir David McVicar’s revival currently playing at the Lyric Opera of Chicago is like a step back into time. The action is pushed forward a few centuries to Spain in the 19th with a dark and murky Goya-themed setting as the fitting backdrop for a tale of {…}
There will be 14 performances of Verdi’s “Aida” at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2018-19 season spanning from September through March. On the surface, 14 performances might not really be all that much, except when one considers that there will be what ultimately amounts to two very different casts with variations spread across three different periods of the season. So {…}
The LA Philharmonic has announced its 2018-19 season featuring some of the greatest stars in the world. For this season announcement, we will solely concentrate on the operatic and vocal events. Take a look. Baroque The LA Phil kicks off its baroque series with “L’arpeggiata” featuring musical director Christina Pluhar, soprano Céline Scheen, male soprano Vincenzo Capezzuto, and dancer Anna Dego. The concert will {…}
Lyric Opera of Chicago announced its 2018-19 season today, marking the fourth planned together by general director Anthony Freud and music director Sir Andrew Davis. Members of the media, including this OperaWire writer, were treated to a discussion with both gentlemen on the stage with the set of “I Puritani” in the backdrop. Here are some notes and highlights of {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced its 2018-19 season with a number of the greatest stars performing in new productions. The season will also include two important recitals from two of the world’s greatest sopranos. Recitals & Concerts Anna Netrebko returns to Chicago for the first time since 2013 when she performed “La Bohème.” This time she performs some {…}