Ekaterina Semenchuk, Corinne Winters & Dimitri Platanias Lead Greek National Opera’s 2024-25 Season

The Greek National Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. Corinne Winters, Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyanniszu, Alexandre Duhamel, Dionysios Sourbis, and Stanislas de Barbeyrac star in Gluck’s “Iphigénie en Aulide” & “Iphigénie en Tauride” double bill. Michael Hofstetter conducts the new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov. Performance Dates: Oct. 10-30, 2024 Rachmanioff’s “Aleko” and Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” will be presented in a double {…}

May 17, 2024

Cecilia Bartoli, Andrè Schuen, Tassis Christoyannis & Barbara Hannigan Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will get to hear a new “Winterreise” recording, a compilation album, a new song cycle, and a masterwork. Schubert: Winterreise Deutsche Grammophon releases Andrè Schuen and Daniel Heide’s latest album, which completes the recordings of Schubert’s three big song cycles. {…}

Jun 27, 2023

Dimitri Platanias, Maria José Siri, Tassis Christoyannis Headline Greek National Opera’s ‘Nabucco’

The Greek National Opera will revive Italian director Leo Muscato‘s production of Verdi’s “Nabucco” from July 26 – 30, 2023 at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The opera will star an international cast of singers, including Dimitri Platanias and Tassis Christoyannis in the title role, and Ekaterina Semenchuk and Maria José Siri alternating as Abigalie. Other cast members include Yannis {…}

May 24, 2023

Nicky Spence, Mariya Kaganskaya & Stéphanie d’Oustrac Lead New CD/DVD Releases

This week audiences will get to hear music from Britain, Kenneth Leighton, and a rarely-heard Offenbach work. Here are the new releases: Kenneth Leighton (1929-88) Every Living Creature SOMM Recordings has released the latest offering from the chamber choir Londinium, directed by Andrew Griffiths, titled “Every Living Creature.” This album commemorates the 35th anniversary of the death of Kenneth Leighton and {…}

Apr 11, 2023

Matthias Goerne, Levy Sekgapane & Karine Deshayes Lead Opéra national du Capitole’s 2023-24 Season

The Opéra national du Capitole, Toulouse has announced its 2023-24 season featuring seven productions and recitals. Opera Victorien Vanoosten conducts Bizet’s “Les pêcheurs de perles” with Thomas Lebrun Mise directing. The cast includes Anne-Catherine Gillet, Mathias Vidal, Alexandre Duhamel, and Jean-Fernand Setti. Performance Dates: Sept. 26-Oct. 8, 2023 Andris Poga conducts Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov” in a production by Olivier Py. The {…}

Dec 25, 2022

Greek National Opera to Premiere New ‘Falstaff’ Production

The Greek National Opera is set to present a new production of Verdi’s “Falstaff” starting on Jan. 26, 2023. The showcase, which will be directed by Stephen Langridge, will run through Feb. 10 for a total of six performances. “Our production is set in England in the 1930s. A time between the wars (Falstaff was an old soldier), with a {…}

Oct 28, 2022

Joyce DiDonato, Lisette Oropesa & Fritz Wunderlich Lead New CD/DVD Releases

This week audiences will get a chance to hear complete recordings of many great operas rare and standard repertoire. Here is a look at the recordings you can not miss. Theodora Lisette Oropesa, Joyce DiDonato, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Michael Spyres, and John Chest star in Erato’s new release of Händel’s “Theodora.” The album features Maxim Emelyanychev, Chief Conductor of the instrumentalists {…}

Mar 24, 2022

Natalie Dessay, Jakub Józef Orliński, Joyce DiDonato & Sabine Devieilhe Lead Théâtre des Champs-Elysées’s 2022-23 Season

The Théâtre des Champs-Elysées has announced its 2022-23 season featuring productions, operas in concerts, recitals, and orchestra performances. Here is a look at the vocal performances this season. Productions Gluck’s “Orphée et Eurydice” will star Jakub Józef Orliński and Regula Mühlemann. Thomas Hengelbrock conducts the production by Robert Carsen which also stars Elena Galitskaya. Performance Dates: Sept. 21-Oct. 1, 2022 {…}

Mar 23, 2022

Lawrence Brownlee, Nino Machaidze & Iréne Theorin Lead Müpa Budapest’s 2022-23 Season

Müpa Budapest has announced its 2022-23 season featuring a number of concerts and great artists. Here is a look at the vocal performances of the season. Musical Stage Aapo Häkkinen conducts Schubert’s “Alfonso und Estrella” with Patrick Grahl, Lydia Teuscher, Krešimir Stražanac, Johannes Weisser, and Arttu Kataja. Performance Dates: Nov. 17, 2022 Nikolas Nägele conducts the Bel Canto Aria evening {…}

Dec 10, 2021

Marcelo Álvarez, Kristīne Opolais, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Aleksandrs Antoņenko, Ramón Vargas & Cellia Costea Lead Greek National Opera’s Second Half of 2021-22 Season

(Credit: https://www.snfcc.org/en/greek-national-opera-0) The Greek National Opera has announced the second half of its 2021-22 season, featuring a number of operas performed by international stars. Here is the full slate. Stavros Niarchos Hall The second half of the season opens with Umberto Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier” featuring Cellia Costea and Eva-Maria Westbroek as Maddalena di Coigny; Dimitri Platanias and Elchin Azizov as {…}

Oct 29, 2021

Sabine Devieilhe, Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Véronique Gens, Ian Bostridge & Stéphane Degout Headline Opéra Comique’s 2022 Season

(Credit: © Julia Lamoureux) Opéra Comique in Paris has announced its 2022 season, featuring seven operas. Here is the full slate. Ambroise Thomas’ “Hamlet” opens the season with Sabine Devieilhe as Ophélie and Stéphane Degout in the title role. The cast also includes Laurent Alvaro, Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo, Pierre Derhet, Jérôme Varnier, Yu Shao, Geoffroy Buffière, and Nicolas Legoux. Louis Langrée {…}