(Credit: Steven Pisano) For the second night in a row, Teatro Nuovo was back in City Center. This time, the company turned away from the dark and dramatic colors of Verdi’s “Macbeth” to Bellini’s melodramatic “La Sonnambula.” Like “Macbeth,” the company semi-staged the production with projections in the backdrop and supertitles to accompany them. Unlike “Macbeth,” which saw the entire {…}
The Teatro Nuovo has announced its 2025 Bel Canto Festival. Verdi’s “Macbeth” will be presented in its original 1847 version. The production will star Ricardo José Rivera, Alexandra Loutsion, and Martin Luther Clark. Jakob Lehmann conducts and directors. Performance Dates: July 19, 2025 at Alexander Kasser Theater, Montclair State University & July 23, 2025 at New York City Center Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced a cast change for its Feb. 5 performance of “West Side Story.” The company noted that soprano Teresa Castillo will be stepping in to replace an indisposed colleague and perform the role of Maria in Bernstein’s West Side Story.” It will mark her company debut. Castillo has performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, {…}
Teatro Nuovo is joining the Maria Callas Centenary Celebration with “CALLAS: PAST AND FUTURE.” The day-long event, scheduled for Dec. 2 at El Museo del Barrio in New York will feature numerous events spotlighting the famed opera icon. “Teatro Nuovo, like all performers and fans of Bel Canto, owes everything to Callas,” said company director Will Crutchfield in an official {…}
Photo credit: Steve Pisano Teatro Nuovo is an opera company solely dedicated to the discovery and rediscovery of Italian music specifically from the Bel Canto period. In fact, they are the only opera company in the world dedicated to doing this right now. And, they are doing it exceedingly well. The Naples brothers Federico and Luigi Ricci’s “Crispino e la {…}
Chicago Opera Theater has announced its 2022-23 season, which will celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. The season opens with Szymanowski’s “King Roger.” The work will be presented in partnership with Lira Ensemble as well as Apollo Chorus. Lidiya Yankovskaya, who has extended her contract with the company through 2024, will conduct with Dylan Evans directing. The cast includes Iwona Sobotka, {…}
Teatro Nuovo has announced its 2022 season featuring two operas. The company will also resume its renowned training program, giving an immersive course in Bel Canto style and technique to 22 elite young singers who will serve as the understudies and chorus of the two operas. The season will open with Rossini’s “Maometto Secondo” with bass Hans Tashjian in the {…}
It’s the holiday season, a time when performances of Handel’s “Messiah” are a long-standing tradition. But with the world in the grip of a second wave the COVID-19 pandemic, music organizations large and small have looked for new ways to perform the work safely. Composer/Pianist Felix Jarrar’s “Too Hot to Handel: A Virtual Messiah Part One” is one such undertaking. {…}
With opera companies returning in full force digitally, this week’s selections will highlight a mix of repertory staples with some unique and experimental new works. Before we kick off our list, don’t forget to check out important discussions taking place regarding issues of race and equality in opera with such programs as Karen Slack’s “KikiKonversations,” Kenneth Overton’s “Black Opera Live,” and Mark {…}
Teatro Nuovo has announced the release of Bel Canto in Thirty Minutes, premiering Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. on YouTube Live. The new video production is set to feature the first-ever complete recording of Nicola Vaccai’s “Practical Method of Italian Singing,” a delicious collection of miniature arias that has been a cornerstone of Bel Canto training for nearly two centuries. {…}
The Fort Worth Opera and the McCammon Voice Competition Committee have announced the cancelation of the 2020 Competition due to uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a press release, the Committee informed each of the 30 semi-finalists that they will be granted an award of $300 to provide some financial relief during these difficult times. Semi-finalists will also be {…}
