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 ambitious vocal projects that include multiple world premieres, rarities, and homages to historical artists. Schubert/Beatles The New York Festival of Song releases Schubert/Beatles on NYFOS Records featuring baritone Theo Hoffman, pianists Steven Blier and Kunal Lahiry, {…}
Taiwan’s National Theater and Concert Hall’s (NTCH) summer season has begun. Here’s what audiences have to look forward to. For the purposes of this article, only vocal performances are listed. NTCH presents Soprano Lin Ciyin in recital. Performance Date: June 24, 2023 NTCH will present the concert version of Verdi’s “Aida” Acts one and two starring Lin Ciyin as Aida, {…}
Photos by Matt Madison-Clark This review is of the July 23, 2022, Berkshire Opera Fest Performance “At the heart of what we do is produce the greatest opera at the highest level. The Berkshires is a magical place. There was a void of opera, and so here we are,” Jonathon Loy, Berkshire Opera Fest’s (BOF) Co-founder and Director of Production, {…}
The Berkshire Opera Festival is set to open its 2022 summer season with a new production of Jake Heggie’s “Three Decembers.” The production will be performed on July 21 and 23 at PS21 in Chatham, NY and will be conducted by Christopher James Ray. Beth Greenberg, who will direct the production, says, “Buried secrets…dark whispers…love, and devastating loss…all collide and {…}
The Israeli Opera has announced its 2021-22 season featuring eight productions. Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” opens the season with Alla Vasilevitsky, Yael Levita, Alasdair Kent, Aaron Blake, Theo Hoffman, Oded Reich, and Beate Ritter. Nimrod David Pfeffer conducts. Performance Dates: Nov. 4-15, 2021 Ira Bertman, Alla Vasilevitsky, Andrei Bondarenko, and Kostas Smorginas lead Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” with Dan Ettinger conducting. {…}
The Washington Concert Opera has announced its 2021-22 season celebrating its 35th anniversary. Rossini’s “Maometto II” opens the season starring Ashraf Sewailam in the title role, Leah Crocetto as Anna Erisso, Bruce Sledge as Paolo Erisso, and Elizabeth DeShong as Calbo. Performance Date: Nov. 21, 2021 “Orphée” will be led by Kate Lindsey in the title role alongside Jacquelyn Stucker {…}
The Seattle Opera has announced its 2021-222 season. The season opens with “La Bohème” starring Kang Wang, Yosep Kang, Talise Trevigne, Michael Chioldi, John Moore, Ginger Costa-Jackson, Brandie Sutton, Ashraf Swailam, Federico de Michelis, Eugene Villanueva, Theo Hoffman, and Barry Johnson. Joseph Colaneri conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. 16-30, 2021 Key’mon Murrah, Christopher Ainslie, Sharleen Joynt, Deanna Breiwick, and Shelly Traverse {…}
The Seattle Opera is set to showcase a recital series entitled “Songs of Summer” with some of opera’s biggest stars. Angel Blue is the first to headline a recital on May 28, which audiences can watch via the Seattle Opera’s Facebook, YouTube, or official website. Blue will be joined by pianist Jay Rozendaal for a 30-minute program. On June 4, {…}
The Atlanta Opera has announced its 2020-21 season celebrating its 41st anniversary. As part of this new season, the company will also introduce a new partnership with two local institutions, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the LGBTQIA+ community-focused Out Front Theatre Company. The season opens with Puccini’s “La Bohème” starring Jessica Nuccio in her U.S. debut with Timothy Myers {…}
(Credit: Dominic M. Mercier) Opera Philadelphia will kick off its O19 Festival with the world premiere of Venables and Huffman’s opera “Denis & Katya.” The opera, co-commissioned and co-produced with Music Theatre Wales and Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier, was inspired by the “true story of two 15-year-old runaways who became social media sensations when they live streamed an armed stand-off {…}
The LA Opera has announced its 2019-20 season featuring six new productions, two company premieres, and one world pmiere. Here is a look at what to expect. Main Stage Barrie Kosky directs the first production of Puccini’s “La Bohème” in 25 years. Marina Costa-Jackson makes her LA Opera debut in the title role with Saimir Pirgu as Rodolfo. Erica Petroelli, {…}
