The Vienna State Opera has announced its 2019-20 season, which includes six new productions and a whopping 58 operas overall. There are also a plethora of concert performances as well featuring some of the greatest opera stars on the planet. New Productions The new season kicks off with a new production of Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Directed by Irina {…}
The Verbier Festival has announced the programming for its 26th edition. While there are undeniably a plethora of incredible performances of all kinds to be found throughout the many weeks of this famed festival, the aim of this article will be to focus mainly on vocal and operatic performances. Baritone Thomas Quasthoff will appear alongside guitarist Wolfgang Meyer and Trombonist {…}
Puccini’s “Tosca” will take the stage at the Vienna State Opera on Sun. Feb. 17, 2019, and audiences around the world will get a chance to witness the showcase. This performance (another later in the year will also get a live stream) will star Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role with Piotr Beczala and Thomas Hampson as Cavaradossi and Scarpia {…}
Watching how baritone Thomas Hampson and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni worked together in their recent “No Tenors Allowed!” recital at Jordan Hall as part of the Celebrity Series of Boston, one thing became quite obvious – a great recital might be a singing-actor’s best possible forum for expression. For some context, I saw Pisaroni in the Met’s recent production of “Don {…}
The Verbier Festival has announced its 2019 festival with two opera performances and a number of recitals and concerts featuring some of the greatest singers in the world. For this season announcement we will only include the vocal performances. Program Thomas Quastoff headlines a concert entitled “Meeting Friends” with Wolfgang Meyer and Shawn Grocott. Performance Date: July 19, 2019 Jakub {…}
The Teatro Colón has announced its 2019 season featuring eight main stage productions, concert operas, and a number of international star-making debuts. Here is a look at what to expect next season. Mainstage Opera Maurizio Benini conducts a new production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” directed by Jorge Takla. Fabián Veloz and Leonardo López Linares share the title role while Pavel Valuzhin and {…}
The Tanglewood Festival has announced its 2019 season. As with other programs of this sort, we will limit ourselves to the vocal and operatic selections on display. For the full program, click here. Verdi’s Requiem will get a performance with Kristine Opolais, Oksana Volkova, Jonathan Tetelman, and Ryan Speedo Green. Andris Nelsons will conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Performance Date: {…}
Thomas Hampson has long been one of the greatest opera singers of his generation singing in all the great opera houses in the world and interpreting some of the most iconic roles in the art form. He has also been recognized as a great recitalist showing great enthusiasm for the American Songbook and a big proponent of Mahler’s music in {…}
Tanglewood has announced that its star-studded gala concert, celebrating Leonard Bernstein’s centennial on August 25, 2018, will be recorded by Great Performances and broadcast on PBS, bringing this event to audiences in their homes throughout America, Europe, and Asia on December 28, 2018. The concert will be hosted by Audra McDonald and directed by James Darrah; among the names appearing {…}
Baritone Thomas Hampson is one of the most intellectually-inspiring artists in the opera world. Born on June 28, 1955, the baritone is one of the most thoughtful and insightful people in the business. Just listen to an interview (see below). The Indiana native sang as a child and studied at the Eastern Washington State College, majoring in political science and {…}
Every year, one superstar rises above the rest to become one the centerpieces of a particular Teatro alla Scala season. This season, OperaWire pointed out five major artists that are poised to make high profile debuts or returns or headline major productions that are sure to see their profiles surge. Saioa Herenandez The Spanish soprano is set to make her {…}