Sir Simon Rattle Appointed New Chief Conductor of Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

(Credit: Kevin Yatarola) Celebrated conductor Sir Simon Rattle has been appointed the new Chief Conductor of the Chor and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. Rattle will begin his five-year tenure in 2023. The famed conductor served as the Chief Conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker until 2018, and currently holds the position of Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra. “Bayerischer Rundfunk {…}

Jan 3, 2021

Graham Vick, Jane Glover & Daniel Harding Highlight New Year Honours 2021

Credits: Groves Artists official website / John Batten / Julian Hargreaves The government of the United Kingdom has officially announced the list of New Year Honours 2021. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has awarded the honors to a number of persons for outstanding achievements across the country. Among those awarded is opera director Graham Vick, who was knighted for his {…}

Nov 27, 2020

‘Tristan und Isolde’ to be Performed by Festival Aix-en Provence

The Festival Aix-en-Provence has announced the first production of its 2021 season. The new production will feature Sir. Simon Rattle conducting the Wagner opera with a cast that includes Nina Stemme as Isolde and Stuart Skelton as Tristan as well as Jamie Barton, Franz-Josef Selig, and Josef Wagner. Simon Stone will conduct the production, which is also set to feature {…}

Nov 21, 2020

Brian Jagde, Juyeon Song, & Laura Strickling Headline New CD/DVD Releases

This week audiences will experience a wide array of new releases from complete opera recordings to solo albums to rarely performed pieces. Here is a look. Il Tabarro After an acclaimed “Cavalleria rusticana” recording, PENTATONE, Marek Janowski and the Dresdner Philharmonie release Puccini’s “Il Tabarro.” The new recording features Melody Moore as Giorgetta, Brian Jagde as Luigi, and Lester Lynch {…}

Oct 12, 2020

Deutsche Oper Berlin General Music Director Donald C. Runnicles Knighted

(Credit: Opus 3 Artists official website) The Office of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has announced the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2020. Among those honored was General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin Donald Cameron Runnicles, who has been bestowed with the title of the Knights Bachelor, for services to Music. Donald Runnicles is concurrently the General Music Director {…}

Oct 1, 2020

Andreas Schager, Elisabet Strid, René Pape, Stefan Vinke, Evelyn Herlitzius Highlight Oper Leipzig’s Wagner 22 Festival

(Credits: © David Jerusalem / Emelie Kroon / Jiyang Chen / Dagmar Medina / In Art Management Official Website) The Oper Leipzig has announced the Wagner 22 festival. The festival, which is set to be held from June 20 to July 14, 2022, will showcase all 13 Richard Wagner operas and will feature such artists as Andreas Schager, Stefan Vinke, {…}

Sep 17, 2020

Opera Meets Film: The Transcendent Fusion of Yuki Mishima’s ‘Patriotism’ & Wagner’s ‘Tristan und Isolde’

“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Yukio {…}

Sep 2, 2020

Obituary: Austrian Baritone Rudolf Holtenau Dies at 88

(Credit: holtenau.at) Austrian baritone Rudolf Holtenau has died in Vienna on August 30, at the age of 88. Holtenau, who born in Salzburg, sang a lots of role throughout his career, with an emphasis on Wagner operas. Holtenau began his vocal studies in Linz, and then moved to Vienna where he finished his professional education. He debuted in Klagenfurt, and {…}

Jul 18, 2020

Royal Opera House to Stream ZooNation’s ‘The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’

The Royal Opera House continues its #OurHouseToYourHouse program with a screening of ZooNation’s family-friendly “The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” on Friday, July 31 at 7:00 p.m. BST. ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company, a British hip-hop influenced dance company, reimagines Lewis Carroll’s classic tale with a 21st-century twist, zeroing in on perceptions of mental illness and the concept of “normality.” ZooNation {…}

May 21, 2020

Lorelei Ensemble Releases David Lang’s ‘love fail’

The Lorelei Ensemble has released David Lang’s “love fail” on Cantaloupe Music. When it premiered in 2012, the piece was originally written for vocal quartet with simple percussion instruments, but in 2016, it was revised for a woman’s chorus. It retells the story of “Tristan und Isolde” from more modern works and versions by several artists, including Richard Wagner. “We {…}

May 17, 2020

Word Search: Complete the Names of these Famed Interpreters of ‘Tristan und Isolde’

With Richard Wagner’s birthday right around the corner on May 22, we turn to the subject of arguably his greatest opera “Tristan und Isolde.” For this word search, you goal is to complete the name of these noted interpreters of “Tristan und Isolde,” specifically the sopranos who have dominated the role of Isolde. Instructions: You are free to solve the {…}