Austin Opera has announced its 2025-2026 Season celebrating its 40th birthday as well as the 10th anniversary of Annie Burridge’s tenure as General Director & CEO. The season opens with “Celebrate Opera! A Spectacular Birthday Concert” which will celebrate Austin Opera’s 40 years. Timothy Myers leads the Austin Opera Orchestra & Chorus and a cast of guest vocalists in famous arias {…}
(Photo credit: Norman Timonera) The Grant Park Music Festival has announced its 2025 season. For the purposes of this article only classical vocal concerts are included. The Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra and Chorus give the Illinois premiere of Jake Runestad’s “Earth Symphony.” Also programmed on this concert is Gustav Holst’s “The Planets, and Lili Boulanger’s “Psalm 24.” Christopher Bell {…}
The Glimmerglass Festival released the details of its 2024 Festival season, titled “Identity & Illusion.” Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” stars Craig Irvin, Christian Mark Gibbs, and Elizabeth Sutphen in their Glimmerglass debuts. They are joined by returning member Eve Gigliotti, and the 2024 Young Artists Joshua Thomas, Tshilidzi Ndou, Saane Halaholo, Alexandra Sanchez, and Emma Sucato. Joseph {…}
(Photo credit: Ken Yotsukura) Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) has decided the need to move Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” away from racism in order to save Puccini from himself. In doing so, BLO’s main production asset is its vocal cast composed mostly of people of Asian descent—an asset that BLO has been very eager to publicize. However, this narrows interpretations of what {…}
Light Opera of New Jersey is set o present “A Celebration of the Stage: Opera to Broadway.” The event, which is slated for Oct. 8 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Basking Ridge, will feature opera and musical favorites performed by baritone Troy Cook as well as numerous rising stars including Gemma Nha, Cesar Parreño, James Conrad Smith. Karen Delavan will {…}
The Florida Grand Opera has announced its 2023-24 season with three renowned operas. The season opens with Verdi’s timeless classic “La Traviata.” The opera will star Cecilia Violetta López, Pavel Petrov, and Troy Cook. Chía Patiño directs and Joe Illick conducts. Performance Dates: Nov. 11 – Dec. 2, 2023 The second opera of the season will be Leoncavallo’s “I Pagliacci.” It {…}
The Boston Lyric Opera has announced its 2023-24 season featuring four productions. The Boston Lyric Opera opens with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” featuring Karen Chia-Ling Ho, Alice Chung, Dominick Chenes, and Troy Cook. David Angus conducts the opera in a production by Phil Chan. Performance Dates: Sept. 14-24, 2023 David Angus conducts Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” in a production by Dawn M. Simmons. {…}
(Credit: Chris Singer) The Palm Beach Opera is set to open its first mainstage production of the 2023 Season with “Madama Butterfly.” The production opens on Jan. 20, 2023 and runs through Jan. 22. The opera will be conducted by acclaimed Italian conductor Carlo Montanaro and will showcase American stage director Alison Mortiz’s production. Sopranos Jennifer Rowley and Toni Marie {…}
Opera Philadelphia has announced its 2022-23 season which will see the return of the season-opening Festival O. Festival O22 (Sept. 21-Oct. 2) The season will open with Rossini’s “Otello” starring Opera Philadelphia Artistic Advisor Lawrence Brownlee as Rodrigo. He is joined by fellow tenors Khanyiso Gwenxane in the title role and Alek Shrader as Iago, with mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack as Desdemona. {…}
(Credit: Victory Hall Opera official website) The Victory Hall Opera has announced the upcoming world premiere of Matt Boehler and Miriam Gordon-Stewart’s chamber opera “Fat Pig.” The opera, which features a libretto is based on the play by Neil LaBute, stars Tracy Cox in the role of Helen, Troy Cook as Tom, Will Ferguson as Carter, and Sarah Wolfson as Jeannie. {…}
The Spoleto Festival USA has announced its 2022 season featuring three New Operas. The company will world premiere “Omar” by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels. Kaneza Schaal will direct the opera with John Kennedy conducting. The cast will include Jamez McCorkle in the title role, Cheryse McLeod Lewis as Omar’s mother, and Laquita Mitchell as Julie. Opening in Senegal, the opera’s {…}