Xabier Anduaga, Vanessa Goikoetxea & Arturo Chacón-Cruz Lead Fundación Baluarte’s 2025-26 Season

The Fundación Baluarte has announced its 2025-26 season. Here are the vocal performances for the concert hall in Pamplona, Spain. Andoni Sierra conducts Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” with Raquel Andueza, Katharine Hawnt, and Jesús García Aréjula. Performance Date: Nov. 9, 2025 Bach’s Christmas Oratorio will be conducted by Christoph Prégardien and will showcase Deborah Cachet, Elvia Bill, David Fisher, and {…}

May 18, 2025

Kathryn Lewek, Enea Scala, Vanessa Goikoetxea & Mikhail Timoshenko Lead Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur’s 2025-26 Season

The Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur has announced its 2025-26 season. Léo Warynski conducts Philip Glass’ “Satyagraha” in a production by Lucinda Childs. The production stars Melody Louledjan, Karen Vourc’h, Julie Robard-Gendre, Sahy Ratya, Jean-Luc Ballestra, Frédéric Diquero, and Angel Odena. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-7, 2025 “Chansons de Paris” will star Laeticia Goepfert, Remi Mathieu, Priscilla Beyrand, Serge Manguette, Isabelle Bourgeais, and Gilles San {…}

Apr 24, 2025

Sally Matthews, Olga Peretyatko, Simon Keenlyside, Lea Desandre, Stéphane Degout, Enea Scala, Leah Hawkins, & John Osborn Lead La Monnaie’s 2025-26 Season

La Monnaie de Mont has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “Falstaff” starring Simon Keenlyside in the title role, Lionel Lhote, Bogdan Volkov, Sally Matthews, Benedetta Torres, and Daniela Barcellona. Alain Altinoglu and Ouri Bronchti alternate and Laurent Pelly directs the new production. Performance Dates: Sept. 21-Oct. 9, 2025 Ricard Soler Mallol and Grey Filastine showcase {…}

Apr 14, 2025

Teatro Real 2024-25 Review: Mitridate (Cast B)

The title role of “Mitridate” is by far the most difficult Mozart role and one of the hardest of the entire tenor repertoire. It requires extreme security in the high register, as it is constantly going up to high Bs and high Cs, and a strong middle and low register, too. Teatro Real‘s production featured tenor Siyabonga Maqungo in the {…}

Nov 17, 2024

Erika Grimaldi, Alexandra Razskazoff, Sergey Romanovsky & Vanessa Goikoetxea Lead Teatro Municipal de Santiago’s 2025 Season

The Teatro Municipal de Santiago has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the opera and vocal performances. Opera Erika Grimaldi and Oksana Sekerina star in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” with José Simerilla, Anthony Ciaramitaro, Kai Rüütel, Evelyn Ramírez, Eleomar Cuello, and Javier Weibel. Paolo Bortolameolli conducts the production by Verónica Villarroel. Performance Dates: July 3-12, 2025 Yaritza Véliz and {…}

Oct 9, 2024

Marigona Qerkezi, Rame Lahaj, Raffaele Pe & Chiara Isotton Lead Teatro Petruzzelli’s 2025 Season

The Fondazione Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari has announced its 2025 season. Here is a look at the operas and concerts. Opera Verdi’s “Il Corasaro” is set to open the season with Rame Lahaj and Zizhao Guo sharing the lead role. They will be joined by Guanqun Yu, Benedetta Torre, Vladimir Stoyanov, Luca Galli, Vanessa Goikoetxea, and Carmen Lopez. Stefano Montanari conducts the {…}

Sep 17, 2024

Boston Lyric Opera 2024 Review: Mitridate

(Photo credit: Nile Scott Studios) What can one expect from an opera that the one and only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed when he was a mere fourteen years young? It is impressive considering the age of its composer and disappointing if we bear in mind what came next—like listening to Wagner’s “Die Feen,” Verdi’s “I Due Foscari” or even Puccini’s {…}

Feb 1, 2024

Opéra de Nice Côte d’Azur 2023-24 Review: Rusalka

(Photo: Rusalka Nice Dominique Jaussein) In the highly centralized French operatic world where the Opéra de Paris reigns supreme, any initiative to breathe new life into the seasons of regional theaters is a positive development. In this context, four major opera companies of the Mediterranean region have created a new partnership to pool their artistic, financial and logistical resources in {…}

Nov 25, 2023

Francesco Meli, Vanessa Goikoetxea & Sara Blanch Lead Maggio Musicale’s 2024 Season

The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced its 2024 season and its 86th annual festival. Here is a look at the opera and vocal performances. Nikolas Nägele conducts Grieg’s “Peer Gynt” with Aitana Sanz-Pérez, Sandro Lombardi, Elena Ghiaurov, and Annibale Pavone. Performance Date: Jan. 15 & 16, 2024 Giuseppe La Malfa conducts “La Principessa di Gelo” in a production by Manu Lalli. The production will {…}

Jan 22, 2023

Xabier Anduaga & Vanessa Goikoetxea Lead Bilbao Opera’s ‘Così fan tutte’

The ABAO Bilbao Opera is set to begin 2023 with Mozart’s Masterpiece “Così fan tutte.” The opera, which is set to celebrate its 233 years on Jan. 26, has been presented three times in the company’s history. The last time was in 2007. Mozart’s work will be performed on Jan. 21, 24, 27, 28, and 30 at the Euskalduna Bilbao {…}

Dec 22, 2022

Teatro Comunale di Bologna Announces Cast Change for ‘Vier Letzte Lieder’

The Teatro Comunale di Bologna has announced a cast change for its Dec. 23 concert. The company revealed that Vanessa Goikoetxea will replace Aleksandra Kurzak in “Vier Letzte Lieder.” Riccardo Frizza will conduct the evening, which will also include a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in e minor. Goikoetxea’s performance will mark her debut at the Teatro Comunale. She {…}