On June 16, the Arena di Verona inaugurated its 100th anniversary season with a new production of “Aida.” The evening was one of the most anticipated events of the opera season and drew a crowd of 20,000 spectators. It also brought a number of very important world figures including Sophia Loren, who arrived on the red carpet and was received {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced that Marina Rebeka will not be performing in the June 16 showing of “Il Trovatore.” Per an official press release, the soprano has tested positive for COVID-19 and the role of Leonora will be performed by Rachel Willis-Sørensen. This is the second performance that Rebeka has canceled in the run. Willis-Sørensen will perform in {…}
The opening night of the 100th Verona Arena Opera Festival will be broadcast live on Rai1 by Rai Cultura on June 16, 2023 at 9 p.m. local time. The new production of Verdi’s “Aida,” directed by Stefano Poda, will star Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov, Olesya Petrova, Roman Burdenko, and Michele Pertusi. Marco Armiliato conducts. “The audience will be greeted with {…}
Photo: Craig Fuller Opera Holland Park’s (OHP) 2023 season opened with Cecilia Stinton’s new production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” It leads a pack of new productions including “Hansel and Gretel,” the world premiere of Jonathan Dove’s new opera “Itch,” and “Ruddigore,” another G&S collaboration with Charles Court Opera. Stinton’s handsome production (designed by Neil Irish) is “Rigoletto” by way of Evelyn {…}
The Theater Erfurt has unveiled its 2023-24 season. In sum, the season will feature five opera productions with the season focusing on themes of the sea and ocean. First up will be a new production of “Peter Grimes” which will be conducted by Clemens Fieguth and directed by Marin Blalazevic. The opera will star Brett Sprague in the title role. {…}
For the first time since 2019, the Semperoper Dresden is set to bring back Verdi’s “Nabucco.” The revival of David Bösch’s production will star ensemble member Markus Marquardt in the title role. He will be joined by Ewa Plonka in her Dresden debut as Abigaile. Other cast members include Christa Mayer and Pavol Breslik as Fenena and Ismaele, respectively. Rounding {…}
The Theater St. Gallen and the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen will team up to present Verdi’s “Requiem” starting on May 6, 2023 at 7 p.m. The famed work will be presented in a staged production by Krystian Lada with Modestas Pitrenas conducting. The opera will feature soprano Hulkar Sabirova, mezzo-soprano Martina Belli, tenor Christopher Sokolowski, and bass Msimelelo Mbali. The production {…}
Opera Hong Kong is set to present Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” at the Grand Theatre at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The production, which opens on May 11 and runs through the 14th, will feature a production by Enrico Castiglione with two different casts. In the role of Leonora, audiences will hear Martina Serafin for two shows and Roberta Mantegna for {…}
The Los Angeles Opera is set to present a free live broadcast for the opening performance of Verdi’s “Otello.” The company will showcase the famed opera on May 13, 2023 at the Santa Monica Pier and CSU Dominguez Hills. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. at both location with the opera set to kick off two hours later. There will {…}
Ireland’s Blackwater Valley Opera Festival has unveiled its 2023 edition, which will feature a production of a renowned opera classic. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be solely on vocal performances. First up, artists from the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival Chorus will perform in the St. Mary’s Collegiate Church recital. Performance Date: May 30, 2023 There will {…}
Fort Worth Opera is set to close out its 2023 season with a semi-staged production of “Aida.” Performances are scheduled for April 14 and 16, 2023. The opera will be staged by Malena Dayen and conducted by Elaine Rinaldi, who is the first female conductor in the company’s history. They will lead a cast starring Michelle Bradley in the title {…}