Spanish soprano Pilar Lorengar was born on Jan. 15, 1928 in Zaragoza, Spain. Per The Independent, she “had one of the most beautiful voices heard in the post-war years. Creamy-toned and perfectly placed, her voice remained firm and youthful in timbre for more than 30 years.” From an early age, she was involved in performance, appearing on the radio program {…}
PBS will showcase the Live in HD broadcast of “Aida” from the Metropolitan Opera as part of its Great Performances Series on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. The broadcast, the first to showcase a performance from the 2018-19 season, will kick off at 12 p.m. EDT and features Anna Netrebko in Verdi´s famed opera. The performance also featured Anita Rachvelishvili as {…}
Renato Bruson, born on Jan. 13, 1936, was born near Padua, Italy and would go on to become one of the great Italian baritones of the late 20th century. He studied music at the conservatory of Padua but did not enjoy much support from his family. Bruson himself once noted that his family thought he wanted to be a musician {…}
Baritone Sherrill Milnes was the Verdi Baritone of his time. Born on Jan. 10, 1935 in Downers Grove, Illinois, Milnes played a plethora of instruments throughout his youth. He had intentions of becoming an anesthesiologist but then sought out music as a career. After graduation from Drake University, he became an apprentice at the Santa Fe Opera and studied briefly {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced two cast changes for its Jan. 2, 2019 performance of “La Traviata.” The company announced that tenor Pavol Breslik will sing the role of Alfredo filling in for Renè Barbera, who was originally scheduled to sing. Baritone Antonio Yang will also return to the role of Giorgio Germont after performing two shows on Dec. 31. {…}
On Dec. 23, 2018, Talents of the World brought their first International Music Festival to a stunning conclusion with the company’s Christmas Ball. The night saw a wide-ranging program of opera, operetta, and Christmas songs, and from start to finish there remained a sense of celebration which added much to the showcase of artistry. To Health! Opening the concert was {…}
On Dec. 21, 2018, Talents of the World took to Carnegie Hall for the company’s first International Festival. This opening night of performances came as a tribute to legendary soprano Maria Callas, titled “Prima Donnas in Concert.” True to its name, the evening’s program was comprised of some of the most grippingly gorgeous arias, duets, and trios performed by a {…}
Francesco Tamagno was born on Dec. 28, 1850, and would go on to become the first singer to perform the title role in Verdi’s “Otello.” He began taking vocal lessons in his youth and was a chorister. In 1873, he began training vocally in earnest and started performing small roles in the local Teatro Regio di Torino. But on Jan. {…}
There was a ton of drama in Verdi’s “Otello” on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018. But it wasn’t necessarily always the kind you might be expecting. Tenor Stuart Skelton made his Metropolitan Opera role debut at the house after having to cancel the opening night performance due to illness. He remained ill, but that fact was not given to the audience {…}
Tenor Giacomo Lauri-Volpi was born on Dec. 11, 1892 and was orphaned by age 11. He graduated the university and started taking voice lessons, but was forced to serve the Italian Armed Forces during World War One. Once the war was over, however, he was able to embark on his opera career. His first performance was as Arturo in “I {…}
Baritone Sesto Bruscantini, born on Dec. 10, 1919, would go on to become a major Italian baritone throughout the 20th century. He actually obtained a law degree but turned to vocal studies and by 1947 had won a voice contest organized by RAI. His first professional appearance was in 1946 as Colline in “La Bohème;” his rendition of “Vecchia zimarra” {…}
