The Sofia National Opera is set to reopen on June 19 with a Tutto Verdi mini-festival. The Bulgarian company will open with Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” in a full production with sets and costumes, a full cast and chorus, and orchestra. However, the audience will be socially distanced. It will be followed by “Rigoletto” on June 21 and “La Traviata” on {…}
This week two complete opera DVDs will be released as well as a single, which will donate all funds to an artist relief fund. Der Zwerg Naxos releases a production from the Deutsche Oper Berlin of Alexander von Zemlinsky’s one-act adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s “Birthday of the Infanta,” “Der Zwerg.” In this acclaimed production by Tobias Kratzer, the work stars {…}
The Sofia Opera and Ballet in Bulgaria is sending out a special concert dedicated to the medics and police officers who are helping to manage the COVID-19 crisis. The online concert features Vladimir Stoyanov, Radostina Nikolaeva, Martin Iliev, Krasimir Dinev, Gabriela Georgieva, Atanas Mladenov, Boris Spasov, Kiril Manolov, Marianna Zvetkova, stetso Ivanov, Katerina Petrova, Nikolay Petrov, Biser Georgiev, Dimitar Stanchev, {…}
(Credit: Anja Koehler) The Bregenz Summer Opera Festival was founded in 1946, just one year after the end of the second World War. It offers a great variety of musical events in four different venues, but it is in the “Seebühne” or floating stage, set in a platform over the Costanze lake where the big opera performances take place in {…}
The LA Opera has announced its 2020-21 season featuring a number of Main stage productions, of grand and community events. Here is a look at what the ambitious season is set to showcase. Main Stage The season opens with Verdi and Cammarano’s “Il Trovatore” starring Angel Blue in her role debut as Leonora and Gregory Kunde in his LA Opera {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) The Teatro Real in Madrid is set to open Bellini’s rare “Il Pirata” on Saturday, Nov. 30. The opera premiered at the Teatro alla Scala in 1827 when the composer was only 26-years-old and became an overnight success. And while Bellini remained at the forefront of Bel Canto for the remainder of his short life, this {…}
Opera Australia has announced its 2020 Melbourne program, which will include staged operas, concert performances, and musicals. Operas Graeme Murphy will direct an “innovative and visually stunning” new production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” It will showcase how “the digital screens can be used to enhance the storytelling and opera experience,” says Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini in the press release. Japanese soprano Hiromi Omura {…}
The Teatro Municipale di Piacenza has announced its 2019-20 season featuring a number of new productions and one world premiere. Opera Maria Teresa Leva, Lucrezia Drei, Azer Zada, Francesco Cascione, Stefano Marchisio, and Maharram Huseynov star in Puccini’s “La Bohème.” The opera, which opens the season, is set to be conducted by Aldo Sisillo with legendary baritone Leo Nucci directing the new production. Performance {…}
The Fondazione I Teatri Reggio Emilia has announced its 2019-20 season. Francesca Dotto takes on the title role in Donizetti’s “Lucrezia Borgia” in a production by Andrea Bernard from the Donizetti Opera Festival. The cast will also include Marko Mimica, Francesco Castoro, and Varduhi Abrahamyan. Carla Delfrate conducts the production. Performance Dates: Dec. 6 & 8, 2019 The second production of the {…}
The holiday weekend is here and that means many companies are on hiatus. However, there are a number of festivals going on and a number of productions ending runs. Here is a look at some new productions and festival performances we are excited about. Mavra / Iolanta – Bayerische Staatsoper, Germany The Munich opera house presents a new production of a {…}
It has been announced that Vladimir Stoyanov will be replacing Luca Salsi in the Baden-Baden Festpielhaus’ Easter Festival production of Verdi’s “Otello.” The Bulgarian baritone will star as Iago in Robert Wilson’s new production, alongside Stuart Skelton in the title role, and Sonya Yoncheva as Desdemona. The production, which begins its run on April 13, will have its orchestration provided {…}
