Photo credit: Daniel Boud We can be grateful that the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Chief Conductor Simone Young has a passion for the music of Arnold Schoenberg in this, his 150th anniversary year. On Friday March 15th, it led to the first performance in Sydney of Schoenberg’s concert-drama “Gurrelieder,” a massive work that was first performed in Vienna 111 years ago, {…}
Opera Australia has announced its Winter Season featuring four productions. The season opens with Verdi’s “Aida“ directed by Dave Livermore and conducted by Lorenzo Passerini and Tahu Matheson. The production stars Leah Crocetto in the title role; Elena Gabouri as Amneris; Stefano La Colla and Najmiddin Mavlyanov sharing the role of Radamès; and Warwick Fyfe and Michael Honeyman as Amonasro. Performance {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / Rachelle Durkin official website) The Adelaide Festival has announced the centerpiece of its 2021 Edition. Benjamin Britten’s operatic masterwork “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will make its Australian debut at the festival. The opera will star countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen in the role of Oberon; soprano Rachelle Durkin as Tytania; soprano Taryn Fiebig in the role of {…}
(Credits: Stefan Vinke / Iona MacPherson / Vitalij Kowaljow official website) Opera Australia has announced new dates for its production of Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the opera house was forced to postpone the production for 2021. Wagner’s acclaimed masterwork was originally been scheduled for November 2020. Per the new schedule, the season will now {…}
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 Finnish National Opera has announced its ambitious season featuring new operas, a number of new productions and revivals. It will also include a number of international opera stars as well as some of Finland’s top singers. Operas in Alphabetical Order Veronika Dzhioeva, Anna Danik, and Mika Pohjonen lead a revival of Verdi’s “Aida” with Patrick Fournillier conducting. Performance Dates: April 6–May {…}