Francesca Zambello will continue to be a major fixture at the Washington National Opera through the 2020-21 season. The famed director has extended her contract as Artistic Director for three more years following a unanimous vote by the WNO Board of Trustees. “Francesca has transformed WNO since her arrival, and her retention as artistic director was vital in serving the {…}
The Washington National Opera has announced a donation of $1.1 million from Clifford D. Thomson, a member of the Washington National Opera Chorus for 30 years. Thomson passed away May 6, 2016, in Naples, Florida, but his estate gift was just recently made known to the company. The chorister served the company from 1975 to 2006 and performed hundreds of times {…}
Ryan Speedo Green is set to make his recital debut at the Washington National Opera. The 2018 recipient of the Marian Anderson Vocal Award will give a recital as part of the award bestowed on him by the company. Adam Nielsen will accompany him in a recital that is set to include works by Wagner, Verdi, and Mahler, as well as the American composers Margaret {…}
The Washington National Opera is set to open its 2018–19 season with a new production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello. The new production will see the WNO debut of rising star Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva and will star alongside American tenor Joshua Guerrero. Acclaimed baritone Lucas Meachem will round out the cast as Germont. Former {…}
The Washington National Opera has announced its seventh season of its acclaimed American Opera Initiative (AOI) with four world premieres from Jan. 11–13, 2019, in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. The American Opera Initiative provides rare opportunities for emerging composers and librettists to partner and write for the opera stage. Program The AOI Festival weekend begins with the world premiere {…}
Race and ethnicity continue to vex the opera world in the same manner as they do the rest of society. If events at last week’s Opera America Conference are indicative of the industry, it’s a topic that requires further discussion at future conferences with no easy answers in sight. There were no fewer than five panels related to race and {…}
The Washington National Opera will celebrate the eleventh season of free opera broadcasts at Nationals Park with Opera in the Outfield on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. The evening will showcase Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” in high-definition on the Nationals Park scoreboard at 7 p.m. Hosted by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, the production directed by Peter Kazaras is set to {…}
One of the most exciting companies around opens its doors on its 2018 season while another major company celebrates one of the musical titans of the 20th century. Those are just two of the five major picks this year. La Traviata – Opera Theatre of Saint Louis One of the biggest opera festivals in the US kicks off with the {…}
The Washington National Opera is preparing to finish off its 2017-18 season, celebrating Leonard Bernstein’s centennial anniversary with his “opera” “Candide.” The run kicks off on May 6, 2018, at the Kennedy Center Opera House. The celebration is set to feature an all-star cast that includes tenor Alek Shrader in his WNO debut. He will take on the title role {…}
It’s somewhat of a cliché for Golden Age thinking to creep into the dialogue of the opera world. How many times have you heard someone make the claim that they don’t make great voices the way they used to? The obvious answer is that they don’t because the world has changed and so have tastes. But sometimes, you’ll find those {…}
This Saturday, March 3, 2018, the Washington National Opera will be staging a four-act version of “Don Carlo” with a superstar cast. While many might turn to the likes of Leah Crocetto, Jamie Barton, or Eric Owens, for the star power, tenor Russell Thomas is poised to have a big night in his Washington National Opera debut. Thomas recently spoke {…}