Over the past few weeks we have returned to an old end-of-year tradition, spotlighting some of our standout artists of the year. And we will conclude that series with a return to our spotlight of the year’s best performances. As in the past, we have compiled the efforts of different members of our staff to create a list of our {…}
On Oct. 28, The Welsh National Opera, to a packed Hippodrome, performed its modernized rendition of the Puccinian classic and arguably one of the most controversial operas in the 21st c. canon, “Madam Butterfly.” Notwithstanding the opera’s subject matter, an Asian girl of 15 being coaxed into an international marriage with a man very much her senior while also being {…}
(Credit: Gemma Escribano) Soprano Marina Monzó will perform the role of Die Königin der Nacht in the upcoming production of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” at the Bayerische Staatsoper, replacing the originally scheduled Sabine Devieilhe. Monzó joins a cast that includes Pavol Breslik as Tamino, Olga Kulchynska as Pamina, and Günther Groissböck as Sarastro. The cast also includes Eliza Boom, Daria Proszek, {…}
The Welsh National Opera has announced that it will release an original community song-cycle that explores the experience of living with HIV in 2021. The Three Letters project assembles students from Cardiff West Community High School, writer and activist Mercy Shibemba, composer Michael Betteridge and singer Siân Cameron for an original song “We Learn, We Know, We Understand.” The project {…}
Amidst the greyish and waterlogged atmosphere of urban sprawl, on October 22nd inside the Hippodrome Theatre, home to one of the largest performance stages in Britain, the atmosphere was anything but. It was electric and real fun! Award-winning Director Giles Havergal, in a show of captivating histrionics paired with Rossinian virtuosity, validated the tremendous significance and ongoing legacy of Welsh {…}
The Welsh National Opera has released the first short film in a new series of short films as part of its Rearrange project. The first short film of the series is Mathilde Lopez’s takes on Monteverdi’s ‘Tu Se Morta’ from “Orfeo.” Lopez explores sadness, powerlessness, and how we seek to recapture what we have lost. In a statement Lopez said, {…}
The Welsh National Opera has launched its latest podcast mini-series “Modern Life.” The new series will feature three episodes with broadcaster Gareth Jones exploring how traditional opera has been adapted to reflect contemporary themes and poses the question: should opera reflect modern life? In the series Jones is joined by such guests as former Daily Telegraph opera critic Rupert Christiansen {…}
The Welsh National Opera has announced its 2021-22 season. Autumn 2021 The season will open at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff in September with Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.” The cast will include Nico Darmanin, Nicholas Lester, Heather Lowe, Andrew Shore, Keel Watson, and Tomáš Hanus will conduct. Performance Dates: Sept. 9, 2021 – Dec 2, 2021 at Cardiff, Plymouth, Birmingham, {…}
The Welsh National Opera is set to return to the stage with a production of Will Todd’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” The outdoor showcase is scheduled to take place between June 25 through July 3, 2021, at the National Trust’s Dyffryn Gardens near Cardiff. The showcase will star Fflur Wyn in the role of Alice, as well as Benjamin Bevan, {…}
Welsh National Opera has announced the release of a newly-commissioned poem in celebration of the company’s first performance 75 years ago. Written by the National Poet of Wales, Ilfor ap Glyn, the poem, titled “Intermezzo,” reflects on WNO’s beginnings and its rise into a world-renowned company. The is read by a number of distinguished Welsh voices, such as Sir Bryn {…}
The Welsh National Opera has announced the launch of two new mini-series for its podcast, which seeks to shed light on the journey artists face in the development of their careers, from their first exposure to classical music, to their first professional production. The English-language series, “The O Word,” will feature artists such as soprano Natalya Romaniw, Director of Music {…}