Fort Worth Opera (FWO) announced the world premiere of “Bernadette’s Cozy Book Nook,” a film by composer and FWO Artistic Director Joe Illick and Pulitizer Prize and Grammy® Award-winning librettist Mark Campbell. The film, part of FWO’s Green Room digital initiative, premieres on January 14, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. CST, and runs through January 24. “Bernadette’s Cozy Book Nook,” is {…}
(Credit: Met Opera / Ken Howard / Marty Sohl) The Met Opera has unveiled its 25 and 26th weeks of streaming, continuing its theme-based streaming options. For week 25, the company will focus on 20th-century classics, while the ensuing week of streams will place an emphasis on French operas. Monday, August 31 – R. Strauss’s Elektra Starring Nina Stemme, Adrianne Pieczonka, Waltraud {…}
Over 100 singers came together for a video performance of “Light Shall Lift Us,” a work by librettist Mark Campbell and composer Paul Moravec. The duo, which has worked together on “The Shining” proposed the idea to Marc Scorca of Opera America, who embraced the idea and helped put together the 107 artists who would eventually record their individual parts {…}
(Credit: Ryan Donnell) Opera Philadelphia has announced its 2020-21 season with the theme Fortune & Might. O20 Festival Jennifer Higdon and Jerre Dye’s “Woman with Eyes Closed” makes its world premiere opening the Opera Philadelphia’s festival. German director Christian Räth helms the production which is set to star Meredith Arwady, Kevin Ray, Fleur Barron, and Wei Wu Performance Dates: Sept. {…}
(Credit: Pictures courtesy of the Lyric Opera of Chicago) The Lyric Opera of Chicago’s has announced its 2020-21 season celebrating its 66th season. The season will include three Lyric premieres, two Lyric Original productions, nine operas, three concert events and one musical. Main Stage The first production of the season will be the famed double bill of Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” {…}
(Credit: Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera) Billy Budd, Foretopman, is the center of the conflict between evil and good, dark and light, vulnerable and powerful in Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece “Billy Budd.” Picking this opera for the second night opening of San Francisco’s 97th season was a masterful choice. Everything – the music, drama, ethical conflict, suspenseful, challenging, rewarding – {…}
(Credit: Alastair Muir/Glyndebourne Productions Ltd.) The San Francisco Opera is set to present Britten’s “Billy Budd” to open the 2019-20 season. The work returns to the company after a 15-year absence in Michael Grandage’s production, which was unveiled at the Glyndebourne Festival. The opera is set to star John Chest in the title role in his company debut alongside William {…}
The Glimmerglass Festival has announced its 2020 festival featuring four mainstage works and two brand new ones. The Festival will also welcome Isabel Leonard and William Burden as Artists in Residence for the 2020 season. The 2020 Festival opens with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” in a new production directed by Francesca Zambello with associate director and choreographer Eric {…}
Opera Parallèle has announced its 2019-20 season. It all kicks off with “Bill and Flicka: Generous Spirits,” a performance featuring legendary artists William Burden and Frederica Von Stade. They will also perform alongside Christabel Nunoo with Keisuke Nakagoshi at the piano. Performance Date: Sept. 19, 2020 A “Because of You” annual benefit gala will be held at the San Francisco {…}
The San Francisco Opera has announced its 2019-20 season featuring seven new productions and two new revivals. There will also be a notable company premiere with many rising and established stars taking the stage. Main Stage The 2019–20 season opens with Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” in a new production by Jean-Louis Grinda. The opera returns after a 31-year absence with {…}
Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s “It’s A Wonderful Life” opened earlier this week at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House. An American success story based on “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern, and Frank Capra’s beloved film on the same story, it combined old and new, young and original, odd and familiar, poignant and comic. Neither movie nor {…}