The International Classical Music Awards has announced the 2025 winners which will be presented at Düsseldorf’s Tonhalle on March 19. For this article, we will only focus on the opera winners. For the complete list of winners click here. The Artist of the Year award was given to Leonardo García Alarcón, while Christoph Ehrenfellner won the composer of the year {…}
(Credit: Cory Weaver) Whether you view Richard Wagner’s opera, “Tristan und Isolde,” as an expressive tale of universal human redemption or simply a unique take on the many medieval romances of love and death, there is no question it casts a spell. In the opening of San Francisco’s new production by Paul Curran, conducted by San Francisco’s own Eun Sun {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its production of “La Fanciulla del West.” The company said that Wolfgang Koch will sing the role of Jack Rance on Jan. 7, 10, 12, and 15, 2024 replacing Carlos Álvarez. Koch is a well-established baritone who is known for his Italian and German roles. He has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, {…}
(Photo credit: Daniel Boud) Concert performances of “Das Rheingold” by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in the Opera House Concert Hall November 16-18 were the most recent events in what is shaping up to be a bit of a Wagner year in Australia. Next month sees Opera Australia’s much-awaited new “Ring cycle” in Brisbane, delayed twice previously by COVID. Back {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that three operas will be presented as part of the Film Festival am Wiener Rathausplatz. The festival will first present Puccini’s “Tosca” from a 2020 recording. The legendary production by Margarethe Wallmann stars Anna Netrebko in the role of Tosca, Yusif Eyvazov as Cavaradossi, and Wolfgang Koch as Scarpia. Conducting the production is Bertrand de Billy. Presentation: July 5, 2023 {…}
The Berlin Philharmonic has announced its 2023-24 Season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Iván Fischer conducts Michael Nagy in works by Jörg Widmann and Gustav Mahler. Performance Date: August 26, 2023 Alexander Rudin, Alexander Melnikov, Nadezhda Pavlova, and Olga Pashchenko perform works by Sergei Rachmaninov. Performance Date: August 27, 2023 Robin Ticciati conducts Wu Wei Sheng, Karen {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced cast changes for its production of “Salome.” The company said that Jennifer Holloway will sing the title role on Feb. 8, replacing Malin Byström. Meanwhile, Wolfgang Koch will replace Iain Paterson in the role of Jochanaan. Holloway has performed at the Teatro Colón, Metropolitan Opera, Teatro Colón, Canadian Opera Company, English National Opera, National Theater {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its production of “Salome” on Feb. 2, 2023. The company said that Wolfgang Koch will sing the role of Jochanaan replacing Iain Paterson. Koch has performed at the Wiener Staatsoper over the years and this season he already appeared in the company’s production of “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg.” Koch has performed {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its production of Penderecki’s “The Devils of Loudun.” The company noted that for the premiere on June 27, 2022 at this year’s Munich Opera Festival, Wolfgang Koch, who was planning to sing the role of Grandier, canceled the premiere due to sickness. The Munich opera said the work which has rarely {…}
The Berliner Philharmoniker has announced its 2022-23 season featuring some of the greatest singers in the world. Here is a look at the vocal highlights of the season. Georg Nigl, Dirk Rothbrust and Vilde Frang are the soloists in the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Vladimir Jurowski’s concert. The program includes music by Iannis Xenakis, Béla Bartók, and Gustav Mahler. Performance Date: {…}
Musikfest Berlin has announced its 2022 season featuring international orchestras and soloists. Here is a selection of the vocal highlights of the season. Lucy Crowe, Ann Hallenberg, Giovanni Sala, and William Thomas perform Beethiven’s Missa Solemnis with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. John Eliot Gardiner conducts. Performance Date: August 31, 2022 Magdalena Kožená and Yefim Bronfman perform a {…}