On May 21, 2022, Washington Irving High School will present “Tribute to Kurt Weill.” This one-night only concert comes as part of People’s Symphony Concerts, and will feature soprano Katherine Riddle and bass Zachary James, accompanied by Laura Bergquist. Both prior winners of the Lotte Lenya Competition through the Kurt Weill Foundation, Riddle and James will honor the composer with {…}
The Grammy Awards have announced the classical music winners. The Best Opera Recording went to “Akhnaten” from the Metropolitan Opera. The award was accepted by Anthony Roth Costanzo, Zachary James, and Dísella Lárusdóttir. Among the other winners who were part of the recording were producer David Frost, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus, conductor Karen Kamensek, and J’Nai {…}
The Dallas Opera will premiere Jonathan Dove and April De Angelis’ “Flight” starting on March 4, 2022. The opera, which is based on the true story that also inspired Steven Spielberg’s “The Terminal” will runt through the 12th and stars John Holiday, Abigail Rethwisch, Elena Villalón, Andrew Stenson, Seth Carico, Zachary James, Will Liverman, Deanne Meek, Kristen Choi, and Catherine {…}
Opera Omaha is set to present a new production of Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” The company will continue its 2021-22 season with the music conducted by Hal France and the production directed by Susan Clement, making her Opera Omaha debut. The production will star Zachary James in the title role of Sweeney Todd and Emily {…}
Opera Saratoga and Proctors Collaborative have announced the cancelation of a live concert at UPH on New Years Eve starring bass-baritone Zachary James. Per the official press release, Opera Saratoga and Proctors Collaborative decided to cancel the live concert due to the steep rise in COVID-19 cases and the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant. Zachary James and conductor and {…}
The Saratoga Opera and UPH / Proctors Collaborative will host a free New Years Eve concert on Dec. 31, 2021 at Universal Preservation Hall. The showcase will be headlined by bass-baritone singer Zachary James and pianist Laurie Rogers. “This institution is delighted to offer a free concert to our community with the stature of these artists and because the richness {…}
The Cincinnati Opera has announced the 2022 Summer Festival which will include two world premieres and new-to-Cincinnati productions. The season will open with Puccini’s “La Bohème” starring Talise Trevigne, Ji-Min Park, Raven McMillon, Rodion Pogossov, André Courville, and Ethan Vincent. Mark Gibson, director of orchestral studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, will conduct. Performance Dates: June 18-25, {…}
This week audiences are in for two different opera recordings. One comes from the contemporary repertoire and the other comes from the classical period. Here is a look. Akhnaten The Metropolitan Opera releases its acclaimed production by Phelim McDermott on DVD, Blu-Ray, and CD on Philip Glass’ label Orange Mountain Music. The cast includes Anthony Roth Costanzo, J’Nai Bridges, Dísella {…}
Nashville Opera has announced its 2021 season, which will include three opera productions. First up will be Marcus Hummon’s “Favorite Son,” which will be performed at the Noah Liff Opera Center. The work will star Darrell Scott, John Riesen, and Emma Grimsley. Performance Dates: Jan. 21-23, 2022 Next up will be Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” which will star Aleksey Bogdanov, Sarah Coburn, {…}
This week audiences will get a chance to hear two solo albums from some of the most exciting artists in the industry, world premiere recordings, and a rarely performed opera, among others. Here is a look at the new releases: Élégie Sony Classical will release Georgian mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili’s second album. The new album will showcase Rachvelishvili in the song {…}
On July 8, 2021, opera and Broadway star Zachary James released his fourth album, titled “Impossible Dream.” The album comes in celebration of the return of live performances, as well as James’ role debut as Don Quixote in Opera Saratoga’s production of “Man of La Mancha.” The album also features singer/songwriter Bonnie Montgomery, and multi-string instrumentalist Frederick Poholek. The tracklist {…}
