Zachary James, Maria Maksakova, & Bryan Murray Headline Talents of the World’s Online International Music Festival

Talents of the World has announced the lineup for its 3rd International Music Festival. Normally held at Carnegie Hall, this year’s festival will instead be presented virtually, and will feature a number of renowned and emerging artists. The festival will open on December 12 with “Classical Christmas with the Stars,” a program of arias, duets, and ensemble numbers that celebrate {…}

Nov 3, 2020

Christine Goerke, Karen Slack, Lawrence Brownlee, Jamie Barton Among Opera Stars Calling On Fans to Vote for 2020 Presidential Election

With election day in full swing, opera singers have also added their voices advocating for Americans to vote. Many have been vocal about their support for the Democratic candidates, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, including Christine Goerke, Jamie Barton, Lawrence Brownlee, Leonardo Capalbo, Zachary James, Greer Grimsley, Karen Slack, Breanna Sinclaire, Jennifer Rowley, Elizabeth Deshong, and Kenneth Overton, among many {…}

Oct 9, 2020

Zachary James Announces Debut Visual Album ‘CALL OUT’ Featuring All-Female Composers

Star opera and Broadway performer, Zachary James, announced the December release of his debut visual album, “CALL OUT.” The album showcases the new compositions of 11 female composers with text ranging from Twitter to Edgar Allan Poe. The visual album takes its cue from innovative predecessors such as The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and “Hard Days Night,” Pink Floyd’s “The Wall,” {…}

Aug 5, 2020

Karen Slack & Zachary James Lead Reimagined Opera Omaha 2020-21 Season

(Credits: Roni Ely/Matt Madison Clark) In response to the ongoing COVID-19 concerns, Opera Omaha has made some necessary changes to the 2020-21 season in order to ensure the safety of the audiences and the safety of its artists and staff. The season will open with a production of Mozart and Da Ponte’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Mary Feminear will appear {…}

Jul 6, 2020

Anna Netrebko, Lawrence Brownlee, Russell Thomas, Jakub Jósef Orlinski Headline Top 10 Operas to Stream This Week

The state of the 2020-21 season is becoming clearer with each passing week, indicating that opera stream could very well remain at the forefront for the foreseeable future. So here are our top 10 operas to stream this week. And just a reminder to not forget to check out important discussions taking place regarding issues of race and equality in {…}

May 29, 2020

Leontyne Price, Anna Netrebko, Renée Fleming, Plácido Domingo & At Home Gala Headline Weeks 13 & 14 of Metropolitan Opera Nightly Streams

The Metropolitan Opera has announced Weeks 13 and 14 of its nightly streams. The streams will include music by Mozart, Bartok, Rossini, Handel, Verdi, and Glass. Also, audiences will get a chance to check out the At Home Gala once again. Monday, June 8 – Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito Conducted by Harry Bicket; starring Lucy Crowe, Barbara Frittoli, Elīna Garanča, {…}

May 28, 2020

Zachary James, Vanessa Becerra & Troy Cook Headline Virginia Opera’s 2020-21 Season

The Virginia Opera has announced its 2020-21 season featuring four operas. Here is a look at the season. Adam Turner conducts Verdi’s “Rigoletto“ with Stephanie Havey directing. The cast will include Grant Youngblood in the title role, Alisa Jordheim as Gilda, Matthew Vickers as The Duke of Mantua, Joseph Barron as Sparafucile, and Leah Heater as Maddalena. Performance Dates: Oct. {…}

May 15, 2020

Ailyn Pérez, Matthew Polenzani Among 100 Singers Join Forces for Campbell & Moravec’s ‘Light Shall Lift Us’

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 {…}

Apr 28, 2020

Zachary James, Sydney Mancasola & Laura Wilde Highlight Des Moines Metro Opera’s Virtual Festival

The Des Moines Metro Opera has announced a Virtual Festival. After the company announced it was canceling the 2020 edition due to the coronavirus pandemic, Des Moines Metro Opera revealed that it would show performances from previous festivals. The virtual festival kicks off with Massenet’s “Manon” starring Sydney Mancasola in the title role, Joseph Dennis, and Michael Adams. David Neely {…}

Apr 24, 2020

HERE Arts Center 2020 Review: All Decisions Will Be Made by Consensus: A Zoom Opera

With the world in the grip of a pandemic that has shuttered opera houses around the globe, composers, librettists, directors, and singers are exploring new ways to connect with audiences and explore technology. With disruption comes innovation, and the spirit of invention took hold of composer Kamala Sankaram, librettist Rob Handel, and HERE Arts Center artistic director Kristin Marting, inspiring {…}

Apr 20, 2020

Metropolitan Opera & Donizetti Opera Festival’s Superstar Galas Headline Top 10 Operas to Stream This Week

Credit: Spinto/Javier del Real/Nicola Allegri/Julian Hargraves/ Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical While the continued quarantine is undoubtedly becoming increasingly challenging for many, there is some relief in knowing that there is opera to check out on a daily basis. What’s more the offerings are becoming increasingly diverse in their range of repertory and content, which allows opera audiences to curate unique {…}