David Pountney News

Lawrence Edelson, Artistic and General Director of Opera Saratoga, announced the program for the 2016 Summer Festival, which will run from May 28th through July 17, 2016.

CHICAGO - Subscriptions go on sale February 1 at 10:00am for Lyric Opera of Chicago's 62nd season. Next season offers world-renowned artists, nine tremendous new-to-Chicago productions, and the start of Wagner's famed Ring cycle, Das Rheingold.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's general director Anthony Freud and music director Sir Andrew Davis confirmed today the repertoire and casting for the company's 2016/17 season - the second season that they have fully planned together.  

Carlo Rizzi is ready to enter an exciting period of work in the New Year. The conductor's 2015/16 season continues in January with a return to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for Matthew Ozawa's new production of Verdi's Nabucco. He heads to Milan the following month to begin rehearsals for Teatro alla Scala's eagerly awaited staging of Umberto Giordano's La cena delle beffe, an opera not seen at La Scala for eight decades. Rizzi's rich schedule also includes the world premiere of Iain Bell's In Parenthesis and the double-bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, staged to celebrate the 70th birthday of Welsh National Opera (WNO).

Composer Gordon Getty's opera Usher House will receive its United States premiere as part of San Francisco Opera's double bill titled The Fall of the House of Usher in four performances, tonight, December 8 to 13, 2015. The Getty opera, a co-production with Welsh National Opera, will be paired with Robert Orledge's reconstruction of Debussy's uncompleted score, La Chute de la Maison Usher.

San Francisco Opera presents the U.S. premiere of The Fall of the House of Usher-an innovative double bill of Gordon Getty's Usher House and Claude Debussy's La Chute de la Maison Usher, both inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's chilling 1839 short story. Opening on December 8, the double bill provides two contrasting takes on one of the most transformed pieces of literature ever created. Director David Pountney's eerie production, designed by Niki Turner, provides an "aptly evocative setting for the Gothic horror writer's dark imaginings" (The Stage, UK) and features imaginative, otherworldly video projections filmed by video production designer David Haneke at Penrhyn Castle in North Wales. Conducted by Lawrence Foster, who led the 2014 world stage premiere at Welsh National Opera, this presentation marks the U.S. premiere of Gordon Getty's Usher House and the American professional premiere of Robert Orledge's "truly seamless" (The Guardian, UK) reconstruction of Debussy's unfinished score.

Composer Gordon Getty's opera Usher House will receive its United States premiere as part of San Francisco Opera's double bill titled The Fall of the House of Usher in four performances, December 8 to 13, 2015. The Getty opera, a co-production with Welsh National Opera, will be paired with Robert Orledge's reconstruction of Debussy's uncompleted score, La Chute de la Maison Usher.

San Francisco Opera announces cast updates for The Fall of the House of Usher double bill which receives its United States premiere December 8–13, 2015. Tenor Jason Bridges makes his Company debut as Edgar Allan Poe in Gordon Getty's Usher House; Bridges created the role in the 2014 world stage premiere at Welsh National Opera conducted by Lawrence Foster.

CHICAGO - American mezzo-soprano J'nai Bridges is one of 20 international finalists for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 competition. Bridges, a third-year member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, is currently portraying Vlasta in Lyric's mainstage premiere of Mieczys?aw Weinberg's The Passenger.

Florida Grand Opera (FGO) with its new artistic vision, is proud to announce casting for the four productions of its 2015-16 Season, which include Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Vincenzo Bellini's Norma, Mieczys?aw Weinberg's The Passenger (Passazhirka), and Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale.

The 2015/16 Royal Opera House Season has been announced. The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet and visiting companies will stage more than sixty works during 2015/16 and twelve productions from Covent Garden - six operas and six ballets - will be relayed live to more than 1,500 cinemas in 35 countries as part of the ROH Cinema Season.

CHICAGO - American mezzo-soprano J'nai Bridges is one of 20 international finalists for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 competition. Bridges, a third-year member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, is currently portraying Vlasta in Lyric's mainstage premiere of Mieczys?aw Weinberg's The Passenger.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Mieczys?aw Weinberg's powerfully haunting opera, The Passenger, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis in a new-to-Chicago production by David Pountney. It opens on Tuesday, February 24 with six performances through Sunday, March 15. Performance dates are Feb. 24, 28, Mar. 4, and 9 at 7:30pm; and Mar. 12 and 15 at 2pm. The Passenger will be sung in Russian, German, Polish, French, Yiddish, Greek, Czech, and English with projected English translations.

Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, today announced Memory and Reckoning, a confluence of activities related to the Chicago premiere of Mieczysaw Weinberg's The Passenger, on stage at Lyric tonight, February 24 through March 15. This poignant and gripping 20th-century masterpiece portrays the story of the Holocaust from the perspectives of both victim and perpetrator, and was only recently rediscovered after more than 40 years of suppression.

Lyric Opera of Chicago today announced several updates to “?Memory and Reckoning,” a confluence of activities related to the Chicago premiere of Mieczys?aw Weinberg's The Passenger, on stage at Lyric February 24 through March 15. This poignant and gripping 20th-century masterpiece portrays the story of the Holocaust from the perspectives of both victim and perpetrator, and was only recently rediscovered after more than 40 years of suppression. “Memory and Reckoning” is a supplemental series of events designed to expand and amplify the themes of this powerful opera.

BroadwayWorld Toronto is pleased to bring the first video in a series of acceptance speeches from our 2014 BroadwayWorld Award Winners! The BroadwayWorld Awards are an award decided by the fans - from nominations all the way to selecting the final winner.

San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley and Music Director Nicola Luisotti today announced the Company's 2015-16 season repertory and roster of international and critically acclaimed guest artists, conductors and creative teams scheduled to appear at the War Memorial Opera House.

Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, today announced Memory and Reckoning, a confluence of activities related to the Chicago premiere of Mieczysaw Weinberg's The Passenger, on stage at Lyric February 24 through March 15. This poignant and gripping 20th-century masterpiece portrays the story of the Holocaust from the perspectives of both victim and perpetrator, and was only recently rediscovered after more than 40 years of suppression.

Houston Grand Opera capped a financially and artistically successful 2013–14 season by presenting Mieczyslaw Weinberg's The Passenger —the Polish-Jewish composer's long-suppressed Holocaust opera—to wide acclaim at New York's Park Avenue Armory as part of the Lincoln Center Festival, July 10–13. Earlier this year, HGO gave the American premiere of the work in Houston with the same cast. There was special praise for the production and performances, conducted by HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers. New York magazine described David Pountney's staging as “a multi-story set so vivid you can practically smell the machine oil and coal smoke,” while the Financial Times said: “The production, imported from Houston, is imposing in every way.” The New York Times called the cast “flawless,” adding: “The conductor, Patrick Summers, drew a surging, textured, richly detailed performance of this challenging score (lasting three hours) from the inspired musicians of the Houston Grand Opera.” WQXR's Operavore summed up the import of the performances: “The Passenger shows how a Holocaust opera can hold the stage while examining important, complex issues—and could certainly point the way for future composers to deal with such important but delicate subject matter.”

The Houston Grand Opera's brilliant production of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's THE PASSENGER, directed by David Pountney, was a stunning visitor to the Park Avenue Armory last week as a coproduction with the Lincoln Center Festival. It's not an easy experience, but well worth the effort.