Elijah Moshinsky News

Opera Australia's THE BARBER OF SEVILLE is presented with the wonderful slapstick physical humor of the early movies as the comic tale unfolds.

Opera Australia's hilarious production of Rossini's The Barber of Seville is returning to the Sydney Opera House this summer. With original direction by the esteemed Elijah Moshinsky, this production will be revived by Hugh Halliday and star the energetic Paolo Bordogna in the role of Figaro.

The Metropolitan Opera will open its 131st season on Monday, September 21 with a new production of Verdi's Otello. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts his first Met opening night, a staging by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher of the late Verdi masterpiece based on Shakespeare's tragic drama of jealousy and deceit. Aleksandrs Antonenko, who has starred as the doomed Otello around the world to acclaim, makes his Met role debut opposite rising Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva in her first-ever performances of Otello's innocent wife Desdemona. Željko Lu?i? adds a new role to his company repertory as the evil Iago, as do Dimitri Pittas as Iago's pawn Cassio and Günther Groissböck as the Venetian ambassador Lodovico. Sher's staging will feature scenic design by acclaimed designer Es Devlin in her Met debut; costume design by six-time Tony Award winner Catherine Zuber; lighting design by two-time Tony winner Donald Holder; and video design by Luke Halls in his Met debut.

Opera Australia pairs the beautiful grandeur of 17th Century Spain with Giuseppe Verdi's fabulous score as they bring DON CARLOS back to the Sydney Opera House.

Following a triumphant season in Melbourne where it attracted rave reviews, Australian Director Elijah Moshinsky's epic Opera Australia production of Don Carlos returns to Sydney after 15 years, with an internationally led cast of over 200.

The tragic tale of the Courtesan and Nobleman, driven apart by a father concerned for his family's reputation is played out in Giuseppe Verdi's LA TRAVIATA.

Following a triumphant season in Melbourne where it attracted rave reviews, Australian Director Elijah Moshinsky's epic Opera Australia production of Don Carlos returns to Sydney after 15 years, with an internationally led cast of over 200.

Following a triumphant season in Melbourne where it attracted rave reviews, Australian Director Elijah Moshinsky's epic Opera Australia production of Don Carlos returns to Sydney after 15 years, with an internationally led cast of over 200.

Villa Windsor, Paris, 1981 - Wallis, Duchess of Windsor aged 82, invites Lady Diana Spencer aged 19 to a despair-laden bachelorette party on the eve of her wedding to the Prince of Wales. Chris Ioan Roberts' Dead Royal is a lacerating, camp-drenched celebration of 1980s narcissistic megalomania. The production will play Ovalhouse, 52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW today 21st - Saturday 25th April 2015. Press night: Wednesday 22nd April, 7.45 p.m.

Villa Windsor, Paris, 1981 - Wallis, Duchess of Windsor aged 82, invites Lady Diana Spencer aged 19 to a despair-laden bachelorette party on the eve of her wedding to the Prince of Wales. Chris Ioan Roberts' Dead Royal is a lacerating, camp-drenched celebration of 1980s narcissistic megalomania. The production will play Ovalhouse, 52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW Tuesday 21st - Saturday 25th April 2015. Press night: Wednesday 22nd April, 7.45 p.m.

Opera Australia has announced details of its 2015 season, consolidating the recent success in building audiences, with a program that is uniquely audience-focused. Clear in its aim to grow audiences even further with masterpieces of opera and music theatre, the program for the year ahead is highly accessible, with a roster of artists at the top of their game. Now more than ever is the time to experience opera and to discover just why it's moved hearts and minds for so long.

Two spectacular operas from the Met are coming to The Ridgefield Playhouse as encore productions this month. Verdi's Shakespearean masterpiece Otello stars Johan Botha in the title role opposite acclaimed soprano Renee Fleming as Desdemona today, July 9. On Wednesday, July 16, Handel's The Enchanted Island showcases the talents of William Christie, David Daniels, Joyce DiDonato and Pacido Domingo. These performances start at 6 p.m. Advantages of the HD broadcasts are the interesting camera angles, behind-the-scenes tours and interviews.

Two spectacular operas from the Met are coming to The Ridgefield Playhouse as encore productions this month. Verdi's Shakespearean masterpiece Otello stars Johan Botha in the title role opposite acclaimed soprano Renee Fleming as Desdemona on Wednesday, July 9. On Wednesday, July 16, Handel's The Enchanted Island showcases the talents of William Christie, David Daniels, Joyce DiDonato and Pacido Domingo. These performances start at 6 p.m. Advantages of the HD broadcasts are the interesting camera angles, behind-the-scenes tours and interviews.

Reserved British author C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia) was used to discussing love in the abstract. But when he meets the outspoken Joy Davidman, he is forced to confront his own feelings of love and loss. This intimate and epic love story shows how Lewis and Davidman are both unexpectedly transformed by their faith, doubt, and the power of the heart.

Baritone Thomas Hampson looks forward to giving the world premiere performance of a new song commission from one of America's principal younger composers, Mark Adamo. Scored for baritone and string quartet, Adamo's Aristotle (2013) was written for Hampson to sing with the Jupiter String Quartet. After giving its world premiere performance together at UC Davis tonight, April 24, they will tour the new work to Boston's Celebrity Series (Fri, April 26) and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where they will present its New York premiere on Sunday, April 28.

Baritone Thomas Hampson looks forward to giving the world premiere performance of a new song commission from one of America's principal younger composers, Mark Adamo. Scored for baritone and string quartet, Adamo's Aristotle (2013) was written for Hampson to sing with the Jupiter String Quartet. After giving its world premiere performance together at UC Davis on Wednesday, April 24, they will tour the new work to Boston's Celebrity Series (Fri, April 26) and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where they will present its New York premiere on Sunday, April 28.

This spring, Thomas Hampson's U.S. engagements take him from opera house to concert and recital hall, and from Verdi and Mahler to the latest in contemporary American composition. The baritone makes his company role debut as Iago in Otello at the Metropolitan Opera (March 11) and premieres new chamber works by Michael Hersch (Feb 26) and Mark Adamo (April 24), before touring the latter to the Boston Celebrity Series (April 26) and New York's Lincoln Center (April 28). Besides singing songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Indianapolis Symphony (Feb 22-23), his orchestral collaborations also take him back to Europe to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a star-studded gala benefit (April 10) and reprise the title role of Simon Boccanegra with the Vienna Symphony, in a concert performance that will be recorded for future album release (April 13 & 17).