James Levine News

New York City Opera opens its spring 2013 season with a new production of Powder Her Face (1995), composed by Thomas Ades (b.1971) to a libretto by Philip Hensher (b. 1965).

British composer Thomas Ades conducts the Met premiere of his contemporary Masterpiece The Tempest, an English-language opera based on Shakespeare's final play.The Met's fantastical new production by Robert Lepage airs on Great Performances at the Met Sunday, March 17 at 12 noon on PBS (check local listings).

Beginning at 4 p.m., three hours before the main awards show, the pre-telecast ceremony announced awards in 70 additional categories, including Best Musical Theater Album. In other theatre-related news, Safe & Sound (From The Hunger Games) by T Bone Burnett, Taylor Swift, John Paul White & Joy Williams beat SMASH's Let Me Be Your Star by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman for Best Song Written For Visual Media .

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra presents Mendelssohn's 'Italian' Symphony on a program that also features gems from the Italian opera repertoire, including arias by Verdi, Bellini and Donizetti, along with Puccini's Chrysanthemums and Rossini's The Italian Girl in Algiers Overture. Soprano Joanna Mongiardo returns to the NJSO stage to perform the aria selections; Marcelo Lehninger conducts.

Verdi's Shakespearean tragedy OTELLO starring Johan Botha in the title role and Renee Fleming as Otello's innocent wife, Desdemona, airs on GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET Sunday, February 24 at 12 noon on PBS (check local listings).

Below, BroadwayWorld tributes the men behind the mask- the many who have taken on the title role at the Majestic Theatre since it opened in 1988. Check it out below!

New York City Opera opens its spring 2013 season with a new production of Powder Her Face (1995), composed by Thomas Adès (b.1971) to a libretto by Philip Hensher (b. 1965).

Anthony Dean Griffey, a tenor internationally renowned for his portray of the title role of Britten's Peter Grimes, and Emalie Savoy, a 2011 George London Award winner who is one of New York's fastest rising young sopranos, perform the second George London Foundation Recital of the season with pianist Ken Noda on Sunday, January 13, 2013, at 4:30 PM at The Morgan Library & Museum. The George London Foundation Recital Series presents pairs of outstanding opera singers, many of whom were winners of a George London prize early in their careers or are recent George London Award recipients.

Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi will lead a rare revival of Berlioz's Les Troyens beginning tonight, December 13.

Canadian Opera Company Music Director Johannes Debus conducts his first Tristan und Isolde when he leads the COC Orchestra and Chorus this winter in the company's production of Wagner's epic masterpiece. He replaces Jir?i? Be?lohla?vek, who has regrettably withdrawn due to health reasons.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO), Concert Artists of Baltimore and conductor Edward Polochick continue their tradition of ushering in the Christmas season with an all-star performance of Handel's Messiah tonight, December 7, 2012 at 7:30 pm at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

Featuring a concert version of King's Bessie-nominated piece Astral Epitaphs that was commissioned by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for its final shows at the Park Avenue Armory in Dec. 2011, the music of New York composer John King (www.johnkingmusic.com) will be presented at Brooklyn's Roulette tonight, December 7 at 8pm.

Featuring a concert version of King's Bessie-nominated piece Astral Epitaphs that was commissioned by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for its final shows at the Park Avenue Armory in Dec. 2011, the music of New York composer John King (www.johnkingmusic.com) will be presented at Brooklyn's Roulette on Friday, December 7 at 8pm.

Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi will lead a rare revival of Berlioz's Les Troyens beginning December 13. Francesca Zambello's production, critically acclaimed when it premiered at the Met in 2003, will star Marcello Giordani in his house role debut as Aeneas, the central character in the grand tragedy, which travels from the crumbling walls of Troy to the North African kingdom of Carthage. Deborah Voigt will reprise her performance of the Trojan prophetess Cassandra, a role she debuted in the premiere of Zambello's production, and Susan Graham will sing her first Met performances of Dido, the lovesick queen of Carthage. The cast also features Julie Boulianneas Aeneas's son, Ascanio; Karen Cargill as Dido's devoted sister, Anna; Paul Appleby as the young sailor Hylas; Eric Cutler as Dido's court poet, Iopas; Richard Bernstein as the Trojan priest Pantheus; Dwayne Croft as Cassandra's fiance, Coroebus; and Kwangchul Youn as Narbal, Dido's trusted advisor. The Saturday, January 5 matinee performance of Les Troyens will be transmitted worldwide as part of the Met's Live in HD series, which is now seen in more than 1,900 movie theaters in 64 countries around the world.

On Friday, November 30, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will offer a live webcast of the first of five performances of an updated version of the 16th-century Chinese Kunqu opera masterpiece Peony Pavilion that will take place in the Met's Astor Court, the courtyard modeled on a 17th-century Chinese garden. This 70-minute version of the opera has been developed and directed by celebrated composer Tan Dun, with a new score by Mr. Tan and choreography by Huang Doudou, one of China's most prominent dancers. It will be performed by Zhang Jun, one of China's most respected Kunqu performers, and the Shanghai Zhang Jun Art Center Company.

Tonight, November 12, 2012 at 7PM, Rachael Worby and MUSE/IQUE continue their UNCORKED series this fall when The It's All About Vibration concert pops up on the Art Center College of Design with an appearance by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, crossover cellist Matt Haimovitz and Sean Carroll, Caltech Physicist. Curated by Rachael Worby, the program, featuring the music of Bach, Coltrane, Vivaldi, Hendrix and The Beatles, will have MUSE/IQUE aficionados experiencing another evening of unique musical discovery and exploration.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO), Concert Artists of Baltimore and conductor Edward Polochick continue their tradition of ushering in the Christmas season with an all-star performance of Handel's Messiah on Friday, December 7, 2012 at 7:30 pm at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

One of today's most sought-after pianists, Jean-Yves Thibaudet returns to Houston for a recital concert tonight, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. in Jones Hall, presented by Society for the Performing.

Featuring a concert version of King's Bessie-nominated piece Astral Epitaphs that was commissioned by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for its final shows at the Park Avenue Armory in Dec. 2011, the music of New York composer John King (www.johnkingmusic.com) will be presented at Brooklyn's Roulette on Friday, December 7 at 8pm.

On Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7PM, Rachael Worby and MUSE/IQUE continue their UNCORKED series this fall when The It's All About Vibration concert pops up on the Art Center College of Design with an appearance by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, crossover cellist Matt Haimovitz and Sean Carroll, Caltech Physicist. Curated by Rachael Worby, the program, featuring the music of Bach, Coltrane, Vivaldi, Hendrix and The Beatles, will have MUSE/IQUE aficionados experiencing another evening of unique musical discovery and exploration.