John Adams News

The New York Philharmonic has announced the 2014-15 season's free Insights at the Atrium series. All held at the David Rubinstein Atrium and beginning at 7:30 p.m., these events combine discussion, often with live performance and video, to explore themes of the season.

Karina Canellakis, hailed as a 'masterful' violinist and recognized as one of America's most promising young conductors, makes her Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra debut showcasing her dual talents performing and leading Vivaldi's vivid Violin Concerto, 'La tempesta di mare' ('Storm') and conducting Schubert's Symphony No. 5 on Saturday, January 24, 2015, 8 pm, at Glendale's Alex Theatre, and Sunday, January 25, 2015, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall.

Los Angeles Philharmonic presents Anthony Newman, John Adams, Kremer & Trifonov in Recital, and more January-March 2015 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

For New York opera-goers, what was the event of the year? Undoubtedly, John Adams's THE DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER, not only for the kerfuffle caused by the [unfounded] claims of anti-Semitism but for the opera's exciting debut at the Met. (The Met's contentious labor negotiations nearly edged it out, though.) As we head into the spring season, here's a look back at some of the performances that put a song in my heart, not in any particular order.

Renee Fleming will add a new role to her extensive repertory when she sings her first-ever performances of Hanna Glawari, the title role in Lehar's The Merry Widow, at the Met this season. Four-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman makes her Met debut as director and choreographer of a new production of the comic operetta, in which a wealthy widow's countrymen launch a romantic plot to keep her -- and her tax dollars -- within their borders.

Renée Fleming will add a new role to her extensive repertory when she sings her first-ever performances of Hanna Glawari, the title role in Lehár's The Merry Widow, at the Met this season. Four-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman makes her Met debut as director and choreographer of a new production of the comic operetta, in which a wealthy widow's countrymen launch a romantic plot to keep her -- and her tax dollars -- within their borders.

If you've been a regular reader of this particular reviewer's musings, you know that every year there are long stretches of time where I just haven't been able to critique all the shows I've seen that deserve commentary. So I end up playing what they call in sports, 'Catch-up ball,' and post a mash up of belated reviews from past shows. It's kind of like a critic's version of the song 'Six Months Out of Every Year,' from Damn Yankees. Give or take a month or two, that's usually the time period during which I store unpublished reviews in my fevered brain and then unload them all in one seemingly endless column-like this one is going to be. If my cabaret-show reviewing days will be over (as chronicled here), I might as well go out with a bang-and relieve my procrastination guilt during holiday season. Now I can scratch one New Year's resolution off the list.

The sixth season of CONTACT!, the New York Philharmonic's new-music series, continues Monday, February 9, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. at SubCulture.

As part of the tenth edition of the COIL festival, Performance Space 122 and Parkside Lounge present the New York premiere of The Blind Date Project by Australia's Ride On Theatre. Unpredictable, dark and funny, The Blind Date Project is an event to which everyone can relate - a blind date between two people who have never met and who are desperately in need of connection.

Minnesota Opera Music Director Michael Christie leads the world premiere performances of The Manchurian Candidate, March 7-15, 2015 in the Music Theater at Ordway.

Continuing a tradition inaugurated in 2006, the Met will offer a holiday presentation this December and January: an English-language performance of an opera, with special weekday matinees and discount pricing designed to make the Met affordable for families with children. This year's production, Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, opens tonight, December 18.

Paper Mill Playhouse has announced casting for its winter comedy, Christopher Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. This touching and wickedly hysterical Tony Award-winning best play features Broadway, television and film veterans: Philippe Bowgen (Spike), Gina Daniels (Cassandra), Carolyn McCormick (Masha), Mark Nelson (Vanya), Michele Pawk (Sonia) and Jamie Ann Romero (Nina). Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will be directed by Don Stephenson. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will run eight times a week at the Millburn, New Jersey, theater from January 21 through February 15, 2015. The official press opening night is Sunday, January 25, at 7:00pm. Paper Mill Playhouse's 2014-2015 Season is sponsored by Investors Bank.

Renée Fleming will add a new role to her extensive repertory when she sings her first-ever performances of Hanna Glawari, the title role in Lehár's The Merry Widow, at the Met this season. Four-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman makes her Met debut as director and choreographer of a new production of the comic operetta, in which a wealthy widow's countrymen launch a romantic plot to keep her -- and her tax dollars -- within their borders.

From the home city of manned spaceflight, the Houston Symphony announced today that it has released The Earth-An HD Odyssey on DVD and Blu-ray. The Earth-An HD Odyssey is the highly anticipated second installment of the Symphony's groundbreaking HD Odyssey film trilogy and Music Director Andres Orozco-Estrada's first recording release with the Houston Symphony. This DVD/Blu-ray release follows the world premiere live performance of The Earth-An HD Odyssey in February of 2012 at Jones Hall.

Diavolo - Architecture in Motion, returns to Houston Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, at 8 p.m., in Jones Hall, presented by Society for the Performing Arts.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) highlights the beauty and majesty of the harpsichord with an unusual program featuring four harpsichords and chamber orchestra in the first of its Baroque Conversations series tonight, December 11, 2014, 7 pm, at Zipper Hall in downtown Los Angeles, which repeats on Saturday, December 13, 2014, 7:30 pm, when the Orchestra makes its debut at the Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge.

From the home city of manned spaceflight, the Houston Symphony announced today that it has released The Earth-An HD Odyssey on DVD and Blu-ray. The Earth-An HD Odyssey is the highly anticipated second installment of the Symphony's groundbreaking HD Odyssey film trilogy and Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada's first recording release with the Houston Symphony. This DVD/Blu-ray release follows the world premiere live performance of The Earth-An HD Odyssey in February of 2012 at Jones Hall.

Continuing a tradition inaugurated in 2006, the Met will offer a holiday presentation this December and January: an English-language performance of an opera, with special weekday matinees and discount pricing designed to make the Met affordable for families with children. This year's production, Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, opens December 18 and will star Aleksandra Kurzak, Heidi Stober, and Andriana Chuchman as Gretel; Christine Rice and Jennifer Johnson Cano as Hansel; Michaela Martens and Dwayne Croft as Gertrude and Peter, the wayward children's parents; and Robert Brubaker as the wicked Witch who captures them. Sir Andrew Davis will conduct all seven performances of the opera, which plays through January 8. There will be special weekday matinees at 11 a.m. on December 23 and December 30.

OPERA NEWS Editor in Chief F. Paul Driscoll today announced the recipients of the 10th Annual Opera News Awards. This year's honorees—Piotr Beczala, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Sondra Radvanosky, Samuel Ramey and Teresa Stratas—will be feted at a black tie gala celebration on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Previous Opera News Award Winners Martina Arroyo,Gerald Finley and Susan Graham are among the presenters.

American tenor Jay Hunter Morris will replace Anthony Dean Griffey in Houston Grand Opera's world premiere production of A Christmas Carol, it was announced today by HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers. Mr. Griffey has withdrawn for health reasons. The 90-minute opera, commissioned by HGO from composer Iain Bell and librettist Simon Callow, is written for a single singer performing the role of The Narrator. A Christmas Carol runs from tonight, December 5 through 21, 2014, at the Wortham Theater Center, and is suitable for ages 12 and up.