Marilyn Horne News

Following an extensive European tour with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Thomas Hampson returns to the U.S. to make his role debut as the eponymous antihero of Alban Berg's Wozzeck, opening tonight, March 6 at New York's Metropolitan Opera.

Carnegie Hall today announced the complete cast for its gala benefit performance of Guys and Dolls on Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Tony Award winner Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, Applause, A Little Night Music) joins the cast as Arvide Abernathy along with Tony Award nominee Lee Wilkof (Assassins, Little Shop of Horrors, Kiss Me Kate) as Harry the Horse. Members of the Mission Band joining Allison Blackwell (Agatha) are J.D. Webster (Calvin), Linda Mugleston (Martha), and Joseph Torello (Joseph).

Music Director and Conductor Michael Krajewski, the nationally recognized Pops conductor who performs with orchestras throughout the country, brings back his innovative programming and lighthearted approach with the 2014-2015 concert season of The Philly POPS. Encore Series, Inc, the presenter of The Philly POPS, is pleased to introduce this exciting series of concerts which begins in October, 2014 with the Era of ABBA, followed by Classic Soul. It continues with a salute to the American Songbook Then and Now and a visit to the movies with Epic Hollywood Soundtracks. The season ends with the Legends of Rock.

Acclaimed young baritone John Brancy and pianist Mario Antonio Marra, winners of the 2013 Music Academy of the West Marilyn Horne Song Competition, will perform the world premiere of Force by up-and-coming composer Chris Kapica, as well as the famous Schumann song cycle Dichterliebe, works by Dvorak, and a trio of American standards at 7:30 pm in Hahn Hall tonight, March 4.

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ First Lady Susan Corbett today announced that the 2014 Governor's Awards for the Arts will be held Sept. 28 at Fisher Auditorium of the IUP Performing Arts Center at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This will be the first time the state arts event has been held on a university campus.

The winners of the 43rd annual George London Foundation Awards Competition for young American and Canadian opera singers were announced at the conclusion of the competition's final round this evening, which took place in a front of a capacity audience at Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.

Carnegie Hall today announced cast additions for its gala benefit performance of Guys and Dolls on Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Cast additions include: John Bolton (A Christmas Story the Musical, Curtains) as Angie the Ox; Robert Clohessy (HBO's Boardwalk Empire) as Lieutenant Brannigan; Colman Domingo (The Scottsboro Boys, Passing Strange) as Rusty Charlie; John Treacy Egan (The Producers,Sister Act) as Nicely-Nicely Johnson;Christopher Fitzgerald (Young Frankenstein,Wicked) as Benny Southstreet; Jayne Houdyshell (Follies, Romeo and Juliet) as General Matilda B. Cartwright; and Steve Schirripa (HBO's The Sopranos) as Big Jule. Hot Box Girls include Jenny LaRoche, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Samantha Sturm, and Katie Webber; crapshooters are Stephen Carrasco, Taurean Everett, Michaeljon Slinger, Justin Urso, and Amos Wolff. The vocal ensemble is comprised of Cree Carrico, Christine DiGiallonardo, Timothy McDevitt, Max Miller, and Joseph Torello. Allison Blackwell is also featured as Agatha. The remaining cast will be announced in the coming weeks.

Renowned bass John Relyea, who is performing in the Metropolitan Opera's current production of Rusalka with Renée Fleming; rising young soprano Lori Guilbeau, a 2010 George London Award winner; and pianist Warren Jones will share the stage for the second event in the season's George London Foundation Recital Series on Sunday, March 9, 2014, at 4:30 PM at The Morgan Library & Museum. The 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. (Watch Lori Guilbeau's George London Award-winning performance of 'Einsam in trüben Tagen' from Wagner's Lohengrin here, available in the George London Foundation website's Media Library.)

Acclaimed young baritone John Brancy and pianist Mario Antonio Marra, winners of the 2013 Music Academy of the West Marilyn Horne Song Competition, will perform the world premiere of Force by up-and-coming composer Chris Kapica, as well as the famous Schumann song cycle Dichterliebe, works by Dvorak, and a trio of American standards at 7:30 pm in Hahn Hall on Tuesday, March 4. Following the recital, world-renowned mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne will conduct a question-and-answer session with the performers on stage.

The 2013 winners of the Music Academy of the West's Marilyn Horne Song Competition, baritone John Brancy and pianist Mario Antonio Marra, will perform the premiere of Force by up-and-coming composer Chris Kapica, Schumann's Dichterliebe, works by Dvorák, and American standards in a trio of East and West Coast recitals. The first will take place at the Music Academy's Hahn Hall in Santa Barbara, California on Tuesday, March 4, followed by Santa Monica's Broad Stage on Friday, March 7, and the National Opera Center in New York City on Sunday, March 16. The New York recital is part of OPERA America's Emerging Artist Recital Series, a showcase for finalists and prizewinners from the nation's most prestigious young artist programs and competitions.

Musica Sacra, the longest continuously-performing professional chorus in New York City, will present a performance in honor of Women's History Month featuring works by acclaimed composers Meredith Monk and Jocelyn Hagen at New York's Alice Tully Hall on Monday, March 31, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.

Aprile Millo returns to the operatic stage in Italy this month in Puccini's Il Tabarro.

Rising young soprano Nadine Sierra, will take the stage at the Michael Schimmel Center For the Arts on Sunday, February 9 at 3pm as part of Pace's concert series VOCE AT PACE: RISING OPERA STARS. Rising Opera Stars in Recital is supported by the Richard Tucker Music Foundation in honor of Dr. Agnes Varis. It is curated by Matthew Epstein.

Following an extensive European tour with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Thomas Hampson returns to the U.S. to make his role debut as the eponymous antihero of Alban Berg's Wozzeck, opening March 6 at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Hampson is joined in the new adventure by soprano Deborah Voigt, also making her role debut as Marie in Mark Lamos's staging, and Met music director James Levine - one of the work's most passionate advocates - on the podium. The production marks Hampson's third Met role debut in as many seasons, following performances last year of Iago in Verdi's Otello and in the title role of Verdi's Macbeth the previous season. The fifth and final performance of Wozzeck this season will be broadcast live on Saturday, March 22 in the Metropolitan Opera Radio Broadcast series on WQXR 105.9 FM and online at www.wqxr.org.

This weekend, January 24, 25 and 26, the young and talented guest artist Tony DeSare will make his debut with the Houston Symphony, led by Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski, for an evening of contemporary music made popular in the last half of the 20th century. DeSare, a dynamic and entertaining pianist and vocalist, will present a fresh take on radio favorites, as well as his own musical works, in an evening sure to fill audiences at Jones Hall with laughter and memories. Featuring arrangements of chart toppers like Prince's 'Kiss,' Journey's 'Faithfully,' The Bee Gees' 'How Deep is Your Love,' Bruce Springsteen's 'Fire' and original compositions like 'New Orleans Tango,' audience members are sure to get lost in the sultry and rhythmic backgrounds of these new classics.

There was a lovefest for the great mezzo Marilyn Horne in New York last week, filled with the music of friends, acquaintances and admirers at Carnegie Hall's sibling, Zankel Hall.

On January 24, 25 and 26, the young and talented guest artist Tony DeSare will make his debut with the Houston Symphony, led by Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski, for an evening of contemporary music made popular in the last half of the 20th century. DeSare, a dynamic and entertaining pianist and vocalist, will present a fresh take on radio favorites, as well as his own musical works, in an evening sure to fill audiences at Jones Hall with laughter and memories. Featuring arrangements of chart toppers like Prince's "Kiss," Journey's "Faithfully," The Bee Gees' "How Deep is Your Love," Bruce Springsteen's "Fire" and original compositions like "New Orleans Tango," audience members are sure to get lost in the sultry and rhythmic backgrounds of these new classics.