Marina Rebeka News

From the composer of Carmen, Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Bizet's The Pearl Fishers. Characterized by tropically hued costumes and colorful sets, this new-to-Chicago production promises high drama and gorgeous music conducted by Sir Andrew Davis and directed by Andrew Sinclair.

The trio of soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, mezzo Joyce DiDonato and tenor Joseph Calleja promised a fine evening of singing for the Met's new NORMA and, for the most part, there wasn't much to quibble about. Too bad Sir David McVicar--and his design team--couldn't come up with something a little bolder, a little braver, a little more inventive than wandering trees and a giant lair that looked like an igloo in the off season to anchor its new production.

The Metropolitan Opera will open its 133rd season on Monday, September 25 with a new production of Bellini's bel canto tragedy Norma. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky returns to the Met as one of the world's leading interpreters of Norma, singing her first season opening performances.

This September, Italian conductor Carlo Rizzi steps onto the Metropolitan Opera's podium once again to open the 2017-18 season with Bellini's Norma, in a new production directed by Sir David McVicar.

Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan opera is divine.I had the wonderful opportunity to experience Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera (Lincoln Center NYC) this week. Well, the Met did it again! With a perfect, minimalist set, great costumes, creative choreography, and the perfect cast, this is an entertaining, beautiful and fun performance: Only the Met can provide such a top notch rendition of this famous classic.

Ranking among today's leading conductors, Carlo Rizzi's vast repertoire ranges from the foundation works of the operatic and symphonic canon to rarities by Bellini, Cimarosa and Donizetti. He is in high demand as a guest artist at the world's most prestigious venues and festivals, not least for the insight and integrity of his musicianship and the visceral energy and psychological depths of his interpretations.

Fabio Luisi This winter and spring, Grammy and ECHO Klassik Award-winning conductor Fabio Luisi looks forward to several high-profile guest conducting appearances, including return engagements with the Philadelphia Orchestra - to help celebrate 'Andre Watts's 60-Year Legacy' - and the San Francisco Symphony, as well as a return to conduct two different programs with the London Symphony. He also tours California with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (DNSO), of which he is the newly appointed Principal Conductor, with concerts featuring beloved soprano Deborah Voigt; and tours Europe with Philharmonia Zurich and special guest Anne-Sophie Mutter. Rounding out the conductor's busy season are concerts with Japan's NHK Symphony in Tokyo; returns to Filarmonica della Scala and the Munich Philharmonic; and a concert at Florence's Opera di Firenze, where Luisi assumes the post of Music Director starting in the spring of 2018.

Always looking for new worlds to conquer, Gioachino Rossini wrote GUILLAUME TELL in French, as Paris became the center of the opera world. Despite his successes there, this was to be his operatic swan song, a story glorifying a revolutionary character--with a message that resonated, loud and strong, at the performance the night after the troubling American election.

A new production of Rossini's Guillaume Tell, the composer's final opera, will open at the Met on October 18 in the first company performances of the ambitious historical epic in more than 80 years-and its first-ever Met performances in its original French. The new staging is directed by Pierre Audi, the incoming Artistic Director of the Park Avenue Armory and conducted by Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi. Rossini's opera tells the story of a Swiss revolutionary on a quest for freedom. Its famous "William Tell Overture" is one of the best-known and most performed pieces in the standard classical repertory, though the opera, which makes considerable demands on its stars, orchestra, and chorus, has rarely been presented in modern times. Gerald Finley will star in the title role, which he has made a specialty of in recent seasons, with Marina Rebeka as the Princess Mathilde;  Bryan Hymel as her suitor Arnold; Maria Zifchak as Tell's wife Hedwige; Janai Brugger as their son Jemmy; Italian bass Marco Spotti in his Met debut as Walter Furst; Kwangchul Youn as Arnold's father Melcthal; and John Relyea as Gesler. 

A new production of Rossini's Guillaume Tell, the composer's final opera, will open at the Met on October 18 in the first company performances of the ambitious historical epic in more than 80 years-and its first-ever Met performances in its original French. The new staging is directed by Pierre Audi, the incoming Artistic Director of the Park Avenue Armory and conducted by Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi. Rossini's opera tells the story of a Swiss revolutionary on a quest for freedom. Its famous "William Tell Overture" is one of the best-known and most performed pieces in the standard classical repertory, though the opera, which makes considerable demands on its stars, orchestra, and chorus, has rarely been presented in modern times. Gerald Finley will star in the title role, which he has made a specialty of in recent seasons, with Marina Rebeka as the Princess Mathilde;  Bryan Hymel as her suitor Arnold; Maria Zifchak as Tell's wife Hedwige; Janai Brugger as their son Jemmy; Italian bass Marco Spotti in his Met debut as Walter Furst; Kwangchul Youn as Arnold's father Melcthal; and John Relyea as Gesler. 

The Warner Theatre's 2016-17 Met Opera: Live in HD Season continues with Mozart's DON GIOVANNI in the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre on Saturday, October 22 at 12:55 pm. A complimentary pre-opera lecture will be offered to all ticketholders in the Nancy Marine Studio Lobby for 45 minutes of pre-opera information and entertainment, 2 hours before broadcast. Full and Half Season Subscriptions are available.

Marianna Pizzolato will make her Met debut as Isabella, the title character in L'Italiana in Algeri, which she now sings in all performances of Rossini's comedy at the Met this season. The Italian mezzo-soprano replaces Elizabeth DeShong, who has withdrawn from the run due to illness.

Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leads the opening performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni, starring Simon Keenlyside in his first Met performances of the title role, which he has sung to acclaim with numerous leading opera houses. The principal cast, all of whom are making Met role debuts, also includes Hibla Gerzmava as Donna Anna, Malin Bystromas Donna Elvira, Serena Malfi as Zerlina, Paul Appleby as Don Ottavio, Adam Plachetka as Leporello, Matthew Rose as Masetto, andKwangchul Youn as the Commendatore. The October 22 matinee, with this cast, will be transmitted worldwide as part of the 11th season of the Met's Live in HD series, which now reaches more than 2,000 movie theaters in 70 countries around the world.

Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leads the opening performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni, starring Simon Keenlyside in his first Met performances of the title role, which he has sung to acclaim with numerous leading opera houses. The principal cast, all of whom are making Met role debuts, also includes Hibla Gerzmava as Donna Anna, Malin Bystromas Donna Elvira, Serena Malfi as Zerlina, Paul Appleby as Don Ottavio, Adam Plachetka as Leporello, Matthew Rose as Masetto, andKwangchul Youn as the Commendatore. The October 22 matinee, with this cast, will be transmitted worldwide as part of the 11th season of the Met's Live in HD series, which now reaches more than 2,000 movie theaters in 70 countries around the world.

41 days ago Haydn's Die Schöpfung was performed at the Großes Festspielhaus, opening the Ouverture spirituelle and thus the 2016 Salzburg Festival.

21C MEDIA GROUP just released its season preview of opera, vocal and choral music for 2016-17. Scroll down for details!

The Warner Theatre is excited to announce its 2016-17 Met Opera: Live in HD Season, featuring 10 operas, 5 new to the series, and 2 encores, streaming live from the Met. A complimentary pre-opera lecture will be offered to all ticketholders in the Nancy Marine Studio Lobby for 45 minutes of pre-opera information and entertainment, 2 hours before broadcast. Full and Half Season Subscriptions are available.

The Metropolitan Opera's annual Summer HD Festival, which presents free outdoor screenings of operas on Lincoln Center Plaza each summer, will return with 10 screenings of performances featuring the company's leading artists in a varied selection of operas by Bartók, Bizet, Gounod, Mozart, Offenbach, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, and Verdi, running on consecutive nights from August 29 through September 7.

Baritone Quinn Kelsey has been named the recipient of the tenth annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. The $50,000 award, the largest of its kind in the United States, is designated for extraordinarily gifted singers between the ages of 25 and 40 who have already appeared in featured solo roles at the Met.

American baritone Quinn Kelsey will sing the role of Giorgio Germont in the first three performances of La Traviata tonight, December 11 and December 16 & 19, replacing Ludovic Tézier who is ill. Tézier is expected to return to the role for the remaining performances.