Matthew Polenzani News

DON CARLOS--Verdi’s original French language version, for the first time at the Met, of the opera better known in these parts as the Italian DON CARLO--was as grim as its setting in the Spanish inquisition in the new David McVicar production introduced last night. And about as long (though for once it ended earlier than expected)--Verdi's longest opera.

Before the opening night performance of Verdi's Don Carlos, the audience observed a moment of silence, followed by the Ukrainian national anthem, performed by the Met Orchestra and Chorus and conducted by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

For the first time in company history, the Metropolitan Opera will present the original five-act French version of Verdi’s Don Carlos, with eight performances February 28–March 26. Verdi’s epic opera about doomed love during the Spanish Inquisition first premiered in French at the Paris Opera in 1867.

The winners of the 50th George London Foundation Competition for young American and Canadian opera singers were announced at the conclusion of the competition’s final round this evening, which took place at Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. While the event is usually held with in-person audience, this year’s audience was virtual. Susanna Phillips, international opera star and 2005 George London Award winner, was the livestream host. 

After a pandemic-induced postponement of one year, one of the opera world’s oldest and most prestigious competitions is back on and will mark a milestone in 2022: the George London Foundation Competition will hold its 50th anniversary event in February, in-person for the singers and judges, in New York City.

Today's top stories include this week's grosses, The Metropolitan Opera's 2022–23 season, and episode two of The Aging Ingenue!

Single tickets are now on-sale for all of the Canadian Opera Company's 2022 in-person programming. 

The Metropolitan Opera today announced its 2022–23 season, which features seven new productions, the most in ten seasons. Opening Night is September 27 with the company premiere of Cherubini’s Medea, starring soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role alongside tenor Matthew Polenzani in David McVicar’s new staging, conducted by Carlo Rizzi.

After the successful first half of the 2021–22 season and a planned February break, the Metropolitan Opera will return with a slate of three new productions and 12 classic revivals for its spring season that runs February 28–June 11.

The complete Carnegie Hall concert schedule for February and March has been announced.

THERESE LEE  makes her New York debut with her new show, RIDING THE BUS TO THE RED CARPET.  In it, she recalls her days in Los Angeles as an entertainment reporter too broke to own a car, and shares what her interactions with some of Hollywood's biggest stars during that time did to change her life forever. 

After a pandemic-induced postponement of one year, one of the opera world's oldest and most prestigious competitions is back on and will mark a milestone in 2022: the George London Foundation Competition will hold its 50th anniversary event in February, in-person for the singers and judges, in New York City. While the final round is usually a public event, this year it will be held without an audience but livestreamed free of charge on the foundation's website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel, as well as the Facebook page of The Morgan Library and Museum.

For the first time in company history, the Metropolitan Opera will present the original five-act French version of Verdi’s Don Carlos, with eight performances February 28–March 26. Verdi’s epic opera about doomed love during the Spanish Inquisition first premiered in French at the Paris Opera in 1867.

Jamie Barton will sing Eboli in this season’s new production of the original five-act French version of Verdi’s Don Carlos, replacing Elīna Garanča, who has withdrawn.

After a pandemic-induced postponement of one year, one of the opera world's oldest and most prestigious competitions is back on and will mark a milestone in 2022: the George London Foundation Competition will hold its 50th anniversary event in February.

Soprano Sonya Yoncheva performed a live concert on Saturday, February 27, 2021 from the Schussenried Cloister in southwest Germany as part of the Met Stars Live in Concert series. 

Canadian Opera Company has announced that in April 2022, it will perform Verdi's La Traviata, running April 23, May 1 (2 p.m.), 3, 7 (4:30 p.m.), 12, 18, 20, 2022.

Anthony Freud, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s president, general director, and CEO, has announced the four soloists who will perform in the Sir Andrew Davis Conducts Beethoven 9 concert on Friday, April 1, 2022.

The Metropolitan Opera will welcome back its youngest opera lovers with a family-friendly holiday presentation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute for nine performances December 10, 2021–January 5, 2022. This English-language adaptation of the classic fairy tale, performed in a 115-minute abridged version, is a holiday treat for audiences of all ages.

This evening our online show is Los Angeles Opera’s La Traviata from 2006 with: Renée Fleming, Rolando Villazón, Renato Bruson, Suzanna Guzmán, Anna Akhimova, Daniel Montenegro, Philip Kraus, James Creswell, Sal Malaki, and Mark Kelley. James Conlon conducts the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra. The stage director is Marta Domingo. Brian Large directs it for TV.