Richard Wagner News

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil), together with renowned violinist Ning Feng under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Yu Long, will bring a taste of Scotland to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. They will tantalise the audience with the sights and sounds of Scotland as revealed by three composers - Mendelssohn, Bruch and Maxwell Davies on 6 & 7 April.

On Sunday, 8 April in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is delighted to present an afternoon concert for all the family featuring great music associated with Great Britain. HK Phil's Principal Guest Conductor Yu Long, the orchestra and violinist Ning Feng will introduce music from British composers Alun Hoddinott, Edward Elgar and Peter Maxwell Davies, as well as British-themed music from non-British composers including Percy Grainger and Max Bruch.

The Katara Opera House honoured two magnet-like opposite Classical Music masterminds from 19th Century; Mahler and Wagner.

German Maestro Kirill Petrenko leads the Bayerisches Staatsorchester and Staatsoper in their United States debut performances at Carnegie Hall over two consecutive evenings this March. Making a rare New York City appearance, Mr. Petrenko steps onto the Carnegie Hall stage for the first time as General Music Director of the Bayeriche Staatsoper and its orchestra. On Wednesday, March 28 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, Mr. Petrenko and the Staatsorchester present Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony, and are joined by violinist Julia Fischer and cellist Daniel Müller-Schott for Brahms's Double Concerto in A Minor.

The Cleveland Orchestra and Music Director Franz Welser-Most announce further details of the upcoming festival The Ecstasy of Tristan and Isolde. In a special two-week series of concerts revolving around performances of Wagner's Romantic opera Tristan and Isolde, Franz Welser-Most explores the depths and wonder of ecstasy - in a journey toward transcendence and understanding, through music, art, and belief. This festival is part of the Orchestra's historic 100th season and the 16th year of the Orchestra's acclaimed partnership with Franz Welser-Most.

Richard Wagner's last opera, PARSIFAL, is a tough nut to crack. With its highly religious overtones, lack of action and incredible length (it ran about 5 hours 40 minutes the other night), it's not exactly a 'light night' at the opera--even if for those of us who consider opera to be a 'light night'. Still, with the right cast and conductor, it can be transcendent. The Met's new revival came pretty close to getting us there.

The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera's award-winning series of live high-definition cinema simulcasts, will begin its 13th season on October 6, with the Met's grand production of Verdi's Aida, starring one of the world's most acclaimed sopranos, Anna Netrebko.

Accelerating his arrival as Music Director by two seasons, Yannick Nezet-Seguin will take up the post in time for the start of the Metropolitan Opera's 2018-19 season, it was announced today.

Red Rover Theatre Company presents the world premiere of 'Visiting Cezanne', a play by Duane Kelly, at 18th & Union Arts Space in Seattle.

San Francisco Opera presents Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) in three complete cycles, each presented over the course of one week as the composer originally intended, from June 12 through July 1 at the War Memorial Opera House. Encompassing four operas-Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung-and more than 17 hours, the story and music of Wagner's Ring are the acme of the operatic artform and one of the most ambitious works of music, theater and stagecraft ever created. In anticipation of the performances, San Francisco Opera today announced a schedule for its Ring Festival events designed to provide the public, from first-timers to experienced Ring-goers, with enriching activities including lectures, symposia, film screenings, musical programs, public discussions and a Ring Community Day for families.

Seattle Opera teams up with both ACT Theatre and Seattle Symphony for the first time to celebrate Shakespeare in a brand-new production of Berlioz's Beatrice and Benedict. The story, based on Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing, delights in the "skirmish of wits" between fiery Beatrice and bombastic Benedict and their failed resolution to avoid falling in love with each other. Their merry-war-turned-love-story has proven catnip to Hollywood-there are two film versions, one directed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer Joss Whedon, and the other directed by Kenneth Branagh and also starring Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, and Michael Keaton. Now the story is ready for the Seattle Opera treatment.

The Dallas Opera is proud to announce its spectacular 2018-2019 Season, "Swept Away," consisting of five captivating mainstage productions, including a passionate Puccini pairing during the month of March, designed to melt the last blast of winter, followed by the company's first-ever Falstaff.

Melbourne Opera presents Richard Wagner's romantic drama Tristan and Isolde. 6:30pm 2, 5 and 7 February at the Palais Theatre, St Kilda, 6:30pm 10 February at Monash University's Robert Blackwood Hall

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) will present romantic love songs from classic movies this Valentine's Day, 14 February 2018 (Wed), 8PM, in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, including: Gone with the Wind: Tara's Theme Lyrics were later added to the theme by Mack David and became the song My Own True Love, sung by Margaret Whiting and widely known since its release in October 1948.

Music Director Designate Jaap van Zweden will conduct the New York Philharmonic in a program pairing the New York Premiere of Pulitzer Prize winner John Luther Adams's Dark Waves with Act I of Wagner's Die Walk re (in concert), with soprano Heidi Melton as Sieglinde, tenor Simon O'Neill as Siegmund (in his New York Philharmonic debut), and bass John Relyea as Hunding.

Two young prodigies will perform three musical works by gifted composers with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) on 2 & 3 February 2018 (Fri & Sat), 8PM, in the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall.

It's just about time to wish you all a happy 2018--but I'm not quite ready to put 2017 to rest. Though it won't go into the annals as one of the best years ever, there were quite enough performances and performers that made this year a winner for me, operatically speaking at least, in my corner of the world.

Let me begin by saying: Please don't misunderstand these men are 100% responsible for their actions. Our society is currently in upheaval as men in positions of power are being unceremoniously thrown from grace-rightfully. Their actions are deplorable and those responsible must be taken to task. Though, the more I thought on these power-drunk men, it made me wonder-how did we get here? How is there a system in place that supports, lauds, and even protects them? And then I realized-it's because of us. We fostered it and allowed it to thrive. We have perpetuated the demigod system for centuries, and by allowing these conductors, coaches, star performers and composers to be treated in a way that defies human fallibility, we are allowing them to live above the law. And, yes, we are a part of that system. We are a part of it because we have ushered it into the 21st century-and it's time we take a stand against it.

Enjoy this fascinating retelling of Humperdinck's fairy-tale opera, Hansel and Gretel, in the Met's Special Holiday Encore Presentation in HD today, December 22nd at 1:30 pm at The Ridgefield Playhouse as part of the Benchmark Senior Living at Ridgefield Crossings Live in HD & Classical Series and The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD Series with support from The Ridgefield Press and Whistle Stop Bakery.