Susan Graham News

Single tickets go on sale to the general public Wed., Aug. 1, for Lyric Opera of Chicago's 58th season. The internationally renowned company will present grand opera with exceptional casts and productions in its beautiful home, the historic Civic Opera House. Lyric will offer 68 performances of 9 operas in the 25-week season, including 6 new-to-Chicago productions, Saturday, October 6, 2012, through Saturday, April 6, 2013.

Two-time Tony Award-winner and prolific costume designer Martin Pakledinaz died at home this morning, July 8, 2012, after a long illness. He was 58. Pakledinaz has designed hundreds of theater, opera, dance and film pieces during his career spanning more than 30 years.

Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) announces new additions to its administrative leadership and Board of Directors. Earlier this month Founding Partner of CAI Private Equity Peter M. Gottsegen was unanimously elected to serve on the orchestra's Board of Directors and New England Conservatory Sistema Fellow Jennifer Kessler joined the staff as Director of Education.

The Canadian Opera Company has closed another successful opera season with 2011/2012 recording an average attendance of 91%. A total of 125,238 patrons attended the 67 performances of the company's seven mainstage productions in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts: Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris, Verdi's Rigoletto, Puccini's Tosca, Saariaho's Love from Afar, Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, the double bill of Zemlinsky's A Florentine Tragedy and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Handel's Semele.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA)honors extraordinary talent in the Toronto performing arts community as they host the 33rd annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards tonight, Monday, June 25, at the St. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in the Bluma Appel Theater. As with all awards, BroadwayWorld brings you full coverage of the ceremony. Keep checking back as the list of winners is updated below! And stay tuned in the next couple of days for special photo coverage!

Luca Pisaroni has already had a banner year, including his universally praised debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Argante in Handel's Rinaldo and a recital of Schubert and Liszt at Lincoln Center. This summer, Pisaroni will carry the title role in Santa Fe Opera's world premiere of the new critical edition of Rossini's Maometto II (July 14-August 16). He will also perform in concerts at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in July.

Back by popular demand, pianist Doug Montgomery returns to the Spencer Theater tonight, June 2 at 8 p.m. for a concert of classical music and popular show tunes.

Back by popular demand, pianist Doug Montgomery returns to the Spencer Theater on Saturday, June 2 at 8 p.m. for a concert of classical music and popular show tunes.

Fresh from her appearances in Lehar's The Merry Widow at the Opera National de Paris and Berlioz's La mort de Cleopatre with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, as well as a successful run of Australian recitals in Melbourne and Sydney, Susan Graham continues.

Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) will soon embark on a new era of leadership. Board President Susan Graham Wernecke and President-elect Patrick Rath announce that Frances Richman will retire as executive director of the organization as of December 31, 2012. She will continue to work with MYSO in the future, in a consulting capacity.

The McCallum Theatre, the Coachella Valley's premiere theatrical venue, celebrates its 25th Anniversary Season with a star-studded lineup of Classical Music, Jazz, Cabaret, Comedy and a Broadway Blockbuster Series which includes Rock of Ages, Dreamgirls and West Side Story. The McCallum Theatre opened its doors on January 2, 1988 with a gala performance honoring Bob Hope that was nationally televised. Since then The McCallum has been the Coachella Valley's mecca for world-class entertainment including an extensive array of Broadway and Cabaret offerings. The man behind the tremendous success of the McCallum's eclectic performance calendar for the past thirteen years is Mitch Gershenfeld, Director of Presentations and Theatre Operations, who will take the helm as the theatre's President and CEO beginning June 1. I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Gershenfeld as he begins preparations for The McCallum's exciting Silver Anniversary Season. Gershenfeld is warm, passionate, highly astute, a performing arts afficionado and a genuinely kind man. Here are a few highlights from that conversation.

The McCallum Theatre, the Coachella Valley's premiere theatrical venue, will celebrate its 25th Anniversary Season with a star-studded lineup of Classical Music, Jazz, Cabaret, Comedy and a Broadway Blockbuster Series which includes Rock of Ages, Dreamgirls and West Side Story. The season kicks off on August 31 with comedy legend Steve Martin joined by the Grammy nominated Steep Canyon Rangers. This wonderfully eclectic season also includes Pink Martini, Howie Mandell, Barbara Cook, Michael Feinstein, Elaine Page and Yo-Yo Ma, to name a few.

The Metropolitan Opera today announced the winners of the 2012 National Council Auditions. They are: Janai Brugger, soprano from Darien, IL; Anthony Clark Evans, baritone from Owensboro, KY; Matthew Grills, tenor from Newtown, CT; Margaret Mezzacappa, mezzo-soprano from Euclid, OH; and Andrey Nemzer, countertenor from Moscow, Russia. The winners were selected from nine finalists who performed arias with the MET Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Davis. Each winner receives a cash prize of $15,000, as well as invaluable career exposure: the audience for the auditions includes influential opera executives, artist managers, and music critics, and some of the biggest stars in opera received their first major recognition as National Council Winners. The Grand Finals Concert was hosted by renowned bass-baritone Eric Owens, a 1996 National Council Auditions winner. During the judges' deliberations, he gave a special performance of "Ella giammai m'amo," King Philip's aria from Verdi's Don Carlo.

The Metropolitan Opera today announced the names of nine finalists who will sing in the 2012 National Council Auditions Grand Finals Concert on March 18 at 3:00 p.m. with the MET Orchestra conducted by Andrew Davis. The finalists are: Janai Brugger, soprano from Darien, IL;Anthony Clark Evans, baritone from Owensboro, KY; Matthew Grills, tenor from Newton, CT; Will Liverman, baritone from Virginia Beach, VA; Margaret Mezzacappa, mezzo-soprano from Euclid, OH; Andrey Nemzer, countertenor from Moscow, Russia; Kevin Ray, baritone from Cornwall, NY; Lauren Snouffer, soprano from Austin, TX; and Michael Sumuel, bass-baritone from Odessa, TX.

The Metropolitan Opera today announced the names of nine finalists who will sing in the 2012 National Council Auditions Grand Finals Concert on March 18 at 3:00 p.m. with the MET Orchestra conducted by Andrew Davis. The finalists are: Janai Brugger, soprano from Darien, IL;Anthony Clark Evans, baritone from Owensboro, KY; Matthew Grills, tenor from Newton, CT; Will Liverman, baritone from Virginia Beach, VA; Margaret Mezzacappa, mezzo-soprano from Euclid, OH; Andrey Nemzer, countertenor from Moscow, Russia; Kevin Ray, baritone from Cornwall, NY; Lauren Snouffer, soprano from Austin, TX; and Michael Sumuel, bass-baritone from Odessa, TX.

Fleming in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos from Baden-Baden and Cecilia Bartoli's first exclusive online appearance in Rossini's very rarely-heard Otello ossia il Moro di Venezia from Zurich. The live offerings on medici.tv include Stephane Degout, Anne Sofie von Otter, and rising star Elena Tsallagova in Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande, staged by Robert Wilson at the Opera National de Paris (March 16). And a series of recent productions from the Opera de Paris will appear as part of the medici.tv on-demand catalog, ranging from Mozart's La clemenza de Tito with Susan Graham to Rameau's Les Indes galantes led by William Christie.

Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) announced today the four-year appointment of Pablo Heras-Casado as Principal Conductor, effective immediately.

Opera Index presents its 2012 Distinguished Achievement Award to opera pioneer and Opera Orchestra of New York founder Eve Queler at its 28th annual black-tie winter gala on Sunday, January 15.