William Kent News

The bustling World Financial Center will be transformed into Elsinore Castle next month when it hosts a free production of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare that will inhabit the sprawling venue as its set.

The Jewish Museum will present South African Photographs: David Goldblatt, an exhibition of 150 black-and-white silver gelatin prints taken between 1948 and 2009, from May 2 through September 19, 2010. The photographs on view focus on South Africa's human landscape in the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Verdi's La Traviata returns to the Met with Angela Gheorghiu reprising her acclaimed interpretation of Violetta, a role the New York Times called a 'supercharged star turn' when she performed it in 2006.

The bustling World Financial Center will be transformed into Elsinore Castle next month when it hosts a free production of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare that will inhabit the sprawling venue as its set.

Acclaimed South African artist William Kentridge will dominate New York City's arts calendar in the coming months with works at MOMA and the Metropolitan Opera, but there's only one major venue where audiences can see his work for free.

The Metropolitan Opera announced today that it has been awarded a $1.1 million endowment grant from the Lauritz Melchior Heldentenor Foundation, which is dissolving and turning over its assets to the Met.

Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet returns to the Met stage for its first performances since 1897, with the powerful pairing of Simon Keenlyside in the title role and Marlis Petersen as Ophélie. Keenlyside's acclaimed interpretation of Hamlet in Geneva, London and Barcelona finally arrives in the United States, with a performance in the Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser production that was hailed by the British press as 'magnificent . . . sheer vocal genius.' Petersen, who steps in for Natalie Dessay, brings her haunting portrayal of Ophélie to the Met; she earned praise for the role during a 2006 run of Hamlet in Düsseldorf. Louis Langrée conducts a cast that includes Jennifer Larmore as Gertrude, Toby Spence in his Met debut as Laërte, and James Morris in the role of Claudius. Jane Archibald, in her Met debut, sings the role of Ophélie on April 5 and 9. The creative team is rounded out by Christian Fenouillat with set designs, Agostino Cavalca with costume designs, and Christophe Forey with lighting designs, all in their Met debuts. Performances run through April 9, with the March 27 matinee shown worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD

Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet returns to the Met stage for its first performances since 1897, with the powerful pairing of Simon Keenlyside in the title role and Marlis Petersen as Ophélie. Keenlyside's acclaimed interpretation of Hamlet in Geneva, London and Barcelona finally arrives in the United States, with a performance in the Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser production that was hailed by the British press as 'magnificent . . . sheer vocal genius.' Petersen, who steps in for Natalie Dessay, brings her haunting portrayal of Ophélie to the Met; she earned praise for the role during a 2006 run of Hamlet in Düsseldorf. Louis Langrée conducts a cast that includes Jennifer Larmore as Gertrude, Toby Spence in his Met debut as Laërte, and James Morris in the role of Claudius. Jane Archibald, in her Met debut, sings the role of Ophélie on April 5 and 9. The creative team is rounded out by Christian Fenouillat with set designs, Agostino Cavalca with costume designs, and Christophe Forey with lighting designs, all in their Met debuts. Performances run through April 9, with the March 27 matinee shown worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD

Chopin 200, a weeklong celebration of Frederic Chopin's 200th birthday featuring 200 hours of the composer's works performed by an eclectic mix of nearly 200 pianists, including NPR's 'From the Top' host Christopher O'Riley; Jeffrey Swann; Vassily Primakov; Claire Huangci, winner of the Chopin Competition of Europe; Kimball Gallagher; and the winner of this month's Chopin Competition in Miami.

The bustling World Financial Center will be transformed into Elsinore Castle next month when it hosts a free production of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare that will inhabit the sprawling venue as its set.

Dmitri Shostakovich's The Nose has its Metropolitan Opera premiere on March 5 at 8:00 pm, conducted by Valery Gergiev, in a visually arresting new production by artist William Kentridge that features original collage, film, sculpture, and massive projections of the artist's drawings and prints. Making his Met debut, baritone Paulo Szot performs the role of Kovalyov in the story of the Russian official who wakes one morning to discover his nose has disappeared (and taken on a higher bureaucratic rank). Based on the short story of the same name by Nikolai Gogol, the opera is what Kentridge has called an exploration of "learning from the absurd." In this production, visuals include renderings of Soviet workers, snatches of newspaper, and projections of propaganda - as well as the missing appendage in adventures ranging from delivering a speech to riding a horse.

Chopin 200, a weeklong celebration of Frederic Chopin's 200th birthday featuring 200 hours of the composer's works performed by an eclectic mix of nearly 200 pianists, including NPR's 'From the Top' host Christopher O'Riley; Jeffrey Swann; Vassily Primakov; Claire Huangci, winner of the Chopin Competition of Europe; Kimball Gallagher; and the winner of this month's Chopin Competition in Miami.

The classical music world is gearing up to celebrate Frederic Chopin's 200th birthday on March 1st, and one of the most ambitious tributes in the world will be happening for free in downtown Manhattan.

The Museum of Modern Art presents William Kentridge: Five Themes, a comprehensive survey of the artist's career, featuring more than 100 works in a range of mediums-animated films, drawings, prints, theater models, and books-on view from February 24 to May 17, 2010.

Chopin 200, a weeklong celebration of Frederic Chopin's 200th birthday featuring 200 hours of the composer's works performed by an eclectic mix of nearly 200 pianists, including NPR's 'From the Top' host Christopher O'Riley; Jeffrey Swann; Vassily Primakov; Claire Huangci, winner of the Chopin Competition of Europe; Kimball Gallagher; and the winner of this month's Chopin Competition in Miami.

Franco Vassallo will sing the role of Ezio in Verdi's Attila on March 19, 22, and 27, replacing Carlos Alvarez, who is ill. Vassallo is currently appearing at the Met as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, the role of his 2005 company debut. Last season the Italian baritone was Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore, and in 2007, audiences around the world saw him as Riccardo in The Met: Live in HD transmission of I Puritani, now available in DVD.

Acclaimed South African artist William Kentridge will dominate New York City's arts calendar in the coming months with works at MOMA and the Metropolitan Opera, but there's only one major venue where audiences can see his work for free.

Diana Damrau and Juan Diego Flórez star in La Fille du Régiment, Donizetti's comedy about the tough-hearted young woman who was rescued and raised by the 21st regiment of the French army, and her romance with a hapless soldier-suitor.

Puccini's love story La Bohème returns to the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday, February 20, with Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and Polish tenor Piotr Becza?a as Puccini's star-crossed lovers, Mimì and Rodolfo.

The Museum of Modern Art presents William Kentridge: Five Themes, a comprehensive survey of the artist's career, featuring more than 100 works in a range of mediums-animated films, drawings, prints, theater models, and books-on view from February 24 to May 17, 2010.