Classical Music Interviews

Today’s subject Katherine Goforth is someone who can definitely be called a breakthrough artist to be sure. She is the inaugural recipient of Washington National Opera’s True Voice Award for transgender and non-binary singers. She will be making her Kennedy Center debut on May first at 6:00pm with a...

Have you ever wondered where the story of “Rent” or “Love Story” came from? Puccini’s classic opera has inspired generations with its true-to-life story of Rodolfo and Mimi — star-crossed lovers. With the romantic score and soaring melodies of Puccini, La Bohéme is the perfect opera for opera fans a...

BroadwayWorld Toronto spoke to ALL IS LOVE star Brueggergosman-Lee about her love for the show and the company, the importance of taking risks, and how her upcoming Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award is really an encouragement to keep creating....

As Maestro Ermanno Florio steps down after 32 seasons, Australian Conductor Simon Thew will be appointed as Houston Ballet's Music Director and Chief Conductor. BroadwayWorld got the chance to speak with Simon Thew about his worldly career, his experience with the Houston Ballet, and his goals for t...

The event highlights the city’s all-important dynamic Asian community and features the American premiere of veteran composer Paul Chihara’s Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra...

Today’s subject Sir Bryn Terfel is a Grammy, Classical Brit, and Gramophone Award–winning recording artist with a discography encompassing operas of Mozart, Wagner, and Strauss, and more than 15 solo discs including Lieder, American musical theatre, Welsh songs, and sacred repertory. He is, rightful...

This week in Montgomery, Alabama, you will find a unique, strong offering with the Force. On Thursday, The Montgomery Symphony Orchestra performs Star Wars: A New Hope In Concert. The movie will be projected above the orchestra as they play the entire John Williams score with the film. The concert w...

Don Giovanni is an egotistical and infamous womanizer, brazen in his shameless seductions. But his betrayals soon catch up to him when divine retribution exacts the ultimate price. Set in the 1930s, this new production centers the women who cross paths with Don Giovanni and ultimately deliver his gr...

BroadwayWorld chats with Tara Branham who is making her mainstage debut as director at Opera San Jose with the Puccini classic 'Tosca' running April 15 to 30....

Stephanie Blythe looks for “creativity, imagination and curiosity” in her students. The first two are required of any good artist. Curiosity is a little less obvious, but she credits it for her ever expanding interests. Kate Smith led to reading about song writers, which In turn led to playing ukule...

Stephanie Blythe’s dad had no use for singers. “He liked my voice, but I wasn't allowed to sing in the chorus. So all through junior high I wanted to be part of a rock band with my three best friends. But since we played euphonium, trombone, saxophone and flute, I was like, well, that's not going to...

Stephanie Blythe is probably the only opera singer who represents an ukulele company. That she embodies the unexpected is further confirmed by her upcoming roles in the San Diego Opera's next production, two one-act operas by Puccini. The mezzo soprano will first sing a deeper contralto as the Princ...

BroadwayWorld chats with baritone Darren Drone & soprano Chanae Curtis, stars of Verdi's comedic masterpiece 'Falstaff' at Opera San Jose February 11-26. The 2 up-and-coming singers represent the new face of opera....

The Daughter of the Regiment has romance, humor, vocal pyrotechnics-and one of the most unique roles in the repertoire, the Duchess of Krakenthorp. This cameo role has a storied history of portrayal by actors and public figures (including late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg and Golden Gi...

In theatre, as well as in life, we all need a little help from our friends. This holds true for Director Ryan Gibbins at Arkansas State University-Beebe Theatre Department, who will be presenting BIG FISH this Thursday through Saturday, November 3 through 5, in the Owen Center Theatre, beginning at ...

BroadwayWorld chats with 17-year-old classical music phenom about her opera 'Cinderella' which she will be conducting in Opera San Jose's lavish production November 12 to 27....

Deborah F. Rutter is the President of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A post she has held since September 1st, 2014. ...

The San Diego Symphony’s Music Director and Conductor Rafael Payare took up the notoriously difficult French horn at the age of 13. During an hour-long Zoom interview while he was in Montreal, I asked how he had managed to become a soloist less than six months later! “I have to admit it was a little...

Can a symphony orchestra have a role in solving problems like homelessness and global warming? If you don't think so now, you might change your mind after a conversation with Laura Reynolds, the San Diego Symphony's recently appointed Vice President of Impact and Innovation. In 2015, while she was t...

One of Broadway’s favorite leading ladies Kelli O’Hara will be appearing with SiriusXM Radio staple Seth Rudetsky for a one-night concert at The Wallis April 2, 2022 as part of The Wallis Broadway @ concert series. Kelli was gracious enough to carve out a little time to answer a few of my theatrical...

Conductor Yves Abel arrived in San Diego from Europe a few days ago to begin rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet by French composer Charles Gounod. The Maestro does get around a lot, even for an internationally in-demand musician. His wife and boys five and eight sometimes travel with him when he conduc...

Jeff Thayer was at the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony in Temecula when we spoke for an hour on Zoom. 'I'm usually here right before I have something big to do.' He was referring to upcoming performances of the ninth violin concerto of The Chevalier de St. George at The Conrad in La Jolla. As the San ...

LA Opera’s next production St. Matthew Passion will open March 12, 2022, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. LA Opera’s music director James Conlon conducts with choreographer John Neumeier staging Johann Sebastian Bach’s scared masterpiece with members of the Hamburg Ballet. The always busy Maestro f...

In its most recent season, Classics 4 Kids reached nearly 37,000 people at 256 San Diego County schools, two thirds of them in lower income areas. You’d think Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber was performing the way more than 1000 young San Diego students cheer at a Classics 4 Kids concert. Music Direct...

'I'm just Reggie from Atlanta' baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. explained during our hour-long discussion on Zoom. That may be how he would like to view himself, but it's hardly how most others do since he's also a Grammy winning opera star who's performed at the Met. Until high school, neither o...

David Bennett is now six years into his job as general director of the San Diego Opera Association. When hired, he faced shaky finances, a loss of major donors, and huge turnover in the membership of the board of directors. The new board hired him with the understanding that downsizing and reinventi...

The New York City-based award-winning baritone and Pittsburgh, PA, native specializes in dramatic roles of Verdi, Puccini, and Strauss...

He is unique. One of a kind. And a musician of the highest caliber who just happens to live on New York City’s Upper West Side....

Eleven years since being the youngest pianist in Africa to be named a Steinway Artist, Charl du Plessis has had an illustrious career both locally and internationally. Performing as part of Aardklop Aubade classical music concert series in collaboration with the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, Du Plessis...

After a highly successful debut hailed as 'an operatic musical extravaganza', CANTIAMO - MZANSI OPERA CELEBRATION returns to the Mandela Theatre this month. Directed by acclaimed artistic producer and director Marcus Desando, he discusses with BroadwayWorld his role as director in this celebratory s...

Emily Fons received a Grammy nomination for her work on the recording of Jennifer Higdon’s opera Cold Mountain. Fons has been lauded for her virtuosic abilities in the Baroque and Bel Canto repertoires and for the dramatic commitment and musicality she brings to modern works. She has performed with ...

John Riesen made headlines earlier this year when in the early days of the health crisis, he helped bring income to artists by creating the COVID-19 Artist Support - Pure Voice Spotify playlist, Now, Riesen is continuing to bring beautiful music into the world, this time through the release of his ...

Renée Fleming's long and distinguished career includes performing in some of the world's most famous opera houses, performing on Broadway, and being heard on many recordings singing everything from arias to showtunes. Tonight Ms. Fleming will add another honor to her canon as she and Vanessa Will...

A lot of repertoire you do over and over, while finding new things within those pieces, but something totally new is interesting...

BWW Interview: Tomer Lev & Idith Ziv of THE RUBENSTEIN VIRTUAL PIANO FESTIVAL at Clairmont Recital Hall. Tel Aviv...

It's a busy week for Piotr Beczala, at least on the Met on Demand. It started with Monday's free broadcast of 2014's RUSALKA, opposite Renée Fleming (when the interview that follows was conducted) to Saturday night's free ADRIANA LECOUVREUR performance opposite Anna Netrebko, from January 2019. You ...

Vocal and dialect coach Vanessa Dinning talks about what she does and how she is bringing her talents online...

The Met's first cancellation due to coronavirus concerns was the revival of Rossini's LA CENERENTOLA, the opera retelling of the Cinderella story, set to star mezzo Tara Erraught in the title role and one of its biggest tenor stars, Javier Camarena as Don Ramiro, her prince. The opera holds a partic...

Conductor John Jesensky talks about conducting the score of an incredibly popular movie series live, his love for performing live-to-film concerts, and what drives him to be the best conductor he can be....

Brenna Corner started out with dreams of Broadway. It wouldn't be a big surprise if the versatile young director's dreams came true, but not in the way she'd originally pictured. I met with her to learn more about that and the San Diego Opera's upcoming production of Hansel and Gretel. 'Broadway ...