Sydney Mancasola

By telephone recently from a Buddhist retreat in Dublin, Ireland, Ruhl spoke about “Eurydice” and more.

Sometimes you hear a singer who embodies a role so completely that it’s hard to imagine her in anything else. That’s how I felt about the wonderful mezzo Aigul Akhmetshina, who’s singing the title role in the Met’s new production of Bizet’s CARMEN, which I saw at its second performance. Her portrayal was as full-bodied as her voice and she sizzled, filling up the stage as much as one can imagine. It’s little surprise that she’s considered the Carmen of the moment, having appeared in seven other productions (with two to come).

PELLÉAS & MÉLISANDE comes to Des Moines Metro Opera next year! The opera is by Claude Debussy, adapted from the play by Maurice Maeterlinck. Performances run July 6, 12, 17, 21 at Blank Performing Arts Center. It will be sung in French with English supertitles.

Des Moines Metro Opera’s complete repertory for the company’s 2024 Festival Season has been revealed.

The Metropolitan Opera’s annual holiday presentation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute will return for nine performances, starting December 16. A holiday treat for audiences of all ages, this English-language adaptation runs under two hours, with special ticket prices starting from $35.

The Academy of Vocal Arts will open its 88th opera season with Verdi's La traviata. Performances will be held in Center City, the Main Line and the Lehigh Valley November 11-29, 2022.

Recognized worldwide for his natural ease and extraordinary collaborative spirit, American conductor James Gaffigan has attracted international attention for his equitable prowess as both a conductor of symphony orchestras and opera. With numerous appointments and guest engagements throughout Europe and North America, Gaffigan is known for empowering and nurturing artists and ensembles to cultivate the highest art possible.

Starting a theatre company is no easy feat, but for a theatre to be around for 50 years is something worth celebrating. You can celebrate 50 years with Des Moines Metro Opera this summer, which just opened up its 50th season with two spectacular productions. The season opened up a sold-out run of The Gershwin's 'Porgy and Bess' with Simon Estes in his farewell performance. I've heard excellent things about the production. The opera continued its opening weekend with 'The Voice' finalist John Holiday in Benjamin Britten's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' based on the Shakespeare play by the same name.

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.

Music Director James Conlon will conduct three mainstage productions and Colombian-American conductor Lina González-Granados will make her company debut as Resident Conductor, the first Latina to hold a high-ranking conducting position with a major U.S. opera company. 

Des Moines Metro Opera's General and Artistic Director Michael Egel announced today the repertory for the company's 50th Anniversary Season alongside the launch of the public phase of a $15 million fundraising campaign, 50 Next: Giving Voice to the Future.

Opera companies worldwide have found themselves canceling their seasons, including Des Moines Metro Opera (DMMO).  The difference with DMMO is that they have had an Emmy winning partnership with Iowa Public Television, now called Iowa Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), coming together to give you the best seats in the house with a virtual season, starting June 28 with their Emmy-winning MANON by Massenet.  

Currently, on the Los Angeles Opera website you can hear Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville.' Music Director James Conlon conducts baritone Rodion Pogossov as Figaro, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong as Rosina, and tenor René Barbera as Count Almaviva.

Today (June 19) in live streaming: the first ever Antonyo Awards, Peter Pan Live! and so much more!

During its unplanned hiatus from public performances, LA Opera has created an extensive array of online programming under the banner LAO At Home.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 Festival Season, Des Moines Metro Opera and Iowa PBS have formed a unique partnership to bring the opera season into a digital format with online streams and televised broadcasts of four fan-favorite productions.

Created specifically for young artists, the Promethean Live series is designed to cover basic principles and provide a space for young artists to gain access to industry leaders. Previous classes have covered topics including in depth discussions on audition arias, how ensemble contracts function, and an introduction to artistic administration and the structure at opera companies in the US and Europe.

Mazzoli's music is sensational.

The 2020 Adelaide Festival curated by Artistic Directors Neil Armfield AO and Rachel Healy has seen a triumphant 17 day event unfold with sold out shows, the biggest schools program in Festival history and box-office success. With two days still to go the Adelaide Festival has increased its total audience attendance by 24.8%, has smashed its box office target (of $4.7 million) and generated the second highest box office in the event's 60-year history, so far achieving a total box office income in excess of $5.3 million (figure is inclusive of umbrella shows, but does not include WOMADelaide).

The magic of the WNO's THE MAGIC FLUTE is that it is captivating for all ages and a tempting proposition for first-timers and opera-buffs alike.