Alfred Walker News

I am very pleased to announce a brand new BroadwayWorld Toronto contest! I'll be giving away two tickets to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's Gershwin Highlights on Friday June 20th, at 7:30 PM EST. To enter the contest, please send an email to torontocontest@broadwayworld.com with your favorite song composed by George Gerswhin. Entries missing a song title will be discarded. All entires due by 12:00 PM on Thursday, June 19, 2014. The winner will be contacted immediately after noon on Thursday to claim their prize.

Seattle Opera concludes its 50th Anniversary season, as well as the 31-year tenure of General Director Speight Jenkins with The Tales of Hoffmann (Les contes d'Hoffmann). An all-star cast sings Jacques Offenbach's tuneful score, chronicling famous writer E.T.A. Hoffmann's misadventures in love. The wild stories of Hoffmann's failed romances come alive with fantastical elements: a beautiful robot, an evil optician, a stolen shadow, death by music, and a mysterious boy/girl muse. The Tales of Hoffmann was first produced jointly by Dallas, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Arizona operas in 2005. This timeless, stylish, and imaginative production returns to Seattle Opera today, May 3, and runs through Today, May 17.

In the final month of the 2013/2014 season, TSO musicians will claim the spotlight in an engaging Light Classics programme that includes the electrifying crescendo of Ravel's famous Bolero and Brahms's merry medley of German student songs. Led by RBC Resident Conductor Shalom Bard, Niccolo Paganini's Sonata per la gran viola will provide the dazzling showpiece for Principal Viola Teng Li, while Principal Oboe Sarah Jeffrey will steal the spotlight in Calla Lilies by Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich.

Seattle Opera concludes its 50th Anniversary season, as well as the 31-year tenure of General Director Speight Jenkins with The Tales of Hoffmann (Les contes d'Hoffmann). An all-star cast sings Jacques Offenbach's tuneful score, chronicling famous writer E.T.A. Hoffmann's misadventures in love. The wild stories of Hoffmann's failed romances come alive with fantastical elements: a beautiful robot, an evil optician, a stolen shadow, death by music, and a mysterious boy/girl muse. The Tales of Hoffmann was first produced jointly by Dallas, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Arizona operas in 2005. This timeless, stylish, and imaginative production returns to Seattle Opera on Saturday, May 3, and runs through Saturday, May 17.

Minnesota Opera is pleased to announce its first production of 2014. Verdi's dark-hued Macbeth examines the corrosive consequences of tyranny. At the urging of his wife, Macbeth murders the king to claim the crown. His desperate and deadly reign of terror devastates his country and hastens his doom in this masterwork based upon Shakespeare's classic thriller. The Show Premieres Saturday, January 25th, and runs through February 2nd at Ordway, 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102. The show is sung in Italian with English surtitles projected above the stage.

Minnesota Opera is pleased to announce its first production of 2014. Verdi's dark-hued Macbeth examines the corrosive consequences of tyranny. At the urging of his wife, Macbeth murders the king to claim the crown. His desperate and deadly reign of terror devastates his country and hastens his doom in this masterwork based upon Shakespeare's classic thriller.

Minnesota Opera is pleased to announce its first production of 2014. Verdi's dark-hued Macbeth examines the corrosive consequences of tyranny. At the urging of his wife, Macbeth murders the king to claim the crown. His desperate and deadly reign of terror devastates his country and hastens his doom in this masterwork based upon Shakespeare's classic thriller.

Whatever else you think of Richard Strauss, you can't accuse him of picking easy subjects. While Die Frau Ohne Schattenremains one of the most elusive of opera plots, Elektra among the most bloodthirsty and Salome among the most disturbing, it is the rarely-heard one-act Feuersnot that proved a step too far to Strauss's own audiences. But then what did he expect? The plot revolves around lust and sex – and the fact that it has always been regarded as possibly semi-autobiographical no doubt didn't help his cause. Yet the opera is fascinating enough that the world premiere was conducted by Gustav Mahler.

Whatever else you think of Richard Strauss, you can't accuse him of picking easy subjects. While Die Frau Ohne Schattenremains one of the most elusive of opera plots, Elektra among the most bloodthirsty and Salome among the most disturbing, it is the rarely-heard one-act Feuersnot that proved a step too far to Strauss's own audiences. But then what did he expect? The plot revolves around lust and sex – and the fact that it has always been regarded as possibly semi-autobiographical no doubt didn't help his cause. Yet the opera is fascinating enough that the world premiere was conducted by Gustav Mahler.

A free concert commemorating the 200th birthdays of Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner features the Loyola Symphony Orchestra and Loyola Chorus alongside special guests and Metropolitan Opera stars Alfred Walker '96, Greer Grimsley '76 and Luretta Bybee. The program will include selections from Verdi's 'Otello,' 'Aida' and 'La Traviata,' as well as Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman' and 'Die Walkure,' including the famed 'Ride of the Valkyries.'

A free concert commemorating the 200th birthdays of Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner features the Loyola Symphony Orchestra and Loyola Chorus alongside special guests and Metropolitan Opera stars Alfred Walker '96, Greer Grimsley '76 and Luretta Bybee. The program will include selections from Verdi's "Otello," "Aida" and "La Traviata," as well as Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" and "Die Walkure," including the famed "Ride of the Valkyries."

Minnesota Opera is pleased to announce casting updates for the 2013–2014 season, which boasts three company premieres and five productions new to Minnesota audiences. Based on anticipated demand, the boundary-busting production of The Magic Flutewill receive nine performances. Other season highlights include James Valenti starring in the premiere of a revised The Dream of Valentino by Dominick Argento as part of Minnesota Opera's New Works Initiative; Kelly Kaduce in an opulent production of Puccini's soulful Manon Lescaut; Jacquelyn Wagner, Elizabeth Futral, Brian Jagde and Craig Irvin in a stylish production of Strauss' romantic comedy, Arabella; and Verdi's chilling take on the Shakespearean thriller, Macbeth, starring Brenda Harris and Greer Grimsley. Minnesota Opera is also pleased to announce the roster for the 2013–2014 Resident Artist Program, as well as unveil a new website.

Loyola University New Orleans alumnus Alfred Walker '96 will perform a solo voice recital on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Roussel Performance Hall, located in the Communications/Music Complex, on the corner of St. Charles Avenue and Calhoun Street.

Theatre directors Mary Zimmerman, Adrian Noble, Richard Jones and John Doyle will be among those staging operas at the Met during the opera company's 2007-2008 season.