Bel Canto News

Savory Thymes hosts a benefit for Marin Theatre Company's New Play Program today, October 6, 2013, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Hillside Gardens in Mill Valley.

The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera's award-winning series of live transmissions to movie theaters, will feature 10 productions in the 2013-14 season, offering a significant portion of the Met season to opera lovers around the world.

Opera in the Heights' (Oh!) 2013-2014 season has been announced. Four of the most popular works in all of opera will come alive on the Oh! stage beginning this fall.

The Canadian Opera Company launches its 2013/2014 season with a new production of one of the world's greatest love stories, La Bohème. Puccini's masterpiece of youthful flirtation, passionate love and heartbreaking tragedy returns to the COC for 12 performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts tonight, October 3 and October 6, 9, 12, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25, 27, 29, 30, 2013.

Five talented musicians are joining forces to present "Ride the Chariot," an evening of African American songs including such favorites such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Steal Away," "A City Called Heaven," "Ain't Got Time to Die," among others. Performing are Rashard Allen, baritone; Jessica Gondwe, soprano; Naomi Christine Leapheart, contralto; Christyan Seay, tenor and Maria Thompson Corley, pianist.

The Chicago Sinfonietta continues its 2013-14 season of innovation and collaboration with Dia de los Muertos, its annual holiday concert inspired by the Mexican holiday of The Day of the Dead. Sinfonietta Music Director Mei-Ann Chen with special guests, violinist Ade Williams, soprano Elizabeth Norman, theDePaul University Choir and collaborators Redmoon, lead a concert inspired by artistic expressions of grief and joy surrounding mortality. The Chicago Sinfonietta performs Dia de los Muertos in two concerts only, Saturday, November 9 at 8 pm

Renee Fleming appeared on the David Letterman show and sang the 'Top Ten Opera Lyrics.'

The Georg Solti Accademia and The Juilliard School invite the public to attend an historic evening with one of the classical music world's acclaimed elder statesman, Australian conductor and pianist Richard Bonynge, celebrating the Georg Solti Accademia's 10th Anniversary and first master classes in New York City. Maestro Bonynge leads singers from Juilliard's Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts, The public master classes are also the first to be given by Mr. Bonynge in New York City, and the first collaboration between the Accademia and Juilliard.Tickets for this October 9 event are available to the public starting today, September 25, 2013, via the Janet and Leonard Kramer Box Office at Juilliard or via events.juilliard.edu.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts campus is waking to the sweet sounds of a robust Fall harvest of programming with a dynamic line-up of arts offering something for everyone.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts campus is waking to the sweet sounds of a robust Fall harvest of programming with a dynamic line-up of arts offering something for everyone.

Los Angeles Children's Chorus (LACC) - led by Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson and acclaimed for its pure, agile, bel canto sound that has made it one of the most in-demand children's choirs in the county - announces its 2013-14 season, entitled 'Legacies Unleashed,' which spotlights the music of Benjamin Britten and the English choral tradition. The chorus also presents two world premieres and a broad range of other musical genres demanding remarkable vocal versatility and technical skill from LACC's accomplished young choristers, who range in age from 6 to 18.

In advance of her Season Opening Gala performance with the Nashville Symphony, sopranoRenee Fleming will join novelist Ann Patchett for a free lecture at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 7 p.m. tonight, September 20. The two women will discuss music, creating characters, the forthcoming opera version of Patchett's novel Bel Canto, and Fleming's concert the following evening at the Schermerhorn.

In his second season as General Music Director of the Zurich Opera, Grammy and ECHO Klassik Award-winner Fabio Luisi premieres important new productions of Beethoven's Fidelio and Verdi's Aida, and conducts revivals of Bellini's La straniera, Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann, and Verdi'sDon Carlo with René Pape, which also serves as the vehicle for his return to the Teatro alla Scala. As distinguished in the concert hall as the opera house, he leads four orchestral programs with the Philharmonia Zurich, makes his long-awaited London Symphony Orchestra debut, and returns to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and Cleveland Orchestra, with which he launches the new season. As Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, the distinguished Italian conductor leads productions of Puccini's Madama Butterflyand Rossini's comedy La Cenerentola, which will be transmitted live to movie theaters around the world in the Met's celebrated Live in HD series.

Los Angeles Children's Chorus (LACC) - led by Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson and acclaimed for its pure, agile, bel canto sound that has made it one of the most in-demand children's choirs in the county - announces its 2013-14 season, entitled "Legacies Unleashed," which spotlights the music of Benjamin Britten and the English choral tradition. The chorus also presents two world premieres and a broad range of other musical genres demanding remarkable vocal versatility and technical skill from LACC's accomplished young choristers, who range in age from 6 to 18.

The editors of Opera News are pleased to announce the honorees for the ninth annual Opera News Awards, paying tribute to five superb artists who have made invaluable contributions to the art form: director Patrice Chéreau, tenor Juan Diego Flórez, mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig, bass-baritone James Morris and soprano Nina Stemme. The Opera News Awards ceremonywill take place on Sunday, April 13 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. All the winners - and a host of the city's cultural, civic, and social luminaries - will be present at the gala awards dinner, which will feature celebrity presenters speaking about the awardees and introducing video performance clips.

The Georg Solti Accademia and The Juilliard School invite the public to attend an historic evening with one of the classical music world's acclaimed elder statesman, Australian conductor and pianist Richard Bonynge

Beginning with the 2013-14 season, the New York Philharmonic's Insights Series - in which artists and experts will explore some of the season's themes and concerts - will now be free, and take place at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center. This season's events will include discussions with Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow during his farewell season (October 23); composer-conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and violinist Leila Josefowicz (October 28), who will discuss Mr. Salonen's Violin Concerto, written for Ms. Josefowicz (which they will perform with the Philharmonic in its New York Concert Premiere, October 30-November 5); Music Director Alan Gilbert and Executive Director Matthew VanBesien on the state of the Philharmonic (March 3, 2014); The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence Yefim Bronfman (May 20, 2014), who will talk about Beethoven's piano concertos (which he will perform during The Beethoven Piano Concertos: A Philharmonic Festival, June 11-28, 2014); and discussions relating to the NY PHIL BIENNIAL, the details of which will be announced at a later date.

Savory Thymes hosts a benefit for Marin Theatre Company's New Play Program on Sunday, October 6, 2013, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Hillside Gardens in Mill Valley.

In his second season as General Music Director of the Zurich Opera, Grammy and ECHO Klassik Award-winner Fabio Luisi premieres important new productions of Beethoven's Fidelio and Verdi's Aida, and conducts revivals of Bellini's La straniera, Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann, and Verdi'sDon Carlo with René Pape, which also serves as the vehicle for his return to the Teatro alla Scala. As distinguished in the concert hall as the opera house, he leads four orchestral programs with the Philharmonia Zurich, makes his long-awaited London Symphony Orchestra debut, and returns to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and Cleveland Orchestra, with which he launches the new season. As Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, the distinguished Italian conductor leads productions of Puccini's Madama Butterflyand Rossini's comedy La Cenerentola, which will be transmitted live to movie theaters around the world in the Met's celebrated Live in HD series.

Tonight, September 7, the Houston Symphony will kick off its 100th Season with three-time Grammy award winner and vocal superstar, Renee Fleming.