Christopher Purves News

English National Opera has been having a hard time with Don Giovanni lately. First there was Calixto Bieito's groggy, pastel-coloured nightmare (who could forget the pistachio leather dentist's chair), which paled into adequacy when compared to Rufus Norris's bafflingly unlovely (and just generally baffling) vision that followed. Richard Jones's new production is in no way a failure - there's far too much intelligence here for that, as well as more than one flash of utter brilliance - but it still feels like a show as yet not fully in focus. At his best Jones can make the most startlingly revisionist concept seem like it has always been staring you in face. Here his reading intrigues, compels, but never feels fully rooted in Mozart's music-drama.

The New York Philharmonic's box office opens today, August 9, 2016, for the 2016-17 season.

?The Adelaide Festival announces the return of the brilliant and provocative Barrie Kosky in March 2017 with his newest masterpiece, George Frideric Handel's Saul. Produced by the great Glyndebourne Opera Festival, it will form the centrepiece of the 2017 Adelaide Festival.

21C MEDIA GROUP just released its season preview of opera, vocal and choral music for 2016-17. Scroll down for details!

The English National Opera has announced its 2016/17 season, showcasing an extraordinary range of work -- from the return of beloved classics to exciting new productions and a world premiere.

Toronto – When the Canadian Opera Company's Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre returns for its 2015/2016 season this fall, over 400 artists from diverse artistic backgrounds will share their talents in one of Toronto's most vibrant and intimate cultural hubs. The season begins on Tuesday, September 22 with a highly anticipated performance by the rising stars of the COC Ensemble Studio singing their favourite arias and art songs.

2015 HELPMANN AWARDS ***THIS ARTICLE WILL BE UPDATED LIVE ON MONDAY 27TH JULY 2015***

Jane Moss, Lincoln Center's Ehrenkranz Artistic Director, today announced details of the 49th season of Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, New York's annual summer celebration of the genius of Mozart and his enduring impact, with vibrant performances running from today, July 25-August 22, 2015.

The third week of Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, August 11 through 16, features 11 events comprising orchestral performances, late-night recitals, contemporary music, a lecture, and the U.S. stage premiere ofWritten on Skin, a highly-acclaimed opera by George Benjamin, this summer's Composer-in-Residence and the centerpiece of the Festival's focus on his music.

Tonight, the countdown to the 2015 HELPMANN AWARDS began with the announcement of the 2015 HELPMANN AWARDS Nominees.

Alan Gilbert -- recently recognized with a Foreign Policy Association Medal for his extraordinary commitment to cultural diplomacy -- completes his sixth season at the helm of the New York Philharmonic with this week's U.S. premiere of director Côme de Bellescize's staging of Joan of Arc at the Stake, which stars Academy Award-winner Marion Cotillard (June 10–13). Next, he and the orchestra toast the summer with a trio of free concerts under the stars to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Philharmonic's historic Concerts in the Parks (June 17–24), using the same program as the centerpiece of their upcoming residencies at Colorado's Bravo! Vail (July 24–31), Santa Barbara's Music Academy of the West (Aug 1–8), and in Shanghai, China (July 4–10). Gilbert also makes his Mostly Mozart debut, leading the American stage premiere of George Benjamin's Written on Skin (Aug 11–15), and crowns an artistic residency at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival with an account of Messiaen's epic and otherworldly Des canyons aux étoiles (Aug 23).

Jane Moss, Lincoln Center's Ehrenkranz Artistic Director, today announced details of the 49th season of Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, New York's annual summer celebration of the genius of Mozart and his enduring impact, with vibrant performances running from July 25-August 22, 2015.

The Handel and Haydn Society (H+H) and Artistic Director Harry Christophers are pleased to announce its 2015-2016 Season-H+H's 201st-featuring the Period Instrument Orchestra and Chorus performing works from the Baroque and Classical eras.

Toronto – The world premiere of a new Canadian work was one of the many operatic highlights revealed today at the public launch of the Canadian Opera Company's 2015/2016season at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The COC's 65th season is once again comprised entirely of company productions, four of which are new to Toronto audiences, and features the COC's first mainstage world premiere since 1999, COC premieres of opera rarities and the revival of classic masterpieces.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the New York Philharmonic today announced plans for the two organizations to collaborate on a new, multi-year opera initiative to present fully-staged productions of significant modern operas not yet seen in New York.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the New York Philharmonic today announced plans for the two organizations to collaborate on a new, multi-year opera initiative to present fully-staged productions of significant modern operas not yet seen in New York.

Houston Grand Opera drew the season to a close with hit new productions of Das Rheingold and Carmen that prompted CultureMap Houston to conclude: 'This is, without doubt, the epitome of early twenty-first century opera production. It's where we are going, and it's thrilling.'

Houston Grand Opera, which opened a lavish production of DAS RHEINGOLD this past weekend, is proudly kicking off their first Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner. Like any modern production of Wagner's Ring Cycle, Houston Grand Opera is sparing no expense. At Sunday's matinee, the audience leapt to their feet for curtain call and clamored excitedly about this show and what's still to come in the cycle.

Houston Grand Opera's first ever Ring Cycle is about to kick off with what is promised to be a spellbinding and incredibly visual production of Richard Wagner's DAS RHEINGOLD. As audiences grow all the more eager to see the show of this groundbreaking show, I chatted with Christopher Purves, who is portraying Alberich, about his career and what audiences could expect from this and highly anticipated production.