David Pountney News

Lyric Opera of Chicago, following the lead of the city, state, and federal elected officials, as well as the recommendations of the Chicago Department of Public Health, has made the difficult decision to cancel all performances of Wagner's Ring cycle.

The tragedy of warrior-maiden Brünnhilde and her beloved hero Siegfried unfolds amidst the utter greed and evil machinations of revenge-driven Alberich and his malevolent son Hagen. Love triumphs as one world ends and a new one begins bringing Wagner's magnificent Ring cycle full circle.

Anthony Freud, Lyric Opera of Chicago's general director, president & CEO, announced today that American bass-baritone Eric Owens has withdrawn from Lyric's upcoming Ring cycles in order to undergo treatment for ongoing health issues.

 A four-opera saga that unfolds over the course of a single week. Three weeklong cycles to be presented at Lyric in a thrilling new production that has earned rave reviews and attracted audience members from every corner of the planet. One magical lump of gold that leads to the end of one world and the beginning of another. In opera's most monumental undertaking, characters inspired by Norse mythology battle over power and love, violate sacred oaths, and make unimaginable sacrifices a?" all set to Richard Wagner's brilliant, glorious music. The word 'epic' is often overused, but it truly applies to the Olympian achievement that is The Ring of the Nibelung.

This October will mark Birmingham Hippodrome's official 120th birthday. To celebrate, the greatest show on earth will come to the city centre with a range of free performances and workshops honouring the theatre's origins as a circus.

This epic WNO production captures the scale of Prokofiev's ambition with a chorus that, like the Russian winter, just keeps coming.

Exploration and adventure have been among the defining qualities of Carlo Rizzi's work over four decades.

Tenor Mingjie Lei, 31, from China, was tonight [Thursday 20 June 2019] chosen as the winner of the Song Prize at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2019.

Olivia Colman, who won an Oscar earlier this year for The Favourite, has been made a CBE for services to drama in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

The Santa Fe Opera's General Director Robert K. Meya today announced repertory and casting for the company's exciting 64th Season in 2020. On the panel joining Meya for the announcement were the President of the Board of Directors Susan G. Marineau, Andrea Fellows Walters, Director of Community Engagement, and Cori Ellison, the company's first, recently appointed Dramaturg.

Tulsa Opera concludes its 2018-19 season this May with performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni, featuring American-born, Germany-based transgender baritone Lucia Lucas in the title role, which marks her main-stage U.S. operatic debut and role debut. Performances take place at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on Friday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 5 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets for Lyric Opera of Chicago's enthralling new production of Richard Wagner's epic Der Ring des Nibelungen are now on sale. 

Twenty of the world's most outstanding classical singers are today [4 March 2019] announced for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2019. The biennial competition returns to Cardiff between 15-22 June 2019 and audiences in the UK and beyond can follow all the live drama of the competition on BBC TV, radio and online.

Tulsa Opera concludes its 2018-19 season this May with performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni, featuring American-born, Germany-based transgender baritone Lucia Lucas in the title role, which marks her main-stage U.S. operatic debut and role debut. Performances take place at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on Friday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 5 at 2:30 p.m.

Welsh National Opera will return to their English home of Birmingham Hippodrome this March with another sensational season of Opera including Un ballo in maschera (6 Mar), The Magic Flute (7 & 9 Mar) and Roberto Devereux (8 Mar).

The International Opera Awards today announces the finalists for its 2019 Awards.

Opening the spring season is a new production of Un ballo in maschera, where love, power and politics collide to create a tale of deception, intrigue and revenge. The second instalment in WNO's Verdi trilogy, the production is directed by David Pountney, conducted by Gareth Jones and is a co-production with Oper der Stadt Bonn. Performing from 10 - 13 April, the company will also bring revivals of Mozart's The Magic Flute and Donizetti's Roberto Devereux.

A season filled with unforgettable music, riveting stories, thrilling singers from around the world, and stirring productions goes on sale by subscription Friday, January 25, at 10am. Six new and new-to-Chicago productions including three Lyric premieres and three performances of the Ring cycle will engage and entertain audiences from late September 2019 through June 2020.

Voting continues for the 2018 BroadwayWorld UK Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favourites.

Voting continues for the 2018 BroadwayWorld UK Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favourites.