Ekaterina Semenchuk News

San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock today announced plans for the 2018 19 Season. The Company's 96th Season will open Friday, September 7 with a gala double-bill performance of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci in Jos Cura's production with an international cast featuring Lianna Haroutounian, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Roberto Aronica, Marco Berti and Dimitri Platanias, conducted by Daniele Callegari. To usher in the new opera season, San Francisco Opera Guild will produce its signature benefit event, Opera Ball 2018.

Alexey Lavrov will perform the role of Silvio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci on the Saturday January 13 matinee performance, replacing Alessio Arduini, who is ill. This performance of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci will be heard live over Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.

Ekaterina Semenchuk, already scheduled to sing the role of Santuzza in the first three performances of the current season of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, will now sing at all the performances, replacing Eva-Maria Westbroek, who is ill. Westbroek had been scheduled to sing later in the season from January 20 to February 1, 2018.

The verismo double bill of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci returns to the Met beginning January 8, 2018. Sir David McVicar's production features Roberto Alagna as the chief protagonist in both parts; as Turiddu, a returning soldier in Cavalleria; and as Canio, the head of a traveling performance troupe in Pagliacci. The French tenor previously accomplished the feat of singing both of the one-act operas in one evening at the Met, in 2009, one of ten singers to have done so with the company since 1901.

Classical music lovers around the world can share in two longstanding New York City institutions beginning this weekend, as both the Richard Tucker Music Foundation's annual gala concert on Sunday, December 10 (6pm ET), and the first of Trinity Church Wall Street's annual performances of Handel's Messiah today, December 15 (7:30pm ET), are broadcast by WQXR, New York City's only all-classical music station, at WQXR 105.9 FM and www.wqxr.org.

It was great that the 2017 Richard Tucker Gala was heard live on WQXR.org and on WQXR radio on Sunday, but those of us who were in Carnegie Hall had it much better. This year's winner, soprano Nadine Sierra, sounded wonderful (and looked ravishing, by the way) as she whipped through Verdi's 'Caro nome' (RIGOLETTO) and 'Ah, forse lui Sempre libera'), with secure high notes and thoughtful drama, and Bernstein-Sondheim's 'Tonight' (WEST SIDE STORY), paired with tenor Vittorio Grigolo. She's a charming, extremely gifted performer.

Classical music lovers around the world can share in two longstanding New York City institutions beginning this weekend, as both the Richard Tucker Music Foundation's annual gala concert on Sunday, December 10 (6pm ET), and the first of Trinity Church Wall Street's annual performances of Handel's Messiah on Friday, December 15 (7:30pm ET), are broadcast by WQXR, New York City's only all-classical music station, at WQXR 105.9 FM and www.wqxr.org.

It was a fitting gesture that the Met dedicated this season's performances of Verdi's MESSA DA REQUIEM to the great baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who died on November 22 of brain cancer, at 55. The Russian Hvosotovsky may not have had the largest voice ever heard in his chosen repertoire--the last time I heard him was in IL TROVATORE with Netrebko--but it was unquestionably distinctive and exciting to hear. And he was a powerful stage presence second to none something that the Met has found difficult to muster from its soloists these days.

The Metropolitan Opera's performances of Verdi's Requiem, beginning this Today, November 24, will be dedicated to the memory of Dmitri Hvorostovsky. The Russian baritone passed away last night on November 21 at age 55 after a battle with brain cancer.

Music Director Emeritus James Levine will conduct four performances of Verdi's Requiem, the first Met performances of Verdi's masterpiece since 2008. Joining the Met Orchestra and Chorus are Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova, Russian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk, Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, and Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto.

The Metropolitan Opera's performances of Verdi's Requiem, beginning this Friday, November 24, will be dedicated to the memory of Dmitri Hvorostovsky. The Russian baritone passed away last night on November 21 at age 55 after a battle with brain cancer.

Music Director Emeritus James Levine will conduct four performances of Verdi's Requiem, the first Met performances of Verdi's masterpiece since 2008. Joining the Met Orchestra and Chorus are Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova, Russian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk, Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, and Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto.

The Cincinnati May Festival announces the program details for the 2018 Festival to take place in the newly renovated Music Hall, May 18-26, 2018.

Back home at Carnegie Hall for the second year after more than a quarter century's absence, the Richard Tucker Music Foundation's annual gala concert, one of the most highly anticipated operatic events of the season, will take place on Sunday, December 10, with single tickets going on sale today.

Verdi's sumptuous epic AIDA graces the Kennedy Center for the first time in more than 25 years, and it is a knock-out. The three hour visual and auditory spectacle helmed by director Francesca Zambello and conductor Evan Rogister with original sketches and concept design by famed visual artist RETNA and choreography by one of contemporary dance's leading voices Jessica Lang is not to be missed. In her director's note, Francesca Zambello speaks to AIDA's appeal with opera lovers as part of the very "fabric of our beings", but you surely don't have to be a lover of opera to fall in love with this ensemble and creative team.

Washington National Opera (WNO) opens its 2017-2018 season with a new production of Verdi's grand Egyptian epic Aida, September 9-23, 2017, in the Kennedy Center Opera House.

Washington National Opera (WNO) opens its 2017-2018 season with a new production of Verdi's grand Egyptian epic Aida, September 9-23, 2017, in the Kennedy Center Opera House.

The Metropolitan Opera's 2017-18 season will feature 220 performances of 26 works, including two Met premieres, one co-commissioned by the company and one an older masterpiece having its first Met performances; a variety of repertory favorites, three in new productions; and performances of Verdi's towering concert work for soloists, orchestra, and chorus, the Requiem. Of note, Broadway star Kelli O'Hara is set to return to the Met in Così fan tutte this season.

The partnership between San Francisco Opera and the Bay Area's Classical KDFC continues with monthly broadcasts of performances captured during the Fall 2016 Season, including the world premiere of Bright Sheng and David Henry Hwang's Dream of the Red Chamber, and a historic broadcast from the Company's archives. All performances were recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House and feature the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Ian Robertson, Chorus Director).

San Francisco Opera presents Giuseppe Verdi's Aida in a new production directed by Francesca Zambello and featuring designs by Los Angeles-based, contemporary visual artist RETNA(Marquis Duriel Lewis). A co-production with Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera and Minnesota Opera, this striking and bold vision for Verdi's enduring classic will feature soprano Leah Crocetto and tenor Brian Jagdein their role debuts as the lovers at the heart of the opera, the enslaved princess Aida and the Egyptian war hero Radames.