Elizabeth Futral News

San Francisco Opera celebrates the opening of its 93rd Season on Friday, September 11, 2015 with a gala performance of Verdi's Luisa Miller, conducted by Company Music Director Nicola Luisotti and featuring an international cast, led by soprano Leah Crocetto, tenor Michael Fabiano and baritone Vitaliy Bilyy.

In May 2016, Opera Colorado will present the world premiere of The Scarlet Letter—a new adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's iconic American novel by composer Lori Laitman and librettist David Mason. 

There's always something going on in the city that never sleeps, but this summer the classical music offerings are plentiful and wonderful!

DALLAS, MAY 21, 2015 – The Dallas Opera is pleased to announce the winner of the 2015 “Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year” Award: incandescent Russian soprano Ekaterina Scherbachenko.

On Sunday, June 14, 2015 at 7:30pm acclaimed pianist Simone Dinnerstein will give the New York premiere of Philip Lasser's piano concerto The Circle and the Child from her latest Sony album Broadway-Lafayette with the talented teen new music ensemble Face the Music under the direction of founder and director Jenny Undercofler at Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center (129 W. 67th St.). The program also includes Face the Music members Paris Lavidis's Violin Concerto in D, Michelle David's First Love Experience, and Benjamin Wenzelburg's Air for harp and strings.

The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago celebrates its 40th season with its annual Rising Stars in Concert program tonight, March 21, at 7:30pm at the Civic Opera House. The talented singers and pianist of the 2014-15 ensemble will perform with members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in works of Bellini, Berg, Berlioz, Bizet, Debussy, Donizetti, Floyd, Gounod, Handel, Korngold, Mozart, Puccini, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Rossini. Rising Stars in Concert is offered in celebration of an exceptionally successful year of study and performance for these up-and-coming artists.

The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago celebrates its 40th season with its annual Rising Stars in Concert program Saturday, March 21, at 7:30pm at the Civic Opera House. The talented singers and pianist of the 2014-15 ensemble will perform with members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in works of Bellini, Berg, Berlioz, Bizet, Debussy, Donizetti, Floyd, Gounod, Handel, Korngold, Mozart, Puccini, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Rossini. Rising Stars in Concert is offered in celebration of an exceptionally successful year of study and performance for these up-and-coming artists.

After a critically acclaimed run in St. Louis in June of 2014, composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist Royce Vavrek's opera "27" will now be available to audiences around the globe, with the release of the world premiere recording of the opera on Albany Records. Recorded live in performance throughout the run of the opera, the album is the first commercial recording of a commissioned world premiere from Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

The audited financial results for San Francisco Opera's 2013–14 season (FY14) were announced today by San Francisco Opera Association President Keith Geeslin: a deficit of $348,244 on an operating budget of $74,119,493. The Company's 91st season presented eight main stage works at the War Memorial Opera House in addition to numerous concerts, recitals, workshops and community engagement events attracting more than 271,954 individuals.

Lyric Opera of Chicago will begin a new chapter in its history with its 61st season - the first to be fully planned by general director Anthony Freud and music director Sir Andrew Davis. Lyric's two artistic leaders announced the repertoire and casting for the 2015-16 season today.

OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, has announced the first recipients of Commissioning Grants from the Opera Grants for Female Composers program, made possible through the generosity of The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. These grants help support the commissioning of works by talented women composing for the stages of OPERA America Professional Company Members.

Dvorak's thrilling New World Symphony highlights the Brevard Symphony Orchestra's 2014-2015 season opener tonight, October 25th at the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne.

Dvorak's thrilling New World Symphony highlights the Brevard Symphony Orchestra's 2014-2015 season opener on Saturday, October 25th at the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne.

Dan Novak, director of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, is pleased to announce that soprano Diana Newman, mezzo-sopranos Lindsay Metzger and Annie Rosen, tenors Alec Carlson and Mingjie Lei, baritone Takaoki Onishi, and bass Patrick Guettihave been accepted into the prestigious program beginning April 27, 2015.

t's almost here! On September 23 the curtain rises on the debut production of OPERA San Antonio. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a performance you'll want to bring the whole family to see. Based on the popular children's book by Roald Dahl about a brave and clever fox who outwits his enemies to save his family and friends, the opera features the music of Tobias Picker, who has been dubbed 'our finest composer for the lyric stage' by The Wall Street Journal.

Last night, after a week of competition that brought 40 young singers from 17 nations to Los Angeles, Placido Domingo announced that Rachel Willis-Sorensen, an American soprano, and Mario Chang, a Guatemalan tenor, took the top prizes tonight in the 22nd edition of Operalia, the World Opera Competition. Hosted by LA Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the weeklong contest culminated tonight in a Gala Finals Concert-featuring the LA Opera Orchestra conducted by Mr. Domingo at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion-which was streamed live on Medici TV.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis has just opened a new commissioned work entitled simply '27'. With music by Ricky Ian Gordon and libretto by Royce Vavrek, it brings us into the world of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.

Representing 17 nations, 40 young singers have been selected to compete in the 22nd edition of Placido Domingo's Operalia, the World Opera Competition, hosted by LA Opera this summer. The contest will be held from August 25 through 30, 2014. Tickets to the competition's final round-a Gala Finals Concert featuring the LA Opera Orchestra conducted by Mr. Domingo at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at 7:00pm on Saturday, August 30-are now on sale.

Representing 17 nations, 40 young singers have been selected to compete in the 22nd edition of Plácido Domingo's Operalia, the World Opera Competition, hosted by LA Opera this summer. The contest will be held from August 25 through 30, 2014. Tickets to the competition's final round—a Gala Finals Concert featuring the LA Opera Orchestra conducted by Mr. Domingo at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at 7:00pm on Saturday, August 30—are now on sale.

Seven productions tempt opera-lovers in a bright summer season.