Eric Owens News

Some of today's greatest singers got their start in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions including Jamie Barton, Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Angela Meade, Eric Owens, and Frederica von Stade.

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) today announced the appointment of Stacey Glassman Mizener as Vice President of Development and Dejha Carrington as Vice President of External Relations.

After a months-long series of competitions at the district, regional, and national levels, a panel of expert judges named six young singers as the winners of the nation's most prestigious vocal competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Each winner receives a $15,000 cash prize and the prestige and exposure that come with winning the competition that launched the careers of many of opera's biggest stars.

Kaija Saariaho's L'Amour de Loin ('Love From Afar'), one of the most highly praised operas of recent years, airs on Great Performances at the Met Sunday, April 2 at 12 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). (In New York, THIRTEEN will air the opera at 12:30 p.m.)

Susanna Phillips stars as Clémence, the Countess of Tripoli, opposite Eric Owens as Jaufré Rudel, a troubadour on a quest to find his perfect love, and Tamara Mumford as the Pilgrim who carries messages back and forth between them.  

The production will be conducted by MasterVoices' Artistic Director Ted Sperling and will feature previously announced stars Kelli O'Hara, Bill Irwin, Lauren Worsham, Christopher Fitzgerald - with Jonathan Freeman, Chris Sullivan, and Jeffrey Schecter just joining the lineup - alongside 130 singers of MasterVoices, with Orchestra of St. Luke's.

In addition to the previously announced artists appearing at the Met's 50th Anniversary at Lincoln Center Gala on May 7, singers slated to appear include Stephanie Blythe, Joseph Calleja, Dwayne Croft, David Daniels, Yusif Eyvazov, Vittorio Grigolo, Christopher Job, Latonia Moore, Yunpeng Wang, and Dolora Zajick.

Maestro Luke Frazier and The American Pops Orchestra - Washington, DC's innovative hometown orchestra - will continue their all-star 2016-2017 season with a new take on the classic tale  Cinderella: A Magical, Musical Tale today, March 11 at 2:00 PM at Live! at 10th and G (First Congregational UCC, 945 G Street NW, WDC 20001).

MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale), celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year, will hold its annual Spring Benefit in support of its artistic programming and education and outreach initiatives at the Metropolitan Club, 1 E. 60th Street (at Fifth Avenue), on Thursday, March 30, 2017.

San Francisco Opera Center and the Merola Opera Program present the 34th season of the Schwabacher Debut Recitals, opening on March 26 and continuing through April 30.

San Francisco Opera Center and the Merola Opera Program present the 34th season of the Schwabacher Debut Recitals, opening on March 26 and continuing through April 30. The four-recital series offers music lovers an opportunity to hear opera's next generation of stars in the intimate and state-of-the-art Taube Atrium Theater in San Francisco.

Lyric Opera is excited to present an afternoon of glorious music with Lawrence Brownlee and Eric Owens in Recitalon Sunday, April 9 at 3pm. Tenor Lawrence Brownlee and bass-baritone Eric Owens, who have both earned critical and audience praise internationally and in Lyric productions, will share their talents, artistry, and exciting range of repertoire. Lyric Opera is excited to present an afternoon of glorious music with Lawrence Brownlee and Eric Owens in Recitalon Sunday, April 9 at 3pm. Tenor Lawrence Brownlee and bass-baritone Eric Owens, who have both earned critical and audience praise internationally and in Lyric productions, will share their talents, artistry, and exciting range of repertoire.

Maestro Luke Frazier and The American Pops Orchestra - Washington, DC's innovative hometown orchestra - will continue their all-star 2016-2017 season with a new take on the classic tale  Cinderella: A Magical, Musical Tale on Saturday, March 11 at 2:00 PM at Live! at 10th and G (First Congregational UCC, 945 G Street NW, WDC 20001).

The New York Philharmonic will return to Bravo! Vail in Colorado, celebrating its 30th season, for the Orchestra's 15th annual summer residency, July 21-28, 2017. The residency will include six orchestral concerts that honor the Philharmonic's legacy on the occasion of its 175th anniversary season and the conclusion of Alan Gilbert's tenure as Music Director.

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) recently announced details for its 2017 regional programs, including a new long-term institutional partnership with the Center for the Art of Performance at University of California Los Angeles (CAP UCLA) that represents YoungArts' deepening roots in the area, and further expands the organization's resources and reach on the West Coast.

The Warner Theatre's 2016-17 Met Opera: Live in HD Season continues with an encore presentation of Dvo?ak's RUSALKA held in the Main Theatre on Saturday, March 4 at 12:55 pm.  A complimentary 45-minute pre-opera lecture by Jeffrey Engel will be offered to all ticket holders in the Main Theatre at 11:00 am.  

Maestro Luke Frazier and The American Pops Orchestra - Washington, DC's innovative hometown orchestra - will continue their lunchtime concert series "THIRD THURSDAYS" to highlight the unique musical personalities and special talents of the members of their acclaimed ensemble at Live! at 10th and G (First Congregational, UCC Washington - 945 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20001) - this Thursday, February 16 at 12:15 PM.

Anyone arriving at a performance of the Met's new RUSALKA, in Mary Zimmerman's production, thinking that there's going to be an evening of Disney-type fun from this distant cousin of THE LITTLE MERMAID, will be in for a big disappointment. But for those seeking beautiful music (including one of opera's great arias), a game cast and good singing, RUSALKA, with soprano Kristine Opolais in the title role, offers a musically satisfying evening.

Kristine Opolais stars in the role that helped launch her international career, the mythical Rusalka, who sings the haunting "Song to the Moon." Mary Zimmerman brings her wondrous theatrical imagination to Dvo?ak's fairytale of love and longing, rejection and redemption. Brandon Jovanovich, Jamie Barton, Katarina Dalayman, and Eric Owens complete the all-star cast, and Mark Elder conducts.  The Ridgefield Playhouse and Craig's Fine Jewelry Live in HD Series presents an encore performance of The Met Opera in HD Dvo?ak's Rusalka on Sunday, February 26 at 12 p.m.  In the depths of a lively lake, Rusalka, water nymph and daughter of the ruling water sprite, bemoans her fate. Her eye has been caught by a dashing prince, but being a nymph she cannot have him. Going against the wishes of her father, she consults with the witch Jezibaba, who teaches her a spell to become mortal. The only caveat; she will be mute and, therefore unable to express her love. If the Prince betrays her, they'll both be damned for eternity. Of course, she takes her chances, which throw her into an adventure of jealousy, exile, love and redemption that will change her forever more.

With more than 20,000 nominations made, the International Opera Awards is pleased to announce the finalists for this year's Awards. These were selected by an international jury chaired by John Allison, editor of Opera magazine and classical music critic with The Daily Telegraph, 'Once again, it was both a challenge and a pleasure for us to produce these shortlists, and I am very grateful to our distinguished jury. The quality of the nominations—received in record numbers this year—was very high, and I hope our lists prove that for all the difficulties faced by the world's opera companies, opera is in fact in a healthy and vibrant state.'