Houston Grand Opera News

Nathan Gunn is one of today's most sought after opera stars whose spectacular voice is matched by movie star good looks.

New York City Opera today announced its celebrated annual new music festival, VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab, will return for its 12th season with an exciting new line-up.

The Sheldon presents 'Colors of Russia' featuring David Halen, violin, Miran Halen, soprano and Natasha Paremski, piano, Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 8 p.m. in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. Inspired by Russian-born painter Marc Chagall's Snowing, from the collection of the St. Louis Art Museum , colorful Russian music is performed by Symphony Concertmaster David Halen and Moscow-born rising star pianist Natasha Paremski with soprano Miran Halen. The program will include Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition in its original form for solo piano, Prokofiev's Sonata for Violin and Piano, Rachmaninoff Preludes, and Arensky's Piano Trio. Join us at 7:10 for a pre-concert talk with pianist Peter Henderson.

On February 12, the Grammy Award-winning mezzo Susan Graham returns to the Metropolitan Opera to sing the "role she was born to sing"*, starring opposite Placido Domingo in the title role of Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride.

Opera San José continues its 27th Season with Rossini's delightful comic opera, The Barber of Seville. The charming tale of a clever young woman, her eager lover, and their resourceful accomplice, Figaro, The Barber of Seville is a tuneful testament to all that's wonderful about fun and romance. Eight performances are scheduled from February 12 through 27 at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San José. Tickets are on sale at the Opera San José Box Office, by phone at (408) 437-4450 or online at www.operasj.org. This production of The Barber of Seville is made possible, in part, by a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San José. The madcap story unfolds fast and furious in 18th-century Seville, Spain. Young Rosina is a wealthy orphan and the ward of a grasping old codger, Dr. Bartolo, who is plotting to marry her not only for her beauty, but for her substantial dowry. However, Rosina has two things on her side: the handsome Count Almaviva, who has fallen in love with her, and the town barber, Figaro, her conniving accomplice, who through clever disguises and quick wit succeeds in securing victory for the young couple.

Texas Performing Arts continues a history of presenting the world's greatest operatic voices. Considered one of the most exciting and in-demand baritones today, Nathan Gunn performs with accompanist and wife Julie Gunn in the acoustic richness of Bates Recital Hall, Wednesday, March 9.

Natalie Dessay will return to the Metropolitan Opera in the title role of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor for a run of performances beginning February 24.

The Opera Orchestra of New York will present its annual Vidda Award Recital featuring soprano Meagan Miller at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.

Acclaimed American bass-baritone Ryan McKinny performs Franz Schubert's Winterreise, accompanied by pianist Elizabeth Buccheri, Sunday, April 10 at 3 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.

Take a look at Sir Andre Previn's heavy touring schedule, and it's clear that he is a celebrated classical pianist and conductor, touring some of the world's best venues and performing with top orchestras. But at the Blue Note, Previn will make a rare detour to another facet of his illustrious career - the jazz piano side - of which recordings with the likes of Dinah Shore and Ella Fitzgerald represent the tip of the iceberg. In addition to his ten Grammy awards, Previn has also won four Academy Awards for his film scores. In 2010, Previn was awarded with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and was the subject of a documentary aptly titled A Bridge Between Two Worlds. Previn is one of the most versatile musicians to perform at the Blue Note, which is undoubtedly the most intimate venue he plays worldwide. From February 7 - 9, Previn will be joined by celebrated bassist David Finck.

La Jolla Playhouse announced the fifth production in its 2011/12 season: Finding Neverland, book by Allan Knee, with a score by the Grey Gardens writing team of Scott Frankel (music) and Michael Korie (lyrics), directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Rob Ashford (Cry-Baby, Thoroughly Modern Millie).

Houston Grand Opera announces the launch of Song of Houston: East + West, a series of new operas that celebrate Houston as a meeting place for Eastern and Western cultures.

The freezing weather did not stop the show or keep Houston opera fans away from last night's annual Concert of Arias; in fact, there was record attendance at the successful event. Eight finalists competed and two baritones, a soprano and a bass were named winners in the final round of the twenty-third annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers at the Wortham Center in downtown Houston.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), in association with Tracy Aron, announces additional casting for the new Broadway musical THE PEOPLE IN THE PICUTRE, starring two time Tony® Award-winner Donna Murphy, directed by Leonard Foglia. THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE features book & lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart and music by Mike Stoller and Artie Butler.

Houston Grand Opera announced the finalists today in the Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers to be presented in the annual Concert of Arias on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cullen Theater of the Wortham Center.

Rep Stage, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Howard Community College (HCC), continues its 18th season with Heather McDonald's 'An Almost Holy Picture,' directed by Tony Tsendeas and featuring Michael Stebbins, Rep Stage's producing artistic director. Freely drawn from Pamela Ward's story 'The Hairy Little Girl,' 'An Almost Holy Picture' follows the odyssey of former minister Samuel Gentle as he travels from Massachusetts to New Mexico - and from despair to triumph - heeding a mysterious voice. 'An Almost Holy Picture' opens February 2 and runs through February 20, 2011 in the Studio Theatre of the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center (HVPA) on the HCC campus. For tickets and additional information, visit www.repstage.org.A post-show reception follows the Saturday, February 5 evening performance and free post-show discussions follow the February 11 and 18 performances.

On February 12, the Grammy Award-winning mezzo Susan Graham returns to the Metropolitan Opera to sing the "role she was born to sing"*, starring opposite Placido Domingo in the title role of Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride.

Houston Grand Opera announced the finalists today in the Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers to be presented in the annual Concert of Arias on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cullen Theater of the Wortham Center.

Take a look at Sir Andre Previn's heavy touring schedule, and it's clear that he is a celebrated classical pianist and conductor, touring some of the world's best venues and performing with top orchestras. But at the Blue Note, Previn will make a rare detour to another facet of his illustrious career - the jazz piano side - of which recordings with the likes of Dinah Shore and Ella Fitzgerald represent the tip of the iceberg. In addition to his ten Grammy awards, Previn has also won four Academy Awards for his film scores. In 2010, Previn was awarded with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and was the subject of a documentary aptly titled A Bridge Between Two Worlds. Previn is one of the most versatile musicians to perform at the Blue Note, which is undoubtedly the most intimate venue he plays worldwide. From February 7 - 9, Previn will be joined by celebrated bassist David Finck.

A singer could scarcely be hotter than Joyce DiDonato right now: recently named Artist of the Year by Gramophone magazine, the mezzo-soprano has a new Virgin/EMI album just out (Diva, Divo, released Jan 25); is currently starring in the lead role of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking at Houston Grand Opera; and soon embarks on an eight-city U.S. recital tour (Feb 8 - March 6), capping it with her main-stage Carnegie Hall recital debut.