John Relyea News

Ravinia's 2014 season, dubbed 'Summer of Love/Season of Stars,' was announced today by Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman. Brimming with talent and romance, the festival's 2014 schedule brings some the biggest names in the world of music as well as repertoire that explores the theme of great love in its various manifestations. No fewer than three musical incarnations of the most famous love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet, will be featured, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky's Overture-Fantasy (July 27), a suite from Prokofiev's ballet setting of the story (July 16) and the score of West Side Story as the classic film is shown (July 17-18). In other examples of love, soprano Deborah Voigt describes it as 'Something Wonderful' on a Broadway evening (July 13), the legendary Broadway team of Lerner and Loewe will be celebrated (July 20), and Chanticleer even jabs at the battle of the sexes in an evening titled 'She Said/He Said' (July 6). In fact, love lurks, longs and lingers across genres in most of the more than 130 events that Ravinia will present in 2014, its 110th year and its 78th as the summer residence of the CSO.

Tenor Michael Fabiano has been named the recipient of the ninth annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. The $50,000 award, the largest of its kind in the United States, is designated for extraordinarily gifted singers between the ages of 25 and 40 who have already appeared in featured solo roles at the Met. The award, given in honor of Beverly Sills, was established in 2006 by an endowment gift from former Met board member Agnes Varis, who died in 2011. Ms. Varis was also the founding donor of the Met's Rush Ticket program. Fabiano was presented with the award at the Met today by Met General Manager Peter Gelb.

Today, February 21, 24 finalists will perform for the judges and audience, hoping to win a George London Award, an honor that has been conferred upon hundreds of the best young singers since 1971.

Paul Nadler will conduct tonight's performance of Dvorák's Rusalka, replacing the originally scheduled Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Nézet-Séguin will conduct the other five performances of Rusalka at the Met this season.

Paul Nadler will conduct this evening's performance of Dvorák's Rusalka, replacing Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who is ill. As previously announced, Nadler will also conduct the opera's final performance this season on February 15.

Music Director Gustavo Dudamel and President and CEO Deborah Borda today announced the 2014/15 season of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. This new season, the orchestra's 96th, is devoted to moving music forward by presenting an ever-evolving vision through a series of programs that demonstrate the artistry of the Los Angeles Philharmonic as a leading orchestra of the 21st century, under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel.

Renowned bass John Relyea, who is performing in the Metropolitan Opera's current production of Rusalka with Renée Fleming; rising young soprano Lori Guilbeau, a 2010 George London Award winner; and pianist Warren Jones will share the stage for the second event in the season's George London Foundation Recital Series on Sunday, March 9, 2014, at 4:30 PM at The Morgan Library & Museum. The series presents pairs of outstanding opera singers, many of whom were winners of a George London prize early in their careers or are recent George London Award recipients. (Watch Lori Guilbeau's George London Award-winning performance of 'Einsam in trüben Tagen' from Wagner's Lohengrin here, available in the George London Foundation website's Media Library.)

Mary Phillips will sing the role of Ježibaba in this evening's performance of Dvorák's Rusalka, replacing Dolora Zajick, who is ill.

Lyric Opera of Chicago announced its 2014-2015 season today, which is set to include eight operas, a world premiere new opera, a one night only piano concert with internationally acclaimed pianist Lang Lang, and special family performances. Lyric's 2014-15 subscription season will offer 68 performances of eight different operas Saturday, September 27, 2014 through Sunday, March 15 , 2015. Lyric will also present 17 performances of a new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel in April 2015, continuing the company's American Musical Theater Initiative.

Renée Fleming returns to one of her signature roles, the title character in Dvorák's Rusalka, for six performances beginning January 23. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts his first Met performances of the opera about a water spirit in love with a human prince, adapted from the same sources as Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale 'The Little Mermaid.' Check out highlights below!

Over three days of preliminary auditions on February 17-19, 2014, 90 of the best young American and Canadian opera singers will compete to reach the final round of the 43rd annual George London Foundation Awards Competition.

Renée Fleming will return to one of her signature roles, the title character in Dvorák's Rusalka, for six performances beginning tonight, January 23.

The Canadian Opera Company unveiled a season dominated by the most important, respected and talked-about artists working on the operatic world stage today at a public launch of its 2014/2015 season at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Renée Fleming will return to one of her signature roles, the title character in Dvorák's Rusalka, for six performances beginning January 23.

An annual holiday tradition with the TSO for over 80 years, Handel's powerful and passionate Messiah will fill Roy Thomson Hall for five stirring performances tonight, December 17, 18, 20, 21 and 22. Scroll down for photos of the orchestra and singers in rehearsal!

Paul Nadler will conduct the February 15 performance of Dvorák's Rusalka, replacing the originally scheduled Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Nézet-Séguin will conduct the other five performances of Rusalka at the Met this season.

December concerts include an all-Tchaikovsky programme, Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Conductor Steven Reineke with a Pops Christmas, and the passion of Handel's Messiah.

The TSO offers Tidings of Music and Joy this Holiday Season - December concerts include an all-Tchaikovsky programme, Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Conductor Steven Reineke with a Pops Christmas, and the passion of Handel's Messiah.

The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera's award-winning series of live transmissions to movie theaters, will feature 10 productions in the 2013-14 season, offering a significant portion of the Met season to opera lovers around the world.

Tenor Matthew Polenzani, who has been praised as "perhaps the finest tenor voice of his generation" (Boston Phoenix), and fast-rising young star soprano Corinne Winters will launch the 2013-14 season of events of The George London Foundation for Singers with a recital at The Morgan Library and Museum on Sunday, October 20, 2013, at 4:30 PM. The George London Foundation Recital Series presents pairs of outstanding opera singers, many of whom were winners of a George London prize early in their careers or are recent George London Award recipients. Mr. Polenzani is a 1998 George London Award winner, and Ms. Winters won a George London Award in 2012 (watch Corinne Winters's George London Award-winning performance of Meyerbeer's "Robert, toi que j'aime"here).