Karita Mattila News

The Metropolitan Opera Guild honors Thomas Hampson, one of today's foremost singers, with a new installment in its "Mastersingers" series.

The Metropolitan Opera Guild and Opera News, the award-winning magazine published by the Guild since 1936, will present two notable events this spring. On Tuesday, March 22, the Guild honors Thomas Hampson, one of today's foremost singers, in its "Met Mastersingers" series at New York City's Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College. The great American baritone - who is making his company role debut as Verdi's Macbeth at the Met this month - will engage in an informal conversation with Paul Gruber, the Guild's Executive Director of Program Development. The evening program will also showcase video excerpts of Hampson's most celebrated performances; a new video biography created for the occasion; and the honoree performing songs by Liszt, Barber, and Porter (program subject to change). On Sunday, April 29, the seventh annual Opera News Awards will be presented in a gala celebration in the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza in New York City, paying tribute to five extraordinary artists who have made an invaluable contribution to the art form: sopranos Karita Mattila and Anja Silja, baritones Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Peter Mattei, and director Peter Sellars.

As part of HGOco's cross-cultural East + West initiative, Houston Grand Opera has commissioned two chamber operas to be premiered in spring and summer 2012.

An abundance of Verdi and Wagner, in celebration of their 200th birthdays, will be featured in the Metropolitan Opera's 2012-13 season, which will showcase the world's greatest singers, conductors, and directors in seven new productions-two of them Met premieres-and 21 revivals, including three complete Ring cycles. Twelve of the season's Saturday matinees will be transmitted worldwide as part of the Met's increasingly popular, award-winning Live in HD series.

As part of HGOco's cross-cultural East + West initiative, Houston Grand Opera has commissioned two chamber operas to be premiered in spring and summer 2012.

Musical America, now in its third century as the indispensable resource for the performing arts, today announced the winners of the annual Musical America Awards, recognizing artistic excellence and achievement in the arts.

The Metropolitan Opera Guild honors Thomas Hampson, one of today's foremost singers, with a new installment in its "Mastersingers" series.

Musical America, now in its third century as the indispensable resource for the performing arts, today announced the winners of the annual Musical America Awards, recognizing artistic excellence and achievement in the arts.

The Metropolitan Opera Guild pays tribute to the legendary American mezzo-soprano, Marilyn Horne, on Monday, October 31

On Monday, October 31, the Metropolitan Opera Guild pays tribute to the legendary American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, one of the greatest singers of our time, at the Guild's 77th annual luncheon, a perennial highlight of the opera season.

When the Houston Grand Opera's 2011-12 season - its 57th - opens officially on October 21 with a new production of Rossini's The Barber of Seville, the company begins a new era under the leadership of Patrick Summers.

Houston Grand Opera crossed the Atlantic to open the season at the illustrious Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris with the first-ever Mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (To Cross the Face of the Moon).

The Metropolitan Opera Guild has announced its Lectures and Community Programs for the 2011-12 Season: an extensive - 20 events in October alone! - and wide-ranging calendar of individual events and courses of study designed to deepen the love and appreciation of opera by fans and performers alike, at every level of engagement and expertise.

The Metropolitan Opera's 2011-12 season will feature the world's leading singers, conductors, and stage directors in seven new productions, including a world premiere, a Met premiere, and the first complete performances of a new Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle conducted by Music Director James Levine and directed by Robert Lepage.

Prize winning conductor Michael Hofstetter is a native of Munich, Germany, where he studied piano, organ and conducting. Established both nationally and internationally as a a sought-after opera and concert conductor, Michael Hofstetter has been nominated several times for the prestigious title 'conductor of the year' by the German journal 'Opernwelt'. He is especially known for his interpretation of the operas by Handel, seeking historic sound and authenticity with a modern orchestra.

Having commissioned the world's first Mariachi opera and premiered the work to great acclaim last season, Houston Grand Opera crosses the Atlantic with its pioneering creation for season-opening performances September 23-27 at the illustrious Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

The Metropolitan Opera Guild pays tribute to the legendary American mezzo-soprano, Marilyn Horne, on Monday, October 31

The seventh annual Opera News Awards will be presented on Sunday, April 29 at The Plaza in New York City, paying tribute to five extraordinary artists who have made an invaluable contribution to the art form: sopranos Karita Mattila and Anja Silja, baritones Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Peter Mattei, and director Peter Sellars.

Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirius XM (Channel 74) will celebrate the 40th anniversary of James Levine's Metropolitan Opera debut with a full week of Levine performances. Fifteen historic performances, three of which join the archival rotation on Sirius XM for the first time, will air in rotation for an entire week, beginning May 30 and ending June 5. The broadcasts will be introduced by Levine and other artists, some of whom will also pay tribute to the Met Music Director's extraordinary career in special segments between operas.

Beginning June 15, the Met and NCM Fathom will once again present Summer HD Encores, a series of encore performances from the groundbreaking Live in HD series, in more than 400 select movie theaters nationwide through NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.