Lester Lynch News

Rigoletto is now open at Seattle Opera! What did the critics think? Read all the reviews!

Washington Concert Opera (WCO) announces its 2019-2020 lineup, a season that champions rare works and celebrates award-winning voices. The season will start in November with Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet. Then in April they will present Giuseppe Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, a truly stunning work that has not been heard in D.C. since 1998. In addition to these GWU Lisner Auditorium performances, the season will feature a third annual Opera Outside series at Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park.

For years, Lindy Hume, stage director of Seattle Opera's August production of Rigoletto, has been frustrated by the way opera celebrates misogyny through its “bad boy” characters. In beloved works such as Don Giovanni, Carmen, and Tosca, sopranos must rehearse how to fall, how to be stabbed, brutalized, and thrown across the room, behaviors they would never accept in real life.

The Florentine Opera Company proudly announces its first season under the leadership of new General Director and CEO Maggey Oplinger. The 2019-2020 season explores themes of love, power, and destruction through timeless classics and fresh repertoire, and will feature a diverse range of artists, directors, and designers, both familiar and new to Milwaukee.

With a mix of new and traditional takes on opera, Seattle Opera unveils a 2019/20 Season that offers something for everyone. Audiences will experience new-to-Seattle productions of Rigoletto, Cinderella, and Eugene Onegin; the company premiere of Charlie Parker's Yardbird; and the return of a beloved classic, La boh me.

Tragedy raw in tooth and claw in this revival of the ENO's 2008 production of Lucia di Lammermoor.

When you think of the song, 'Summertime,' perhaps you hear the elegant Ella Fitzgerald-or the earthy Janis Joplin-singing in your mind. But, while many great covers exist, there's nothing like experiencing the song where 'fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high,' as Gershwin first wrote it: for the powerful voice of an opera singer.

In their astounding new opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, composer Mason Bates and librettist Mark Campbell explore the spiritual evolution of one of the most influential men of modern times as he creates a revolutionary new world of technological empowerment, then discovers a larger world within himself.

On Monday evening, March 5, at 7 p.m. with every seat in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater occupied, more than 425 singers in the Young People's Chorus of New York City opened the celebration of their storied 30-year history by singing 'Why We Tell the Story' written by Broadway's powerhouse songwriting team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, among the evening's special guests, who also helped host. Under the leadership of YPC Artistic Director Francisco J. Nuñez and Associate Artistic Director Elizabeth Nuñez, YPC was also joined by renowned baritone Lester Lynch as well as Broadway's Jenn Colella from 'Come From Away' and Jordan Donica, soon to be featured in 'My  Fair Lady.'

While not entirely rare for a single family to possess multiple musical talents, it's certainly unusual to see two people from the same family as leads in the same performance. Washington Concert Opera's Sunday evening performance of Maria di Rohan was such an anomaly: an opera featuring sisters. Maria di Rohan is a seldom-seen Donizetti gem that bridges the gap between Donizetti's contemporary on the Bel canto scene, Rossini, and the earlier vocal works of Verdi.

The Young People's Chorus of New York City (YPC) and Artistic Director/Founder Francisco J. Nuñez celebrate the chorus' 30th anniversary in its 2018 Annual Benefit Concert, to be held at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Monday, March 5, at 7:00 p.m. This year's musical guests are Tony Award-winning, Broadway songwriting duo Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, whose works for the stage include Anastasia and Once On This Island; singer and actress Jenn Colella, currently starring in Broadway's Come From Away; singer/actor Jordan Donica, whose roles include Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the national tour of Hamilton; and classical baritone Lester Lynch, who has performed at Teatro alla Scala, Covent Garden, and with the San Francisco Opera, among other companies.

The Young People's Chorus of New York City (YPC) and Artistic Director/Founder Francisco J. Nuñez celebrate the chorus' 30th anniversary in its 2018 Annual Benefit Concert, to be held at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Monday, March 5, at 7:00 p.m. This year's musical guests are Tony Award-winning, Broadway songwriting duo Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, whose works for the stage include Anastasia and Once On This Island; singer and actress Jenn Colella, currently starring in Broadway's Come From Away; singer/actor Jordan Donica, whose roles include Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the national tour of Hamilton; and classical baritone Lester Lynch, who has performed at Teatro alla Scala, Covent Garden, and with the San Francisco Opera, among other companies.

From January 23 28, 2018, Carnegie Hall celebrates the legendary mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, who will lead The Song Continues in her final season as Artistic Advisor before passing the torch to acclaimed soprano Ren e Fleming, who will continue this beloved tradition in years to come.

Brooklyn Music School presents the 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute concert hosted by renowned baritone and BMS advisory board member Lester Lynch. Inspired by Dr. King's legacy and message, the program will feature selections from Mr. Lynch's recent recording On My Journey Now: Spirituals & Hymns as well as performances by BMS faculty and students.

Washington Concert Opera and their Artistic Director, Maestro Antony Walker, are proud to continue their 2017/2018 season of Bel Canto with Donizetti's Maria di Rohan on Sunday, February 18th. The performance will start at 6pm and will take place at Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University.

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) presents Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute: Spirit of Hope on January 13, 2018 at 5pm. BMS is located at 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn.

See the full schedule of January and February events at Carnegie Hall below!

From January 23 28, 2018, Carnegie Hall celebrates the legendary mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, who will lead The Song Continues in her final season as Artistic Advisor before passing the torch to acclaimed soprano Ren e Fleming, who will continue this beloved tradition in years to come.

On Monday, October 16, Sing for Hope held its 11th annual Sing for Hope Gala, uniting New York's philanthropic and cultural leaders for a magical evening in support of the organization's programs and commitment to bring the arts to under-resourced areas at Tribeca Rooftop in downtown Manhattan. BroadwayWorld has photos from the evening below!

Brooklyn Music School (BMS), located at 126 Felix Street, Brooklyn, NY, announces a new Advisory Board, created to play a key role in helping BMS continually enrich its educational and artistic offerings, improve its pedagogical approach, increase visibility in the community, and refine strategies for growth.